You need exterior outlets this is an exterior application Maybe check out less obtrusive ones and for sure not floor ones in a space where water can get in through screens Why on eathr so many plugs ?I have no idea where you live but the electrician has to follow the code that is his job.

What is the use for that many outlets, and will they be blocked visually by some furniture or something? It seems like quite a few, especially 3 or 4 on a 14' length of kneewall(?), because if just 2 posts you have nowhere to put them. Is this cover obtrusive if painted to match?

Thanks for your comment. I didn't explain well - I'm thinking of one outlet in the center of the 14' side, and two or three on each of the 23' sides. I'll be plugging in lamps, a heater in cool weather, perhaps a small kitchen appliance near the kitchen window/serving table. I like the look of the outlet you pictured - white would blend with the white posts.

I feel like this may have space for the cord to go through at the bottom of the closed lid:

https://www.amazon.com/Arlington-DBHR1W-1-Electrical-Weatherproof-Construction/dp/B004K1G0PE

It's a fair question, which I've discussed with our contractor. We're thickening the door with a trim strip at the back edge, with some weatherstripping material if needed, to close the gap. The door closes to a post, so there's no gap at the front edge. The benefit of the barn door style is having the door stay open while you carry things through (or maneuver a wheelchair or walker at the top of the ramp, for one of our entrances), as well as not taking up floor space inside. I think these benefits make it worth the extra effort to close the gaps.

Is your contractor screening or even "double" screening under the porch flooring?

It's a solid floor - vinyl plank. Completely critter-proof. [grin]

I’m not sure that you’re going to be able to achieve what you want while also mounting these receptacles to the 6x6 posts because the junction boxes need to have a certain volume by code (in cubic inches) to fit the cable (wires) and device (receptacle,) so they will have some depth to them. So either you have to figure out a way to make the posts bigger in order to recess the junction box, or you need to find some kind of attractive surface mounted exterior junction box and I don’t know of any. You also have to run the cables to the junction boxes. How were you planning to do that? Under the floor? Is this a raised frame floor? Or is it a slab on grade? You will need to protect the cables from rodents if they will be under a raised floor, so you may be using conduit with either type of floor. Conduit is also used to bring cables into a surface mounted junction box, so something to think about. I used the INBOX by Arlington at my house and they are extremely attractive, but the boxes are pretty deep. I think they took up the entire 3.5” wall depth. The box is recessed and the cover is flat and almost flush with the siding. I chose the white box with white cover and it blends right in with my white siding. My electrician turned me on to these and he loves them. I originally had the ugly metal cover that you refer to with the little flaps that lift up and stay up when in use. These are no longer allowed by code for uncovered outdoor applications. Now you must have an “in-use” cover, such as the bubble that you refer to, so that if you leave something plugged in, the cover can close completely to protect the receptacle from rain. The INBOX has an in-use cover (see pics.) I have a receptacle on my covered front porch and I changed it to an INBOX even though my electrician said it wasn’t required because it’s covered. I am unsure if your application would require in-use covers or not, although you may choose them anyway like I did. Code minimum is the bare minimum required by law, you can always go above and beyond the minimum requirements. I also changed one on the back of my house that does not have a roof above. It was grandfather in with the old metal flap covers but the INBOX is a huge aesthetic and functional improvement! I also have surface mounted receptacles on the outside railing of my deck and they are not overly attractive, being gray with gray conduit attached to bring the cable in. I am unsure if they make anything attractive that is surface mounted, but you may want to search for deck mounted receptacles for some ideas; most of the ones that I have seen are intended to be recessed into the floor of a deck and that is a possibility if you want to go with floor receptacles, although it wouldn’t be my first choice if it was me. I think if it was me, I would box out an area on the post so the receptacle can be recessed into the box and then go for the INBOX. Either box out the entire post bigger, or just the bottom 18” or so where the receptacle will be located. Maybe 9.5”x9.5” posts or 9.5”x5” posts would get you the 3.5” interior space that you would need to recess an INBOX if using 3/4” finish grade lumber for the box (see sketches, and I made a mistake on one of the sketches. It’s supposed to be 5”, not 5.5”.)

http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/inbox/

Thanks, A, for your detailed and helpful comments. The posts are 4x4, and the plan was to frame them out to 6x6 so the box could be partially recessed. The finish carpenter tells me that he can box out around the outlet to make it blend in better - or, as you suggest, just the bottom of the post could be framed out for the box. I like the look of the Inbox, allowing space for the plugs with the flap down. I'm planning for three outlets on the house wall (sounds like a lot, but that's a 23' span, interrupted by an 8' slider), so the Inbox will go well there, and it will be on a white wall. I was thinking that the outlets on the posts would be fed by conduit, but perhaps the wiring can run through the framed-out space. The porch floor (30" above grade) is LVP, and the bottom of the joists will also be covered with sheet material (city requirement). This will provide a wiring chase protected from rodents - a valid concern, as we have skunks aplenty as well as raccoons in our neighborhood.

Thanks for pointing me to Inbox - a perfect solution.

If you have a framed floor with sheet material covering the bottom then you will probably not need to use conduit and should be able to install the wires as they normally would be installed inside the floors of the rest of the house. Just make sure that the contractor doesn’t leave any gaps underneath because mice can get through a hole the diameter of a nickel and they will chew wires right down to the bare copper. I’ve seen it! Are you very committed to the 6x6 posts for some reason? With 6x6 posts you will probably need to use conduit to bring the wire from the floor into the junction box OR you can box out the bottom of the post to be big enough to cover the wire AND the part of the junction box sticking out. But I’m thinking that if you make the posts wider, you can probably achieve a fully recessed receptacle and bring the wires straight the into the bottom of the post from under floor, eliminating either of those 2 suggestions. It will be an overall neater look without looking like the receptacles were an afterthought. In this sketch, the right hand side of the column is like a wall cavity and can be treated as such for recessing the junction box completely as well as bringing the wires up from the floor and straight into the wall cavity (same as they would be in any other wall inside your house.) I’m guessing that the column would need to be a minimum of 5’x8.5”. But you should pick up an INBOX from an electrical supply house and provide it to your contractor so they can plan the exact size. It doesn’t take up much space inside but you need to account for the overlap on the outside too. You wouldn’t want the outer frame to be overhanging the edge of the column. A smaller junction box than the INBOX would allow for an even smaller column but then you’re back to the drawing board with bubble covers or the cover that 3onthetree posted earlier, which will stay open when anything is plugged in and is not an in-use cover. You should check with your jurisdiction as to whether or not they will require in-use covers for this application.

Well, the electrician came this morning and nixed the whole Inbox idea. He thinks they're too big. He wants to use a regular box. But he also said that - because the area is covered - I could just remove the flaps after installation. They'll build out the 4x4 posts some, and more in the area around the outlets. He had good suggestions about other parts of the project, so I'm letting him do it his way on the posts. My philosophy during our massive remodeling job (two bathrooms, laundry, all new windows, fireplace surround, screened porch) is that unexpected things will arise because the house was built in 1948, and I need to be patient and flexible.

Thanks for the caution on the wrapping under the floor joists. My contractor is very detail and do-it-right oriented, but I'll double check that it's all sealed well.

Our forecast in SE Washington is 104 today - I feel sorry for the guys working on the porch and moving dirt for the driveway. It will be 10 degrees hotter by the end of the week.