Outside Landscaping Outlet
 

We are looking to move the outlet (see picture) on top of the one in the ground so we can use it better, then down in the stone area.

Hope someone can help me with this, I'm looking to take the outlet out and add a new box on top of the one in the ground, put a cover on the front on the old one.
Can it be done and do you think it will be hard to do this?

What for
 

It can be done easily. The question is, what kind of additional load are you placing on this circuit? At 10 amps, no problem. If you are are talking 20 on up, you may need new wires and a circuit breaker. It’s likely that one you show already is running off of the lamp post circuit. You will have to check out your circuit breaker rating, GFI? and decide whether it is 14 or 12 gauge wire currently in use.

Looks like a “Rube Goldberg” installation. I mounted the electric outlet on lamp post. Ran a 12/3 wire at lamp to outlet split power to outlet top is for yard work always on and bottom off and on by daylight control for Christmas/yard lighting. The estimate from electrician was $300 for mounting box and 6 feet of 12/3 wire. My labor 1 hour outdoor electrical box, wire and outlet about $40. GFI garage panel control power to light and outlet

Why not just buy a long extension cord and use the outlet on the front porch?

Tacky

You can carefully dig up the existing outlet and see how the wiring is installed. I am guessing you will need to keep (or replace) the existing box to serve as a junction box. Then install a suitable pipe or metal post to support your new outlet and the conduit between the two boxes. Install the extension wiring and you should be good to go. A word of caution, my understanding to be completely 'legal' this should be done by a licensed electrician.

Call an electrician?

I agree for a permanent installation. But, if you are just operating a piece of lawn equipment, the extension cord is the safest way to go.

That outlet may not have any conduit associated with it. In other words, it may be wired using direct burial wire. I'd carefully dig around it with a small hand shovel after the breaker is turned off to see. Then all you would have to do is move the post/outlet 6 - 8 inches closer to what it is wired to in order to get the 6 - 8 inches of wire needed to raise it up. If you have to splice the wire to then you'd be required to put the splice in a covered above ground box.

If it does have some conduit, it may simply be a short piece to give support to the riser. You could still move that the 6 - 8 inches too.

I’m not sure about here, but in many places, it would be legal for you to do this yourself as the homeowner but illegal for a helpful neighbor to do it for you. There would be unpleasant liability issues, for one thing, if you were electrocuted. Something like that has to be watertight. It’s not like running wires in the house. You need silicone-filled wire nuts, for example. Last summer my house got five inches of rain in one day. That box could potentially be partially underwater in a rain like that.

Exactly!!! Hard to believe anybody would want electricity on the ground like that. Especially in Florida where plastic deteriorates so fast. That cover will fail at some point I reckon.

Correct box riser
 

All correct...it's an easy DIY job is you are familiar with electrical work.

The new higher outlet must be a GFCI (or the breaker or garage outlet is already).

Get a waterproof blank cover box and a threaded nipple (eg 6").

Yes, add a metal stake to secure this new piller of the two boxes.

Maybe it could just be raised itself. Expose it to see what you have.

Exactly as I stated above. If it is only burial grade cable, one could simply move the box to get some slack in order to raise the outlet. No issues with electrocution as you wouldn't even have to rewire anything.

Looks like it may have been there first and the landscapers just added dirt and rocks to the bed.

IMO need dig down see what got to work with? If it’s just wires can be easily dug up, set back and raised as suggested. If in conduit you can cut conduit disconnect box slide conduit off. Shorten it up, re-glue conduit with box raised. Unless you not familiar with gluing PVC Only hard part making sure power off and disconnecting the wires and re-wiring it.