Last Updated on January 27, 2021 by
Grounding refers to the process of installing electrical connections to the earth or ground. This installation provides a safe pathway for any misdirected or excess current. Make sure that an expert does the work since it is risky. An electrician’s service call-out fee ranges between $50 and $100 depending on the place. The hourly labour charge costs from $20 to $120 per hour.
Grounding charges vary depending on where one lives and the electrician’s professional experience and skill level. Most electricians may not be willing to take up a single small task since they have a small profit margin. It is more sensible to have an electrician perform several projects in the same service call as this will give you value for your money on the fee. You can have various light fixtures installed at the same time, which is more cost-effective.
What Is The Cost Of Grounding Different Parts Of The Home?
Electrical installation costs vary depending on the fixtures as well as the location of your home. The following are some estimated charges on these installations;
Replacing Or Repairing An Outlet Switch Or Receptacle
Repairing an outlet switch is a simple task, but the electrician will charge a call-out fee plus labour. A few minutes of the job may cost between $100 and $150. To get the most out of a service call-out fee, you can have the professional replace several outlets. You can learn to replace outlet receptacles individually to save some money since they cost as little as $3 each.
Cost Of Grounding An Outlet
You may want to turn a 2-slot outlet holder into a 3-slot one to accommodate 3-prong plugs. This task is simple for an experienced electrician, especially if the circuit breaker or the fuse box is grounded. This job may cost from $100 – $150, with the highest charge being service call-out fee. Make sure that you get all the updates done together.
This cost may go up (to at least double) if the electrician has to install grounding at the main fuse or circuit breaker panel.
Replacing An Ordinary Outlet Holder With GFCI
If the electrician is replacing a normal outlet receptacle with a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), it is a simple task that costs around $120 and $150. This charge includes small labour and servicecall fee. However, if the project involves adding a new outlet location and running a cable, you may have to pay between $200 and $250. If you decide to do the job yourself, you can spend between $15 and $25.
Establishing A New Switch Or Outlet
If the task involves installing a new switch or outlet where there is none, it will require one to create an opening in the wall. The electrician will also have to fish a new cable to a power source, fix a new device and wall box, and make the connections. This job will cost an average of between $150 and $200. For a skilled electrician, this is a simple project that can take only 30-minutes.
Fixing A 220/240-Volt Outlet
An electrician may need to run a conduit when wiring a 220/240-volt outlet for a clothes dryer. Installing a new circuit breaker or reorganizing circuit breakers in the main panel may also be necessary. While this task is not harder than wiring any ordinary outlet, the electrician will charge it depending on the cable length to be run. The price will also depend on the amount of time they anticipate to take.
On average, installing a 220/240-volt outlet cost about $300
Changing A Circuit Breaker
Sometimes circuit breakers will wear out, calling for a replacement, and a few homeowners may replace them on their own. If you decide to hire an electrician’s services, you will spend between $150 and $200 to replace a circuit breaker switch. This cost includes both labour and materials.
If you are a homeowner with some wiring knowledge, you can replace a circuit breaker with much ease. If you can do it yourself, the cost can reduce to between $10 and $40 depending on the kind of breaker.
Connecting Three-Way Switches
It will take a skilled electrician from one to two hours to install a set of three-way switches. If the electrician will install the switches in two locations and requires new wall boxes and cables, it will cost you from $200 to $500. But if the electrician will utilize an existing switch location and add only one extra switch, it will cost between $150 and $250.
Rewiring A Home
The cost of rewiring a home with an old installation varies depending on the accessibility of the cables. Such installations include knob-and-tube wiring. Prices may also vary depending on whether other improvements such as main service upgrades are necessary at the same time. The home may also require the addition of new circuits that will impact greatly on the cost.
A house in which walls have to be opened to run new cables will cost more than cables run through walls. Cables can also run through ceiling and floor cavities, and this will reduce the cost considerably.
Average Costs As Per Home Size
| Size Of The Home( In Square-Foot) | The Average Cost Of Rewiring |
| 1000 | $1600 to $3800 |
| 1200 | $1900 to 4500 |
| 1500 | $2300 to $5600 |
| 2000 | $3200 to $7600 |
| 2500 | $2500 to $9400 |
| 3000 | $4800 to $11400 |
Rewiring tasks include removing all outdated cables and running new a NM cable. The cables are connected to existing appliances and breakers. If you are replacing devices and fixtures or updating the main service, the cost will be higher.
Modernizing The Electrical Service
If you are living in an older home, the chances are that the electrical service is outdated. The service may no longer meet the demands of a modern home and the electric devices there. Most old homes had 60-amp services installed when most appliances run on gas. Modern homes require 100-amp service as the standard service that may not be adequate for larger homes or several devices. A 200-amp service is ideal for bigger homes, but for larger homes with many appliances such as radiant floor systems and swimming pool heaters,a 400-amp service is installed.
| Service Upgrade | Cost |
| 100-amp service | $850 to $1600 |
| 200-amp | $1300 to $2500 |
| 400-amp | $2000 to $4000 |
Upgrading the electrical service involves installing a new meter, entry wires, circuit-breaker panel, disconnect, and weather head. Your electrician will, however, not install any new or replace circuit wiring for the base cost.
Adding New Wires Or Wiring A New House
Adding new wires or cabling a new house is generally cheaper than rewiring a system that is already in place. It is easier to run cables while the ceilings and walls are open and this lowers the labour costs. You can calculate the rough-in wiring cost by getting the linear footage of each wall and multiplying it by $8. For example, on a national average, a 2000-square foot home with about 450 linear feet of walls will cost $3800 to wire it.
These rough-in costs include electrical boxes and cables but not the installation of light fixtures or devices. If this will be done, additional costs will be incurred.
Wiring A Basement
One of the most common home remodelling tasks is finishing a basement. This project involves adding some electrical circuits, light fixtures, and wall outlets. Generally, wiring a 1000-square-foot basement area costs between $800 and $1500. This cost depends on whether the basement is one open large space or it subdivided into several rooms.
This cost includes installing boxes, running cable, and making installations. Additional costs apply for light fixtures and other appliances.
Cabling A Garage
An old garage may be lacking electrical service altogether. However, the 2017 National Electric Code (NEC) requires a garage to have a 20-amp circuit. This circuit should have at least one duplex receptacle that is GFCI-protected near each vehicle bay. The circuit can’t serve outlets that are on the garage’s outer wall.
While it is not a requirement for one to update an old garage to meet new code regulations, you may want to comply with the code. If you are planning to sell your home, this may add to its value. The cost of wiring a garage varies depending on how complicated the task is. For example, a detached garage that requires an underground feeder cable to deliver a new circuit will cost more than wiring an attached garage. The cost will also be higher if you want to install a 240-volt receptacle for recharging an electric car.
On average, adding circuits to a garage may cost between $1000 to $4000. However,this depends on whether the garage is detached or attached to an underground feeder cable.
Conclusion
The cost of grounding a house varies depending on the type of work to be done. It will also depend on the experience and the expertise of the electrician doing the work. Before engaging a professional to do the task for you, make sure you know what you want and do a thorough search to find out what you require.
Unless you have electrical wiring experience, avoid doing the tasks yourself, as this can be risky.
