Receptacle & Circuit Calculator — Outlets per Circuit

In a dwelling, the NEC sets no maximum. 220.14(J) deems the general lighting load computed at 3 VA per square foot to already include every general-use receptacle outlet of 20 A or less, so there is no per-receptacle figure to divide by. In a non-dwelling occupancy, 220.14(I) assigns 180 VA to each strap, so a 20 A 120 V circuit at 2,400 VA permits 13 outlets. Most electricians install 8–10 either way as a working habit.

Correct — no limit on the count. It surprises people, but it follows from how dwelling loads are calculated: charging 3 VA for every square foot already accounts for the receptacles, and assigning each one an individual load would count the same thing twice. What the code does regulate in dwellings is where receptacles go (210.52 spacing, the 6-foot rule, countertop spacing) and which circuits must be dedicated.

One. 220.14(I) assigns 180 VA to each single or multiple receptacle on one strap or yoke, and a standard duplex is a single strap. A four-plex assembled from two duplexes sits on two straps and therefore counts as 360 VA — worth watching in commercial work where the counts are real.

The connected load, under 210.23(A). A single piece of cord-and-plug equipment not fastened in place may not exceed 80% of the circuit rating — 16 A on a 20 A circuit. Equipment fastened in place is limited to 50% — 10 A — where the circuit also supplies lighting or ordinary receptacles. Those are the real ceilings, and they apply in dwellings and commercial work alike.

Change the VA per outlet to the fixture's actual load and the same arithmetic applies. With LEDs the answer is usually far higher than expected: a 15 A 120 V circuit gives 1,440 VA of usable capacity as a continuous load, and at 12 VA per LED trim that is over a hundred fixtures — so the practical limit becomes the switch and dimmer rating, not the circuit. For non-dwelling lighting loads, note that 220.12 unit loads by occupancy govern the calculation rather than 180 VA per outlet.

Because the breaker responds to current, not to receptacle count. "No limit" is a statement about load calculation, not simultaneous use. Two power tools, or a 12.5 A space heater plus a vacuum, will exceed 20 A regardless of how many receptacles are on the circuit. The fix is more circuits, not fewer outlets.

Three, and they cannot be shared: at least two 20 A small-appliance circuits for the kitchen and dining areas (210.11(C)(1), with 210.52(B) restricting what else they may serve), one 20 A laundry circuit (210.11(C)(2)), and one 20 A bathroom circuit (210.11(C)(3)). Everywhere else, general lighting and receptacles may share.