Plate For 3.5″ Led Combo Downlight

The PL-3.5 is a no-lip pot light plate that fixes your 3.5" combo downlight position before the drywall goes up. Fit the plates, let the drywallers router through, then snap the head in after.

13-3/16" x 7-5/16" footprint, a 3-11/16" opening, and 0.8 mm steel. A ruler scale runs along both long edges, so you're not pulling a tape for every fixture.

Gang them for two and three head runs.

What if the drywall hole gets cut too big?

Fitting the plate first is how you stop that happening. The 3-11/16" opening becomes the router guide, so your drywallers follow the steel instead of eyeballing a hole saw through finished board. Cut first and a wandering hole means a patch, a bigger trim, or a fixture that sits proud. Set the plate at rough-in and the hole lands where you put it.

That's why the trade calls these smash plates. Board goes on over the top, opening gets found after.

Will it fit a 3.5 inch pot light?

Measure the cut-out, not the fixture name. This plate is punched for a 3-11/16" hole, which is what Votatec's 3.5" combo heads need. Nominal sizes drift between brands, so check your fixture's stated cut-out against 3-11/16" before you commit to a pallet.

Model number is PL - 3.5''. It's the no-lip version, so the plate finishes flush behind the board rather than protruding into the opening.

Is 0.8 mm steel stiff enough?

Fair question, and the usual complaint about rough-in plates is that they flex when the cutting bit catches. This one runs 0.8 mm through the full 13-3/16" span and fixes to framing through four 4.5 mm holes plus two 3.5 mm holes, so it's anchored at both ends before anyone starts cutting. Supported steel doesn't chatter.

Fitting between the joists

13-3/16" wide drops into the 14-1/2" clear bay you get from 16" on-centre framing, with room either side. No trimming, no packing.

For a two or three head combo run, set one plate per head and use the stamped scale to hold your spacing even. Layout gets settled at rough-in, not on a ladder later.

Open the Spec sheet (PDF) in the Related documents panel for the full dimension drawing, including the internal fixing centres you'll need if you're pre-drilling strapping. Send us your plate count and the head sizes you're running, and we'll come back with a wholesale quote and confirm stock across the 2", 3", 3.5", 4" and 6" plates.