Find a trusted electrician in Melbourne

Period wiring behind Melbourne walls

A Victorian terrace in Collingwood, an Edwardian in Kew or a 1920s bungalow in Brunswick may have been rewired once, or not at all. Electricians regularly find ceramic fuses, boards with no safety switches, rubber-insulated cable that crumbles when it’s moved, and old renovations wired off whatever circuit was closest. None of that is rare, but it means a small job can turn into a board upgrade once the covers come off. Meter panels from that era can also contain asbestos, which changes how the old board is taken out.

Post-war brick veneers across the eastern and south-eastern suburbs are usually easier to work on, with roof space for new cable runs, though many still need extra circuits for modern appliances. Ask the electrician to look at the switchboard before you lock in a budget for the job you actually called about.

Going electric, and when the distributor steps in

Plenty of Melbourne households are trading gas for electric: induction instead of gas burners, a heat pump for hot water, and reverse-cycle splits in place of ducted gas heating. Each of those usually wants its own circuit, and together they can push an older board or a single-phase supply to its limit. A good electrician will work out the load before you buy the appliances. If solar panels or a battery are part of the plan, mention them early, since they also need room on the board.

Once the job reaches past your switchboard, such as moving the meter, going to three-phase or a new connection, the electrical contractor lodges a request with your distributor. Across Melbourne that’s CitiPower, Jemena, United Energy, AusNet Services or Powercor, depending on the suburb, and their booking times can decide when the job finishes.

Checking a Victorian electrician’s licence

Energy Safe Victoria licenses electricians, and the business quoting you must also be a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC). The Licensed Electrical Worker Search (Energy Safe Victoria) confirms both. For general household wiring, the electrician needs an A grade licence.

Every job should end with a Certificate of Electrical Safety showing the work was tested. If anyone offers to skip it to save you money, find someone else. Landlords should keep these alongside their two-yearly safety check reports. Our Victoria licence checks page explains the register step by step.

Electrician rates around Melbourne

A typical Melbourne sparky charges about $90–$140 per hour on weekdays, and most add a call-out fee somewhere in the $80–$150 range. A switchboard upgrade for a typical house usually runs $800–$2,500, more with an asbestos meter panel or a move to three-phase, and rewiring a single-storey home commonly costs $5,000–$12,000. A dedicated air con circuit typically adds $250–$450.

See our electrician price guide for more jobs. These are indicative ranges, and your written quote is what counts.

One licensed sparky, not a list

Tell us what needs doing and roughly where you are in Melbourne. We’ll match you with one local electrician, having checked their licence, insurance, ABN and reviews first, and your number won’t be passed around.

Looking further afield? Browse electricians across Australia or other Melbourne trades. Ready to book? Get a free quote.