How much does it cost to fix a reverse polarity outlet?

Is it easy to fix reverse polarity?

When the swap is at the outlet, fixing a reverse polarity outlet means moving two wires back to the right screws, so most of what you pay for is the visit. HomeAdvisor puts a licensed electrician's service-call fee at $100 to $200 for the first hour. If the swap is upstream, the electrician has to trace the circuit, and that time bills by the hour. Get a licensed electrician's price in writing before your deadline.

Key takeaways

• A ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet runs $120 to $200 installed. The 2008 code list names set places, not every room, and your area's newer code may require more.
• An open box or bare wire can be a live part someone could touch. Don't open or touch it yourself, and keep people away from it until the electrician has seen it.
• Many electricians charge a minimum of one to four hours, so put every electrical line on your report into one visit.

What will the electrician charge?

The electrician's quote covers these lines, but your report has others. Kept prices every line of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and marks the ones that need a professional's quote.

Say the swap is at a splice and the electrician needs a second hour to trace it. The first-hour fee plus one more hour comes to $150 to $330, before any outlets or covers.

HomeAdvisor says many electricians have a minimum of one to four hours, and that bundling jobs into one visit cuts repeat service-call charges. It also says quotes for clearly defined fixes are often free, so ask for one in writing.

What does reverse polarity mean, and is it dangerous?

Every outlet has a hot wire and a neutral wire. InspectApedia says the hot wire belongs on the brass screw and the neutral on the silver one. Reverse polarity means they are swapped. InspectApedia calls it "perhaps the most-common electrical wiring mistake found in amateur-wired circuits." The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) standards of practice have inspectors report any tested outlet where "polarity was incorrect."

Take it seriously. InspectApedia says "reversed polarity on an electrical outlet is dangerous." A device plugged into it "may 'work' but it is unsafe and risks a short circuit, shock, or fire." Parts of that device can stay energized even with its switch off.

The swap can sit in one of three places: at the outlet, at a splice in a junction box somewhere in the circuit, or in the electrical panel. Where it sits sets the price. If it is upstream, InspectApedia says the electrician "will have to trace the circuit to find the mis-wire connections and correct it." If your report lists other electrical problems too, the electrical findings hub covers them.

Are open junction boxes and exposed wires dangerous?

Treat both as a hazard until an electrician says otherwise. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's electrical safety program defines a part as exposed "when a person can inadvertently make contact with an energized conductor or circuit part." A part counts as exposed if it is "not properly guarded, isolated, or insulated."

Outdoors, a missing cover adds a second problem. InterNACHI's inspection guide says an uncovered weatherproof box "may allow moisture intrusion of the box interior resulting in corrosion of electrical components and increased risk of fire."

Is an open box a code violation? The electrical code your city or county has adopted decides that. Your local building department or a licensed electrician answers it for your address. Ask the electrician what the covers cost while they are there for the outlets.

Do I need GFCI outlets in every room?

Not under the 2008 list below, which is older, and the code your area adopted may require GFCIs in more places. A GFCI cuts power when current leaks out of the circuit, such as through a person. The 2008 National Electrical Code language InterNACHI reproduces names specific places in a home, including:

• Bathrooms, garages and outdoors
• Crawlspaces at or below grade
• Kitchen outlets that serve the countertop
• Countertop outlets within 6 feet of a wet bar sink
• Boathouses

InterNACHI's history shows these requirements were added over the years, so the code your area uses may differ. Ask the electrician to name which outlets on this report need one.

Are they worth having? InterNACHI says "about 300 deaths by electrocution occur every year," and GFCIs are "recommended as an upgrade in older construction." If your report says a GFCI's reset button popped but a lamp plugged into it stayed lit, InterNACHI says it "has been improperly wired." If the button did not pop at all, the GFCI "is defective and should be replaced."

What do I ask the seller for?

First get that written quote. The guide to repair estimates during the inspection period covers how to get one fast. Have the electrician name each finding on its own line: the reversed outlet, each open box, each missing GFCI.

Then ask for the quote's total, with the quote attached. Ask for a credit if you'd rather hire your own electrician. Ask for the repair if you want it done before you move in, by a licensed electrician, with a receipt. The buyer repair request letter template has the wording, and what to ask for after a home inspection covers the rest of your list.

What if the seller says no?

Once you have a written quote, these are priced lines, and you know what paying for them yourself costs. The picture changes if the electrician finds more, such as miswiring that runs through several circuits. Weigh that new number with when to walk away after a home inspection. Your contract sets the exact deadline and terms, so confirm them with your agent.

Can I fix reverse polarity myself after closing?

Hire a licensed electrician. InspectApedia warns that a mistake "can set the building on fire or might shock or kill you or someone else." And if the swap is upstream, fixing the outlet alone won't find it.

How much does it cost to ground an ungrounded outlet?

This Old House puts grounding an outlet at $50 to $100. If the circuit has no ground wire, InspectApedia says one has to be added or a new circuit run to the outlet. That is a bigger job, so ask the electrician to price it per outlet.

If the outlets are a few lines among many, upload your inspection report and spend your remaining days on the quotes that need an electrician.

Sources

• InspectApedia, Reversed Polarity in Electrical Outlets
• InterNACHI, Home Inspection Standards of Practice
• InterNACHI, Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters
• InterNACHI, Basic Electrical Inspection Guide
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, What Is Exposed?
• HomeAdvisor, How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Electrician
• Fixr, How Much Does an Electrician Cost
• This Old House, Electrician Costs