How Much Does It Cost To Hire An Electrician: Rates & Costs
Professional electricians are among the busiest of the building trade pros. Why? Because most homeowners don't know a lot about electricity, they prefer to call a professional to solve their problems than do it themselves.
This is usually a good investment since an electrician can do the job faster and probably better. In the end, you are left with confidence that your house won't burn in a fire in the middle of the night because of a wiring error you made.
This article will go over the electrician's hourly rates, costs, the type of jobs they can help you with, and how you can make sure you hire the right person for the job.
Rates & Costs
Most homeowners will pay around $162 and $522 for an electrician to visit their home and complete electrical repairs.
Some factors that will determine the project rates will be:
- Type of labor
- Type of project
- License needed
- Providers experience
Nevertheless, the bill can escalate and reach thousands of dollars depending on the job's complexity.
To get an idea of what you might be dealing with, we'll address the following list and touch on the rates of costs.
Related: How Much Does A Home Inspection Cost
Replacing a Switch or Outlet
Replacing or adding a new outlet is a fairly easy and quick job. This type of job takes around 30 minutes. However, the electrician will charge a minimum labor period plus a call-out fee.
When you call out an electrician, mention to him any other outlets you want to replace or add to your house.
Expect costs to range from $130 to $300.
When you call him out, mention everything you need to fix to avoid paying multiple call-out fees.
Outlet Grounding
Older homes come with 2-slot outlet receptors. If this is your case, you might want to replace them with a 3-slot grounded outlet that accepts 3-pong plugs.
An experienced electrician will have no trouble converting the 2-slot outlets into 3, given that the fuse box or circuit breaker panel is completely grounded.
This type of job might take the electrician approximately 30 minutes, with the cost averaging around $20 to $50.
If the electrician needs to establish grounding with the breaker panel, the bill can be doubled.
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Installing a New Outlet or Switch
Installing a switch or new outlet where none exists involves:
- Creating an opening in the wall.
- Fishing new cable to a power source.
- Installing a new wall box and device.
- Making the connections.
This is a fairly easy job for an experienced electrician. For this type of job, the average rate and cost range from $140 to $165.
Installing Three-Way Switches
Three-way switches may require more installation time; expect at least two hours for a set. Also, the cost will be between $100 to $200 per switch.
The bill can go up if the electrician installs more sets in different locations. Jobs that require new cables and wall boxes cost more.
Replacing a Circuit Breaker
Many homeowners are comfortable replacing circuit breakers because it isn't hard to do. Since this is a relatively easy job, homeowners who decide to do it themselves can expect to save about $10 to $40 per device.
The national average cost for hiring a professional to replace a bad box circuit can range from $100 to $160, including materials and labor.
Wiring a House
The supplies alone will cost $6 to $8 per foot. Depending on how accessible the wiring lines are, you might easily end up paying $1,200 or more for electrical wiring.
The job will take substantially less time if the location for new wiring is accessible, such as during a makeover when the walls are open.
By calculating the linear footage of all walls and multiplying by $8, you may get a fairly accurate estimate of rough-wiring costs. A typical 2,000 square-foot house, for example, contains around 450 linear feet of walls.
On average, the cost of wiring a house is around $3,800.
While these rough-in rates include cable and electrical boxes, they do not include device or light fixture installation, which is an extra fee.
Wiring a Garage
It's not uncommon for an old garage to be completely devoid of electrical service. However, the 2017 amendment to the NEC (National Electrical Code) mandates that each car bay be supplied by at least one 20-amp circuit with at least one GFCI-protected duplex receptacle.
In general, you are not compelled to renovate an existing garage to comply with new code standards, but you may choose to do so to stay compliant. It might be a selling factor if you decide to seel your home in the future.
The cost of adding circuits to a garage ranges from $1,200 to $2,500, with the highest end of the spectrum indicating detached garages where an underground feeder wire from the main service panel to the garage must be installed beneath the ground.
Related: Common Garage Remodel Mistakes You Need To Avoid
Wiring a Basement
Adding one or more wall outlets, light fixtures, and electrical circuits is part of finishing a basement, which is a fairly frequent home remodeling project.
Depending on the number of recess lights and beds in the basement, wiring a 1,000 square-foot area can cost anywhere from $800 to $1,500.
The lower price range is for vast open spaces, while the higher price range is for basements that have been separated into individual rooms.
If an electrical sub-panel is required, or if your basement will have complex multimedia wiring, costs may increase.
The cost above has taken into consideration the following:
- Running cables
- Installing boxes
- making connections
- Light fixtures
- Other additional devices
Hiring the Right Electrical Contractor
Most electrical work requires special skills, safety precautions, and knowledge.
Messing with electricity can put your life at risk. If you are unsure about something, hire a professional electrician. My Site Plan aims to give you a 100% satisfaction guarantee in any job we do. Contact our highly-skilled professionals today or take a look at the services we provide to get started remodeling your home.
Also, keep in mind that some smaller repairs, such as replacing a light switch, can be completed on your own as long as you understand the dangers of electrical shock and always turn off the power to wherever you're working.
Related: 10 Things Your Remodeling Contractor Wants You to Know
Conclusion
The majority of bidders will offer a total price for the project. For any job in your home, get numerous, detailed quotations on the cost of parts and labor.
Additionally, ensure that all expectations are written down and that you fully comprehend the work's terms and conditions.
Talk to your contractor about what will happen if you aren't satisfied or if the bid is changed due to unanticipated events. Examine any warranties and make sure you understand everything in the estimate. Ensure that your electrician is properly licensed and insured.
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- Ryan Crownholm
