Ungrounded Outlets, Open Grounds and Reversed Polarity on an Inspection

What does "open ground" mean on a home inspection?

An open ground is a three-prong outlet whose round ground hole isn't connected to anything. The outlet works, so you'd never know. The inspector finds it with a plug-in tester, which lights up "open ground."

It usually happens one of two ways. Somebody replaced old two-prong outlets with three-prong ones so modern plugs would fit, without any ground wire in the box. Or the ground wire is there but came loose or was never connected. The first is far more common in older houses.

Typical report wording:

• "Open ground at three-prong receptacles" in a room or throughout the house.
• "Ungrounded two-prong receptacles, typical of age." That's information more than a defect.
• "Reverse polarity" or "hot/neutral reversed."
• "Recommend evaluation by a licensed electrician."

Can you put a GFCI on an ungrounded outlet?

Yes, and it's a common fix. The National Electrical Code (406.4(D)(2)) gives three choices where there's no ground wire in the box (Mike Holt in EC&M):

• Put back a two-prong outlet. Honest, cheap, and it doesn't pretend to be grounded.
• Install a GFCI outlet marked "No Equipment Ground."
• Install a regular three-prong outlet protected by a GFCI upstream (another GFCI outlet or a GFCI breaker), marked "GFCI Protected" and "No Equipment Ground."

A GFCI watches for current leaking where it shouldn't, through a person for example, and cuts power. It doesn't need a ground wire to do that, which is why the code allows it here. It doesn't create a ground, though. That's what the "No Equipment Ground" sticker is for: a surge protector or a computer power supply still won't have a ground path.

One limit: that permission covers replacing existing outlets. Adding a new outlet from an ungrounded box is an extension, and the new outlet needs a real ground connection (same source). For how GFCIs work and why one might not reset, see the GFCI page.

What is a bootleg ground?

A bootleg (false) ground is a jumper from the outlet's ground screw to its neutral. Someone does it to make a plug-in tester show "correct" on an outlet with no ground wire. It works on the tester, which is the problem: a three-light tester can't tell it from a real ground (Mike Sokol in EC&M, 2013).

It's worse than an open ground. It puts the neutral, which carries current, onto the metal case of whatever you plug in. If the outlet also has reversed polarity, the hot wire ends up on the case, a potentially deadly shock that a GFCI downstream may not catch (same source).

Inspectors who look for these use a voltage tester or meter, not just the plug-in tester. If your report mentions a bootleg ground, assume there are more than one and have the electrician check every outlet that tests "correct" on ungrounded wiring.

Should I ask the seller to fix ungrounded outlets or reversed polarity?

Reversed polarity and bootleg grounds: yes, always. They're hidden shock hazards and the fix is small. Open grounds: yes, ask for the code-allowed fix, not a rewire.

• Ask for the repair in plain terms: "Seller to have a licensed electrician correct reversed polarity and any bootleg grounds, and correct open-ground receptacles by grounding them, installing GFCI protection labeled per code, or replacing them with two-prong receptacles."
• Take a credit if you'd rather decide room by room after closing which outlets get new grounded wiring.
• Don't ask for a whole-house rewire just because outlets are ungrounded. That's an update, not a repair, and most sellers will say no.

Whoever does the work, check their credentials locally. There's no statewide electrician license in Indiana; cities and counties handle it, and Indianapolis issues electrical contractor licenses through its Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (City of Indianapolis, Contractor Licenses, read October 2026). Get the license number on the invoice, and keep the invoice with your closing papers. See how the inspection period works in Indiana for timing.