Cost for having grounding wire installed, other electrical issues fixed?

Question

Specifics from my home inspection:

- Ungrounded three-prong outlets in three rooms. (Original two-conductor wire is still used for the three-prong outlet).
- Outlet with reversed polarity
- Need weatherproof cover for exterior outlet.

This is for a one-story bungalow-style house, built in 1935 in North Carolina. I am looking for the total cost to have these items done. I realize there are a great number of dependencies to be considered, and that the range from low to high may be large, but I need to put something on a spreadsheet right now.

I am attempting to get estimates on a long list of repairs and renovations that I will need a house I'm under contract to purchase so that I can have my lender put together a construction loan. I have a contractor coming out next week (so please don't respond "you need to have an electrician take a look..." Of course, I do).

Answer 1

First, the three prong outlets... how many total? I'll assume that you have a total of 8.... this will be one 20A circuit. You will need 1 breaker approx. 60' of 12-3 romex and the outlets themselves. Approx 3 hours total labor, with a cost of $195 for labor and approx $90 in material. The outlet with reversed polarity and the weatherproof cover approx. .5 hours labor and a material cost of $8. The total project cost of approx $325 + taxes. This cost is assuming these outlets are not in the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, or garage area which will require a GFI or AFI breaker/receptacle, which would raise your cost around $30 for a GFI and about $75 for an AFI. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

The reversed polarity and weatherproof cover are very easy. There is no need to run cable to the ungrounded outlets unless you want to, just replace the outlets with GFI outlets. Yes the GFI outlets ungrounded meet code for exisitig wiring. The cost is about $5 for the cover, $12 for each GFI, and about 2 hours labor, say $80.

Answer 3

The reverse polarity one requires that you swap the black and white wires. The black wire should be on the copper colored terminal and the white is on the silver colored contact.

The weatherproof cover shouldn't be too much, you will also want to get a GFIC receptacle when you replace the cover.

The three bedrooms should have arc fault circuit breakers installed, and GFIC receptacles installed in the bathrooms and kitchen, garage, basement, and outside outlets.

By the time you are done, I would think around 1000 bucks counting everything with parts.

Answer 4

here in NY its about 50 or 60 dollars per outlet to run new "Romex" from outlet to breaker box , thats for first floor rooms and goes up from there for upper level rooms
and thats not including "parts"

weatherproof cover is really something you can do yourself they are very easily installed

the outlet with reverse polarity will also proabably need new wire run to make it a grounded outlet , unless it is already then it is wired wrong and will need to be hooked up properly which shouldnt cost much



B.