Is it normal for electrical boxes to be shimmed out with wood scraps?

That mess is going to fail inspection before the guy even walks through the door. While "blocking" is common for mounting boxes in deep bays, stacking random 2x4 chunks like a game of Jenga is the hallmark of someone who just wanted to get home early. It is actually more lumber and way more effort than just running a single vertical **cripple stud** or a horizontal fireblock to catch the box. The inspector is going to see that mess and immediately start looking closer at everything else because it screams amateur hour.

The biggest issue isn't the mess; it's the lack of stability. Those boxes need to be rigidly supported. If they are "hanging" or feel flimsy, they won't meet code requirements for box support. And the zip-ties are a huge red flag. Per **NEC 334.30**, Romex needs to be secured within 12 inches of the box using approved staples or straps. Standard plastic zip-ties from a junk drawer aren't listed for that use, and most inspectors will flag them instantly.

Regarding the heights, there isn't a specific code height for outlets in most residential rooms, but consistency is the mark of a pro. Most guys use a **story pole** or even a hammer handle to mark every box at exactly 16 inches to the center or 12 to the bottom. If they're all over the place, it is going to look terrible once the baseboards and furniture go in. It is a sign that if they were this lazy with the framing, there are probably loose wire nuts or nicks in the insulation somewhere else. Honestly, you should just rip it out and do it right. It will take you twenty minutes to pull those scraps, screw in a proper block, and staple the wires correctly. It is a lot easier to fix it now while the walls are open than to have an inspector make you tear out drywall later because the box wiggles when you try to plug something in. Plus, it will save your uncle from the embarrassment of having "Team Looks Good From My Trailer" work in his guest house.

Man, if you don't fix that now, you're gonna have a nightmare when the rockers show up. Drywallers aren't gonna play nice with boxes that aren't plumb or flush. They'll just zip around 'em and leave you with gaps you can't cover with a standard plate. I've seen guys try to mud thier way out of a crooked box and it looks like trash. Just grab a pry bar and clean it up. Better to spend an hour now than hate yourself every time you look at a crooked outlet for the next twenty years.

I learned the hard way that if those boxes aren't rock solid, you'll feel it every time you plug somethig in. I had a similar setup in my garage and every time I pulled a cord out, the outlet flexed. Eventually, the drywall started cracking becasue those blocks shifted.

I ended up using a simple 2x4 block screwed flat between the studs. It’s way more solid. Also, watch those zip ties—if they aren't perfectly flush, the drywall won't sit flat. You’ll end up with a hump in the wall that looks like crap when the light hits it. Just pull 'em out and use real staples.

Have you ruled out that this is just a temporary mockup? I've seen guys throw scrap together just to visualize the layout before the real work starts. It’s ugly, but are you sure those zip ties aren't the screw-mount variety? Some local inspectors around here actualy prefer them over staples in specific tight spots beacuse they don't pinch the jacket as easily.

It looks like a mess, but I’d check with your uncle to see if that was just a placeholder. Is it possible he’s planning on a double-layer of rock or some thick wainscoting that requires that extra depth?

Update: I checked and it’s definitly not a temporary mockup—the wires are acutally live. I tried wiggling a box like someone mentioned, and it’s super flimsy. If I replace that Jenga stack with a solid 2x4 spacer, do I have to pull the wire back trough the box to get those zip ties off, or shold I just snip them and staple?