A floor box only makes sense when a wall socket genuinely can’t reach the equipment that needs power — which sounds obvious, but gets missed at the design stage more often than it should, leaving contractors retrofitting a floor box into an already-finished floor.
What situations actually call for a floor box?
Floor boxes are needed wherever equipment sits in the middle of a room away from any wall — boardroom tables, banking hall counters, kitchen islands, and open-plan desk clusters are the most common cases.
If a wall socket within reasonable cable length can serve the equipment, a floor box adds unnecessary cost and floor-cutting risk — it’s specifically a solution for the middle-of-the-room problem, not a default choice.
Screed box or raised-floor box — which does your building need?
Screed floor boxes are cast into a standard concrete floor before finishing and suit most conventional buildings; raised-floor boxes are designed for buildings with an access-floor system, common in server rooms and some modern office fit-outs.
- Screed box — installed before the floor is poured/finished, sits flush with standard flooring
- Raised-floor box — fits into an access-floor panel system, common in server rooms and data centres
Is it too late to add a floor box once the floor is finished?
It’s not too late, but it’s significantly more disruptive — retrofitting requires core-cutting into an already-finished slab, which is why floor box locations should be planned before the screed is poured wherever possible.
Fembosco advises confirming exact floor box positions at the design stage, working from the furniture layout rather than guessing and adjusting later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a floor box carry both power and data cabling?
Yes — floor boxes are typically divided into segregated compartments for power and data, the same principle used in trunking and power columns.
What lid finish options are available?
Fembosco supplies floor boxes with brass or stainless-steel lids, chosen for durability in higher-traffic commercial areas like banking halls.
Conclusion
Only specify a floor box where a wall socket genuinely can’t reach — and if you do need one, lock in the exact position before the floor is poured, since retrofitting later means cutting into a finished slab.