Residential Electrician Melbourne​

Three things matter most. First, check that the electrician works for a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) in Victoria – this is a legal requirement under the Electricity Safety Act 1998 for any business performing electrical work. You can verify registration through Energy Safe Victoria. Second, ask for proof of public liability insurance and workers compensation cover. Third, confirm they hold a current A-grade electrical licence. An A-grade licence means the electrician can perform all types of electrical work unsupervised. Also ask whether they issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES) for every job – if they say it is not needed, that is a red flag. At J3T Electrical, we are a Registered Electrical Contractor, fully insured, and all our electricians are A-grade licensed.

All Victorian homes must have smoke alarms installed on or near the ceiling of every storey, positioned to wake sleeping occupants. The alarms must comply with Australian Standard AS 3786:2014 and be photoelectric type. Homes built after 1 August 1997 must have alarms hard-wired to 240V mains power with battery backup. Homes built or substantially renovated after 1 May 2014 must also have their alarms interconnected, so when one triggers, they all sound. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years regardless of condition, as the sensors degrade over time. We install and replace hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms across Melbourne. If you are selling or leasing a property and need smoke alarm compliance, see our real estate electrician page for the full requirements.

As of March 2026, the average installed cost of a home EV charger in Victoria is around $2,377 including hardware and installation. A single-phase 7kW charger – which suits most Australian households – costs between $1,200 and $2,200 fully installed. A three-phase 22kW charger costs $2,500 to $4,500. The charger hardware itself ranges from about $800 for a basic unit (like a Tesla Wall Connector) up to $3,000 for premium smart chargers with solar integration. Installation costs depend on the cable run distance from your switchboard to the charger, your switchboard’s available capacity, and whether a mains upgrade is needed. If your switchboard needs upgrading to handle the additional load, that adds $800 to $2,500 on top. We check your switchboard capacity and mains supply before quoting.

Yes. Under Victoria’s Electricity Safety Act 1998, a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES) must be issued for all electrical installation work – both prescribed and non-prescribed. Prescribed work (switchboard upgrades, consumer mains, new circuits) requires an independent inspection by a Licensed Electrical Inspector before the power can be reconnected. Non-prescribed work (power points, light fittings, safety switches) still requires a COES but does not need an independent inspection. Your electrician must lodge the certificate with Energy Safe Victoria and provide you with a copy. You should keep your copy on file – it may be needed during a property sale, lease renewal, or insurance claim. If your electrician says a COES is not needed, that is wrong. Failure to issue one is a criminal offence under the Act.

For most jobs, just make sure the electrician can access your switchboard and the areas they need to work in. Clear any furniture or stored items away from the switchboard, power points, or light fittings being worked on. If the job involves outdoor work, make sure gates are unlocked and pets are secured. For jobs that require the power to be switched off – like switchboard work or rewiring – charge your phone beforehand and be aware that your internet modem, fridge, and any medical equipment that relies on power will be off for a period. If you live in an apartment, check whether your body corporate needs to approve the work or whether the electrician needs access to a common switchboard. Let the electrician know about any known issues (tripping circuits, warm switches, flickering lights) even if they are not related to the job – it helps them assess the overall condition of your wiring while they are on site.

A circuit breaker protects your wiring – it cuts power when a circuit is overloaded or short-circuited, preventing cable damage and fire. A safety switch (RCD) protects people – it monitors current flow and trips in milliseconds if it detects electricity leaking to earth, which is what happens when someone receives an electric shock. You need both. Modern switchboards use RCBO units that combine circuit breaker and safety switch protection into a single device for each circuit. If your switchboard only has circuit breakers and no safety switches, you are protected against overloads but not against electric shock. We can retrofit safety switches to your existing switchboard, or install them as part of a full switchboard upgrade.

For a standard 3-bedroom home, a full rewire typically takes 5 to 7 days, depending on access to walls and ceiling spaces. Older homes with lath and plaster walls take longer than homes with plasterboard, because running new cables through lath is more labour-intensive. The work includes replacing all wiring from the switchboard to every power point, light, and switch, plus installing a new switchboard. Some patching and making good to walls is usually needed afterwards. We give you a clear timeline and fixed price during the quoting stage. For more detail on renovation and rewiring projects, see our home renovation electrician page.

A full electrical safety inspection is recommended every 5 to 10 years for most homes. If your home is older than 25 years and has never been inspected, get one done sooner rather than later. You should also get an inspection before buying a property, before and after major renovations, or if you notice warning signs like flickering lights, warm switches, tripping circuits, or a burning smell. Inspections cover your switchboard, wiring, earthing, power points, smoke alarms, and safety switches. We provide a written report detailing any faults or non-compliant wiring with a clear priority list of what needs fixing. If you manage rental properties with specific compliance requirements, see ourreal estate electrician page.

We cover the full range of residential electrical services in Melbourne: power point and lighting installation, switchboard upgrades, safety switch installation, smoke alarm compliance, EV charger installation, home automation and smart wiring, ceiling fan installation, oven and cooktop wiring, security lighting, CCTV and alarm installation, data cabling, antenna installation, home theatre setup, air conditioning electrical, renovations and rewires, new home builds, fault finding and repairs, and 24/7 emergency call-outs. We also handle testing and tagging for landlords and property managers who need compliance records for their rental properties.