Is it the same kind of quote?
One proposal may cover an assessment only, another may name replacement equipment, and a third may add improvements to your original request. Note which kind each one is before comparing prices.
← All electrical guides
Switchboard assessment in Indooroopilly
Switchboard assessment for proposed electrical changes
You wanted a new oven or one extra circuit, but the quote includes a switchboard upgrade. A useful assessment explains that wider work in relation to your installation, so you can distinguish a necessary change from an optional improvement.
A fault to fix or a fitting to install?
Call now07 3132 3121An assessment is a different commitment from an upgrade
The first question is what the contractor found and how it affects the job you requested. An itemised proposal makes the mandatory work, optional changes and their prices easier to compare. A photograph can help explain a proposal, but cannot settle the installation's condition.
Useful details for the enquiry
- What new equipment or circuit is proposed, including any product specification you have.
- What symptom, if any, prompted the assessment and when it occurs.
- Whether the board or metering area is shared, locked or managed by someone else.
- Any earlier written assessment, quote or repair record for the board, if you have one.
The reason, the work and the finished result
A quote that covers an enclosure, protective devices and testing is different from a quote for an assessment alone. Access, any supply coordination and finishing work belong in that comparison too. If inspection finds a separate defect, a clear explanation and price let you approve that additional work separately. The finished scope should identify the work authorised and the records you will receive.
- A property-specific explanation links the recommendation to the proposed load or concern.
- Ask for required work and optional improvements as separate items, with an explanation for each.
- The quoted parts, protection, testing and finishing work describe the same finished result.
Comparing two board proposals
Two quotes that both mention a switchboard can describe different work. Line them up against the job you first asked for before you look at the totals.
Which parts are provisional?
If a proposal depends on an assessment that has not happened yet, ask which items may change and how you will be told. Ask whether an assessment fee stands alone or becomes part of later work, and write the answer down rather than assuming a common rule.
How will a shutdown be handled?
Ask whether the work needs the power off, for how much of the visit, and how that will be agreed with the household or the building manager. Fridges, medical equipment or a home office may change the timing you can accept.
What records will you receive?
Ask what the contractor will give you about the completed work and the testing done. Keep it with the written terms and invoice, so a later electrician can see what was changed and by which business.
Switchboard assessment questions
Do I need to replace the whole switchboard for a new oven?
A new oven does not, by itself, establish that the entire board needs replacing. Ask a licensed electrical contractor to assess the proposed load and existing installation, then explain which work is required for that job and which work is optional. Request an itemised written scope before authorising broader work.
Why do electricians give different switchboard upgrade quotes?
Quotes may cover different assessment, protection, parts, access and testing. Compare the written inclusions and exclusions, and ask each licensed contractor to explain the tested reason for proposed work. A website photograph cannot settle whether a specific board needs an upgrade.
Is my existing switchboard up to current standards?
An online image or the age of a house is not enough to determine the condition or obligations for a particular installation. A licensed contractor can inspect the board and explain any required work in the context of the job being proposed.
Will adding a new circuit mean upgrading the rest of the switchboard?
The answer depends on the proposed circuit and the existing installation. Give a licensed contractor the equipment details and ask for an assessment that separates the new work from any wider recommendation, with a written reason for each.
Enquire about switchboard assessment
Describe the new equipment or board proposal you want assessed. Include the wider work you were quoted and the part you want explained; an enquiry does not authorise an upgrade.
Before you authorise work, check the electrician's Queensland licence ↗.