Electricians price guide

How much does an electrician cost?

Most Australian electricians charge around $90–$140 an hour in business hours, plus a call-out fee of $80–$150. A new power point usually costs $150–$350, a ceiling fan $150–$400 and a switchboard upgrade $800–$2,500. After-hours and emergency work typically runs $150–$300 an hour.

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Typical hourly rate $90–$140 Business hours, including GST. Sydney is usually at the top; Adelaide is often the most competitive.

Call-out fee $80–$150 Usually covers travel and the first 15 to 30 minutes. Some charge no call-out but a higher hourly rate.

What common electrician jobs cost

Job	Typical price	Notes
Add a power point (GPO)	$150–$350	Double power point with easy cable access
Install or replace a light fitting	$100–$300
Install LED downlights	$80–$150	Per light
Install a ceiling fan	$150–$400	Plus the fan; more if there's no wiring there yet
Install a safety switch (RCD)	$120–$300	Where the board has room for it
Install a hardwired smoke alarm	$120–$200	Per alarm; interconnecting several costs more
Upgrade a switchboard	$800–$2,500	Typical house. Asbestos meter boards, new mains or three-phase cost more
Run a dedicated circuit for air con	$250–$450
Install an EV charger	$800–$2,000	Installation only; the charger is extra
Rewire a house	$5,000–$12,000	Single-storey with roof access; bigger or double-storey homes cost more

Indicative prices for typical Australian homes, including GST. A guide, not a quote. Last reviewed 3 October 2026.

What drives the price of electrical work

Electrical jobs are priced on time, access, the state of your switchboard and the parts going in.

Access. A new power point is quick when there’s a roomy roof space or subfloor to run the cable through. It’s slower through double brick, under a slab, or down a finished wall in a two-storey home, and that’s often the difference between a $150 power point and a $350 one.

Your switchboard. Plenty of small jobs turn up an old board with ceramic fuses, no room for another circuit or no safety switches. Adding an air con circuit, an EV charger or a new oven can trigger an upgrade, so ask the electrician to check the board before you budget for the job itself.

Parts. Downlights, ceiling fans, EV chargers and smoke alarms range from cheap to premium. Check whether the price covers the fitting or just the labour, and whether the electrician will warranty a fitting you buy yourself.

Timing. Night, weekend and public holiday rates can be close to double the normal hourly rate. If nothing is sparking, smoking or hot to the touch, switch that circuit off at the board and book a normal appointment.

Getting a fair electrical quote

Ask for a written quote that names the work, the parts, any call-out fee and GST, and says whether the price is fixed or hourly. Check the electrician’s licence with your state regulator before work starts; our licence checks page links to the lookup for every state. When the job’s done, ask for the compliance certificate. It’s your proof the work was tested, and you may need it for insurance or when you sell.

Got a few small jobs? Book them together. You’ll pay one call-out instead of three, and the price per item usually drops.

One quote from a properly checked electrician, read against the ranges on this page, will tell you whether the price is fair. That’s how needatradie works: we match you with one licensed local sparky for your job.

Electrician or someone else?

Some jobs need more than one licence. Air con needs an electrician for the power and a refrigerant-licensed technician for the gas, and many installers hold both (see our air con price guide). A handyman can hang the TV but can’t add the power point behind it; our handyman price guide shows where that line sits. For a renovation or extension, a builder usually brings in the electrician and coordinates the trades. If you’re not sure who you need, start with our electricians page and tell us about the job.

Electricians prices by city

City	What to expect
Sydney	Usually the most expensive capital, with many electricians charging around $95–$150 an hour. Older homes often still have ceramic fuses or asbestos-backed meter boards, which adds to upgrade costs.
Melbourne	Close to Sydney rates. A large stock of pre-war and post-war homes keeps switchboard upgrades and rewires in steady demand.
Brisbane	Mid-range rates. Raised timber homes with open subfloors can make new cable runs quicker than in brick homes on a slab.
Perth	Rates can run high because resources projects compete for electricians. Double brick walls make new cable runs slower, and that shows up in the labour.
Adelaide	Often the most competitive capital-city rates for electrical work, a little under the east coast.
Gold Coast	Much like Brisbane on price. In apartment buildings, check whether the job needs access to a shared meter room, as that can take time to arrange.
Newcastle	Generally a little below Sydney rates. If you're out toward Lake Macquarie or the Hunter Valley, ask whether travel time is charged.
Canberra	At the higher end, in line with Sydney. Many 1960s and 1970s homes are due for switchboard and safety switch upgrades.

Electricians costs: common questions

How much does an electrician charge per hour in Australia?

Most licensed electricians charge around $90 to $140 an hour in business hours, including GST. Sydney is usually at the top of that range and Adelaide toward the bottom. Many also charge a call-out fee, and after-hours or emergency work commonly costs $150 to $300 an hour. For a clearly defined job, ask for a fixed price instead.

What is an electrician's call-out fee or minimum charge?

Expect a call-out or service fee of about $80 to $150. It usually covers getting to you and the first 15 to 30 minutes on site, with time charged in blocks after that. Some electricians skip the call-out fee and charge a higher hourly rate instead, so compare the total for the job, not one line of the quote.

How much does a switchboard upgrade cost?

For a typical house, replacing old fuses with circuit breakers and safety switches costs around $800 to $2,500. It costs more if the meter board contains asbestos, if the mains cable from the street needs replacing, or if you're moving to three-phase power. Have the electrician inspect the board first so every quote covers the same work.

How much does it cost to install a new power point?

A new double power point usually costs $150 to $350 installed, depending on how easy it is to run the cable from the roof space or subfloor. Outdoor power points and ones on double brick walls sit at the higher end. Doing several at once costs less per point, because you only pay one call-out.

What's the difference between a Level 1 and a Level 2 electrician?

In NSW, Level 1 and Level 2 are accreditations for working on the electricity network, not grades of skill. Level 1 providers build or upgrade network assets like poles and street cables. A Level 2 electrician connects and disconnects homes and works on the service lines between the network and your switchboard, so you need one for a new connection, a service upgrade or an overhead service line. Ordinary household wiring only needs a licensed electrician.

Can I replace a light switch or power point myself?

No. In every Australian state and territory, work on fixed wiring, including swapping a light switch or power point, has to be done by a licensed electrician. DIY electrical work is illegal, can void your home insurance and can kill. A licensed electrician will also give you the compliance certificate your state requires.

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