Find a trusted electrician in Sydney

Fuse boards, meter panels and Sydney’s older homes

Walk through a federation cottage in Marrickville or a 1950s brick house in Ryde and there’s a fair chance the switchboard is the original, or close to it. Ceramic rewireable fuses, no safety switches on the lighting and a board with no spare room are all common. That matters the moment you add something new, because an induction cooktop, a ducted system or an EV charger may need a circuit the old board can’t take.

Many meter boards installed before the late 1980s also contain asbestos. It’s low risk while it’s left alone, but it shouldn’t be drilled or cut, so ask any electrician quoting an upgrade how they’ll handle it and whether the board is being replaced.

Units bring their own rules. In a strata block, new wiring or extra power points count as minor renovations under NSW strata law, so the owners corporation has to approve the work before it starts. An EV charger in a shared car park also needs a plan for where the power comes from and how it’s metered.

Level 2 work, storms and Sydney’s two networks

Sydney’s poles and wires are run by two networks. Ausgrid covers the eastern, inner and northern suburbs, and Endeavour Energy covers most of western and south-western Sydney. Connecting or disconnecting a home and repairing the service line from the street are jobs for a Level 2 accredited electrician, not a standard sparky, and moving a meter usually needs one too.

That difference shows up after a big storm. If a branch brings down the line to your house, stay well clear and ring your network’s emergency number first; they’ll tell you whether the repair is theirs or needs a Level 2 electrician. If only your place has lost power and the neighbours still have lights, the fault is more likely at your switchboard, often a safety switch tripped by water in an outdoor light or power point.

Is your Sydney sparky licensed?

Every electrical wiring job in NSW needs a licence, whatever the job is worth, and Building Commission NSW issues them. Search the electrician’s name or licence number on the Verify NSW licence check. You’re looking for a current contractor licence that covers electrical work, held by the person or business named on your quote.

Once the work’s done, you’re owed a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work, known as a CCEW. File it with your house papers, since it’s your record that the work was tested. Our guide to licence checks in NSW covers the other trades too.

Sydney electrician rates

Sydney sits at the top of the country for electrical prices. Many electricians here charge around $95–$150 an hour during business hours, on top of a call-out fee of roughly $80–$150, and nights or weekends can run $150–$300 an hour. A new double power point is typically $150–$350, and a switchboard upgrade $800–$2,500, with asbestos boards, new mains or three-phase power pushing it higher.

Batching small jobs into one visit is the easiest saving, since you only pay the call-out once. Our electrician price guide lists the common jobs. Treat it as a guide, not a quote.

Getting matched with a Sydney electrician

Tell us what needs doing and which part of Sydney you’re in, and we’ll put you in touch with one licensed local electrician we’ve already vetted for licence, insurance, ABN and reviews. We don’t hand your number to a list of businesses.

Our electricians page covers sparkies in other cities, and the Sydney trades page lists everyone else we match here. When you’re ready, get a free quote.