How much will it cost to have an electrician replace outlets in the home I am renting?

Question

I have several outlets in the home I living in that do not hold plugs in very well at all (some are so bad that the cord attached to the plug will pull it out).

Since I am renting, rewiring the home is not an option. Please do not suggest it- trust me, I would LOVE to have this done if I could.

The home was built in the 1900s and has cloth-insulated wiring although it is not K&T (I'm not sure if it was before or after K&T was popular).

I would like to have the outlets replaced- how much should I expect to pay an electrician to replace these? I would replace them myself but the old wiring is not something I want to take chances with. I've heard stories of insulation falling off as wires are moved and I'd rather have a professional do this.

I am also interested in having all light switches and fixtures replaced; if you can give me an idea of how much these would cost, please do. I may just buy lamps if the fixtures are too expensive to replace.

Thanks.

D

Answer 1

Couple things to note here:

You do not own the property and are not responsible for improving it. Just normal maintenance like mowing the lawn, cleaning, taking out garbage.

1900's? Has the place had a service upgrade in the last 100 years? Or is the wire at least shielded in conduit or flex instead of attached to insulated posts as they show in the Tom Edison Films. Does a wall heat up when the window air conditioner is running?

You may consider finding a new place as bad functioning outlets are a good way to start a fire and the landlord should be covering this not just for you, but his investment. But you might also consider renters insurance anyhow.

Answer 2

That depends greatly on where you live.

It's alot different in Mayberry than Atlanta.

I'd say an average is 15-20 bucks per outlet. But that's just a guesstimate. Don't know your details.

Answer 3

Most electricians have a minimum charge I can tell you that it will be no less than $200 and up to $400 .Then depending on how many points (outlets,switches,etc.) you need fixed, the rate will be between $40 and $70 for each point depending on were you live if you are in a big city $70 the suburbs would be lower price. If they go with an hourly rate the national average is $65.35 an hour and then materials after that which you could supply.

That is  based on rates in Westchester NY. Good Luck.

Answer 4

Whatever the hourly rate is in your area plus the cost of materials.

Answer 5

hi.my bf is an electrician, and if you are renting a house or flat its up to your landlord to keep the property safe and up to a standered of regs, give them a caal and explain whats going on , tell them that you want it sorting out. good luck