GFCI Outlet Installation Cost: $90 to $200 + Code Rules

It is one of the smaller jobs an electrician does, and one of the cheaper safety fixes in a house. The same visit can usually sort out a dead outlet, a GFCI that will not reset, or an outlet that feels warm.

What a GFCI outlet does

A GFCI compares the current going out on the hot wire with the current coming back. If even a slight amount is missing, it has found another path, possibly through a person, and the outlet cuts power. That is what the TEST and RESET buttons on the face are for.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) credits GFCIs with a large drop in deaths. Its GFCI page says they helped cut home electrocutions in half. Its home safety page goes further: electrocutions have dropped 80% since GFCIs were introduced, and consumer product electrocutions 93%. The two pages give different figures and we show both. ESFI also cites the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimate of nearly 400 electrocutions a year in the United States.

Where code requires GFCI outlets

ESFI says the National Electrical Code (NEC) requires GFCI protection in these places:

• Kitchens.
• Bathrooms.
• Garages.
• Outdoors.

Cities and states adopt NEC editions on their own schedule, so the exact rules depend on where you live. The electrician who pulls the permit will know which edition applies. If an older house has plain outlets in any of those four places, that is the first thing to fix.

GFCI outlet installation cost and outlet repair cost

These are the published prices from Angi, HomeGuide, This Old House and HomeAdvisor. Where they disagree, both are shown.

Installed prices as each guide publishes them. HomeGuide's outlet guide is dated September 2025 though titled 2026. The wiring behind the wall, access and any permit change the quote.

The receptacle is rarely the expensive part. Angi's range tops out at $1,500 for a single outlet because outdated wiring behind it can turn a swap into a repair. Most of the price on a small job is the visit itself, so if you have several outlets to change, ask for one price for all of them on the same trip.

For other common repair prices and hourly rates, see electrical repair costs and electrician rates.

Outlet not working: safe checks before you call

A dead outlet often costs nothing to fix. HomeGuide notes that a tripped outlet that only needs a reset is free. Work through these in order:

1. Check whether other outlets in the room, or in a nearby bathroom, kitchen, garage or outside, are dead too.
2. Look for a GFCI outlet (the one with TEST and RESET buttons). One GFCI outlet can protect other outlets on the same circuit, so the GFCI you need may not be the outlet that is dead. Press RESET firmly until it clicks.
3. Unplug what was running on that outlet before you reset anything, as Angi advises for a tripped circuit.
4. Check the panel for a tripped breaker. Reset it one time only: push the handle fully off, then on. Bob Vila warns that resetting over and over risks an arc flash.
5. Plug in a lamp you know works to test the outlet.

If the breaker trips again as soon as you reset it, the breaker keeps tripping guide covers the causes and what an electrician will check.

Do GFCI outlets go bad?

Yes, a GFCI can stop protecting you, which is why the CPSC says to test every GFCI at least once a month, after a power failure, and as the manufacturer's instructions say. Its fact sheet notes that blackouts and other power disturbances can sometimes damage a GFCI's ability to work.

The CPSC's test, if the GFCI has no instructions of its own:

1. Plug a lamp into the outlet and turn it on.
2. Press TEST. The lamp should go out. If it does not, the GFCI is not working or was wired wrong.
3. Press RESET. If the lamp does not come back on, replace the GFCI.

A replacement costs $90 to $200 installed in HomeGuide's guide and $120 to $200 in This Old House's 2026 guide, and Angi puts GFCI outlet repair at $100 to $300. A GFCI that trips the moment you reset it is a different problem, covered next.

GFCI outlet won't reset

If you press RESET and it will not stay in, there are three likely reasons:

• No power is reaching it. A tripped breaker upstream leaves the GFCI with nothing to reset. Check the panel first.
• The fault is still there. Angi says ground faults are common in damp areas, so a wet outdoor outlet, or a cord or appliance with a fault, can keep tripping it. Unplug everything and try once more.
• The device or the wiring has a problem. If the breaker is on, nothing is plugged in, and it still will not reset, call an electrician. Angi puts GFCI repair at $100 to $300, and HomeGuide a receptacle swap at $80 to $200.

If one appliance trips it every time, Bob Vila's breaker test works here too: plug the appliance into a circuit in another room. If that trips as well, the appliance likely has a short.

Outlet sparking, warm or buzzing: when to stop and call

ESFI lists these as warning signs to get a qualified electrician in right away:

• An outlet or switch that is warm to the touch.
• Discoloration or scorch marks on an outlet or wall plate.
• Sizzling or buzzing sounds from the electrical system.
• A burning smell.
• A mild shock or tingle when you plug something in.
• Breakers that trip again and again.

If there is smoke, fire or a burning smell that is getting stronger, leave the house and call 911. If water is near an outlet, shut off the power at the breaker only if you can reach the panel from a dry spot. For a hot or sparking outlet at night, the emergency electrician guide covers who to call first and what after-hours rates look like.

Outlets are a real source of fires. ESFI cites CPSC data showing receptacles are involved in about 5,300 home fires a year, with 40 deaths and more than 100 injuries. Angi puts a sparking outlet repair at $100 to $350 and an outlet with burn marks or a burning smell at $120 to $400.

AFCI outlets and how they differ from GFCI

A GFCI protects people from shock. An AFCI (arc fault circuit interrupter) protects the house from fire by cutting power when it detects arcing in the wiring. ESFI says arcing faults cause more than 30,000 home fires a year, with hundreds of deaths and injuries and more than $750 million in damage, and CPSC estimates AFCIs could prevent more than half of them.

ESFI says the NEC has required expanded AFCI protection in new homes since 2008, where that code has been adopted, at an added cost of $140 to $350 per home. In an existing house, Angi puts AFCI outlet repair at $120 to $350. AFCI and GFCI protection can also go in at the panel as a breaker; ask the electrician which suits the circuit.

Older homes: two-prong outlets and old wiring

Two-prong outlets have no ground wire. This Old House puts grounding an outlet at $50 to $100. Ask the electrician whether grounding the outlet or installing a GFCI outlet is the right fix for your house. If the house has aluminum or knob and tube wiring, the outlet price is not the whole story. The electrical repair guide covers both, and a full or old panel is covered in electrical panel upgrade cost.

Electrical outlet repair near me: who to call and what to ask

Outlet work is electrical work, and most states license it. The electrician license guide by state covers Texas, Florida, Arizona, California, Nevada and Colorado. Ask these on the phone:

1. What is your service call fee, and does it count toward the first hour?
2. Is the price per outlet, or a flat price for the visit?
3. What is your license number?
4. Will this need a permit, and will you pull it?
5. Can I get the price in writing before work starts?

Adding lights at the same time? See light fixture installation cost so both jobs can go on one visit. Calls to the electrician line go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; how calls work explains the rest.