Find an electrician for your Sydney property
In short
Choose an electrician who services your Sydney suburb, holds the NSW electrical licence needed for the work and gives you a clear written scope. Check whether a loss of power needs your electricity distributor first. For planned installations, compare quotes based on the same fittings and access details; for urgent faults, agree the attendance and assessment charges before authorising repairs.
Step 1
Choose the right first contact
Check your electricity bill for the distributor and its emergency number. Use the Ausgrid guidance below if your address is on its network. For a fire or life-threatening situation, call 000. Keep at least 8 metres from fallen powerlines and anything touching them.
What needs attention?
| Situation | First action |
|---|---|
| Power is out across the street or nearby homes | Check your distributor's outage information. On the Ausgrid network, report an unlisted outage on 13 13 88 or through its website. |
| Fallen wires or a tree touching powerlines | Stay clear and report the hazard to your distributor. Ausgrid's reporting number is 13 13 88. Call 000 if there is immediate danger to life. |
| A faulty power point, recurring circuit trip or planned new lighting | Contact a licensed electrician. Describe what happens and where; leave wiring and switchboard covers closed. |
Step 2
Check the business's NSW electrical licence
NSW requires electrical wiring work to be done by a licensed electrician. Ask for the contracting business's legal name and contractor licence number, then use the Service NSW check. Match the holder to the quote and check the electrical work category, status, expiry and any conditions.
Ask who will carry out and supervise the job, whether the business has handled similar installations and for evidence of relevant insurance. Confirm that it covers your particular suburb and property type, including any apartment or strata access requirements.
Step 3
Give enough detail for the visit and the quote
Include your suburb, property type, symptoms or proposed installation, and photos taken from a safe position. For a new oven, ceiling fan or lights, include the model and whether you are replacing an existing fitting or adding a new location. A visible fitting does not tell the electrician what wiring is behind it.
For an Inner West terrace, mention limited parking, roof access and any known previous rewiring. For a Sydney apartment, explain the floor, lift booking, building work hours and access to a locked meter room. Coordinate the landlord, property manager or strata contact before booking work that needs their authority or access.
Step 4
Compare the installation and the unknowns
For planned work, send the same brief to several businesses and ask for written quotes listing labour, fittings and materials. Check whether GST, travel, parking, testing and disposal are included. If you supply the fitting, ask who handles a faulty product or a return visit.
Ask whether new wiring, safety switches, switchboard changes or wall repairs are included or depend on inspection. For an older terrace, ask how concealed wiring will be assessed before a final price is agreed. For an apartment, clarify whether an outage will affect other residents and who will organise building access and notices.
For fault finding, ask what the initial assessment costs and how further work will be priced. Agree extra work and its cost in writing before it proceeds. For urgent attendance, confirm any call-out charge, minimum charge and after-hours rate on the booking call.
Step 5
Ask for the test and completion records
Ask the electrician to explain what was installed or repaired, any remaining concerns and how to use new controls. Request your Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work, or CCEW, which records that the work has been tested and complies with regulations. NSW electricians submit it through BCNSW eCert; give them your email address so they can send your copy.
Keep the certificate with the accepted quote, authorised changes, invoice and product instructions. If a fault was diagnosed but no repair completed, get the findings and recommended next action in writing.
Sources and useful links
Sources checked 7 October 2026
- NSW Government: electrical safety requirements and consumer rights
Licensed wiring work, emergency contacts and CCEW submission and customer copies; updated 1 July 2026.
- Service NSW: check a builder or tradesperson licence
Official licence-check entry point for matching the holder and reviewing licence details.
- Ausgrid: what to expect during an unplanned outage
Outage reporting and the 8-metre clearance from fallen powerlines and related hazards.
- NSW Government: getting quotes for contractors
Comparable job briefs, written work and material inclusions, and written variations.
