Electrical safety inspections across south-east Melbourne
You are buying a period home, taking on a rental, or you have simply never had the wiring looked at. An inspection tells you what is actually there, in writing, before it becomes an emergency call at eleven at night.
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You want to know what you are buying, or what you are responsible for
An inspection is a written account of the installation's condition. Most people order one because somebody else is about to require it.
- You are buying and the building inspection mentioned the switchboard or the wiring.
- You have just taken on a property to let and need to know where it stands.
- The house has never been inspected and nobody knows what is in the roof space.
- There are ceramic fuses, or no residual current device on some circuits.
- Previous work was done by someone unknown, or looks like it was done by an owner.
- You are planning a renovation and need to know what you are building on.
- An insurer has asked for confirmation of the electrical condition.
- There have been recurring faults and nobody has ever looked at the whole picture.
What a safety inspection actually covers
This is testing and reporting, not repair. You get a document you can act on, and a quote for anything that needs attention.
- Visual inspection of the switchboard, the mains, the meter position and the earthing system.
- Every accessible circuit tested for earth continuity, insulation resistance and polarity.
- Residual current devices tested for trip time and trip current, not just pressed.
- Roof space and subfloor inspected where access allows, for cable type, damage and rodent activity.
- Socket outlets, switches and fittings checked for damage, heat and correct operation.
- Smoke alarms checked for age, type, position and operation.
- A written report listing what was found, what is unsafe, and what is simply dated.
- Findings ranked so you know what needs doing now and what can wait a few years.
About Electrical safety inspections
What an inspection actually covers
An electrical safety inspection is a licensed electrician testing the installation against a standard, not a walk around with a torch. It covers the switchboard, the consumer mains, the earthing system and every accessible circuit.
- Earth continuity and insulation resistance tested circuit by circuit.
- Residual current devices tested with an instrument for trip time and trip current, not just the button.
- Roof space and subfloor inspected where access allows, for cable type, damage and rodent activity.
- Outlets, switches and fittings checked for damage, heat and correct polarity.
- Smoke alarms checked for age, type, position and operation.
Unsafe and merely old are different things
The report separates them, and that distinction is the most useful thing in it. A ceramic fuse board is dated. A circuit with no earth is unsafe. Conflating the two is how people get frightened into a full rewire they did not need.
Findings are ranked so you know what has to be dealt with now, what should be planned for, and what is simply not modern but is perfectly safe to leave.
When it is worth doing
Before you buy
The cheapest way to find out whether you are inheriting a rewire. A building inspector will note obvious concerns; a licensed electrician testing the installation is a different depth entirely, and the cost is a rounding error against the cost of discovering it after settlement.
Before you renovate
Knowing what is in the walls and the roof before a builder starts is worth more than finding out during. It also lets you do the electrical work while things are open, which is far cheaper than afterwards.
Taking on a rental
Establishes the condition at the start of a tenancy, and covers the safety switch and smoke alarm obligations that do apply to rental properties in Victoria.
What you get
A written report within two business days listing what was found, what is unsafe, what is dated but acceptable, and a price for putting right whatever needs it. If we find something genuinely dangerous we tell you on the day and make it safe before we leave, rather than handing you a report describing a hazard you are still living with.
An inspection is not a Certificate of Electrical Safety. That certificate covers work carried out. This is an assessment of what already exists.
We quote the job in front of us
No rate card, because the honest number depends on things nobody can see from a website. Estimates are free.
03 9889 3341Not urgent? Send the details and we will come back to you within one business day.
Standards this work is held to
The inspection follows the periodic verification approach set out in AS/NZS 3019, testing against the requirements of AS/NZS 3000. That matters because it means the report is against a standard rather than against one electrician’s opinion.
The report separates what is genuinely unsafe from what is merely old. Those are different things, and conflating them is how people get frightened into a full rewire they did not need. If the house needs three circuits replaced and a new board, that is what the report will say.
An inspection is not a Certificate of Electrical Safety. That certificate covers work carried out, and this is an assessment of what already exists.
How long it takes
- Booking
- Usually within the week, and we can work to a settlement or handover date.
- On site
- Two to three hours for a typical three bedroom home, longer for a large or difficult property.
- Report
- Written up and sent within two business days.
- Quoting any work
- Included. Whatever the report finds, you get a price for fixing it without a second visit.
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We recommend Simon unreservedly. Tired of overpriced superficial service and competency? Don’t look any further than Simon @ STL Electrical. And to boot, he’s a good guy. Simon will now be our go-to sparky.
Nigel Bird, Google review -
Highly recommend Simon and STL Electrical. One of our mains tripped during a freak thunderstorm resulting in no power to part of our kitchen (incl fridge) and internet. Simon was a lifesaver and kind enough to respond to an after…
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Simon from STL Electrical is excellent, one of the best tradies I worked with during my renovation. He works fast, does quality work, and communicates well. Plus he wears little booties when he comes inside the house which is very…
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Electrical safety inspections questions we get asked
Is this the same as a building inspection?
No. A building inspector looks at structure and will note obvious electrical concerns. This is a licensed electrician testing the installation, which is a different depth entirely.
What if you find something dangerous?
We tell you immediately and make it safe before we leave if it warrants that. You are not left with a report describing a hazard you are still living with.
Do I get something in writing?
Yes. A written report with what was found, what is unsafe, what is dated but acceptable, and what it costs to put right.
Is it worth doing before I buy?
It is the cheapest way to find out whether you are inheriting a rewire. The cost of the inspection is a rounding error against the cost of discovering it afterwards.
Do rentals need one?
There is no general requirement for a full inspection, though safety switch and smoke alarm obligations do apply to rental properties. Plenty of managing agents commission one anyway, because it establishes the condition at the start of a tenancy.
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03 9889 3341Not urgent? Send the details and we will come back to you within one business day.