Why the type of job matters more than the name on the van
Electrical work in a home covers very different skills. Tracking down why an RCD (the switch with a test button that cuts the power if current leaks) keeps dropping is detective work. A switchboard upgrade is planning and paperwork, because a higher-capacity board is high-risk work that needs an independent inspection. A rewire is weeks of careful work around a family that's still living there.
Someone who does your job regularly knows the details that trip others up. An electrician who fits EV chargers often will already know WorkSafe's guidance that a home charger's circuit should have a Type B RCD and come from a MEN switchboard. One who wires rental extractor fans will know Tenancy Services suggests landlords get the fan size, ducting and flow rate in writing.
So before you compare people, write down what the job actually is, what's happening, and anything you're planning in the next few years. That one paragraph does more to get you the right electrician than any amount of searching.
Questions to ask before you book
- How often do you do this kind of job?
- Is this low-risk, general or high-risk work, and which certificates will I get?
- Who will actually be on site, and do they each hold a current practising licence?
- If an apprentice is coming, who's supervising them?
- Does this need a licensed electrical inspector, and will you arrange it?
- Does my lines company or my power retailer need to be involved?
- What isn't included, like patching holes or removing old gear?
- Can you put all of that in a written quote?
What to check before you say yes
- Their licence ID: photo, registration class and number, and an expiry date that hasn't passed.
- Their entry on the EWRB public register, including whether the licence is suspended or they've been disciplined in the last three years.
- A written quote that lists each part of the job, not just a total.
- The risk level and the certificates: an Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC) for every job, a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) as well for general and high-risk work, and a Record of Inspection for high-risk work.
- Who arranges the inspector, if one's needed. The EWRB says that's the electrician's responsibility, not yours.
- Any claims about memberships, awards or approvals that you can confirm for yourself.
Red flags
- No licence ID, an expired one, or a name you can't find on the register.
- "You won't need a certificate for this." Every piece of prescribed electrical work should come with an ESC.
- A higher-capacity switchboard, mains work or solar quoted with no mention of an inspection.
- Pressure to decide on the spot, or a deal that only lasts today.
- A quote that's a single line and a number, with no scope.
- An offer to let you or your tenant do part of the wiring in a rental. Landlords and tenants can't do electrical work in a rental unless they're registered and licensed.
- A claim of Commerce Commission approval. The Commission doesn't endorse or approve any business, and under the Fair Trading Act an endorsement claim has to be true and agreed to by whoever's named.
Reviews, awards and word of mouth
A recommendation from a neighbour who had the same job done is hard to beat. Online reviews help most when they describe your kind of work, so read the ones about switchboards if you need a switchboard.
Under the Fair Trading Act, anything a business says about its skills, memberships or endorsements must be accurate, and it needs reasonable grounds for a claim when it makes it. Past awards should show their date. If a claim matters to your decision, ask for the detail behind it.
Handymen, friends and favours
The homeowner code of practice NZECP 51:2004 says only a licensed electrical worker can do electrical work on another person's home, or do it for payment, reward or koha. So a handy friend, a builder or a general handyman can't wire anything in your house as a favour or for a box of beer. The limited homeowner exemption only covers a home the person themselves owns and lives in.
That isn't about red tape. The EWRB warns that unlicensed work can affect your insurance, and that it's often unsafe.
If something goes wrong after the job
Talk to the electrician or company first. The EWRB says that's the first step, and most problems get sorted there.
If it doesn't, you have two separate routes. The EWRB handles complaints about the safety and compliance of electrical work, but it can't order a fix or settle a payment dispute. For that, the Consumer Guarantees Act says a service must be done with reasonable care and skill, and if a fault can be fixed the business must fix it within a reasonable time. The Disputes Tribunal hears claims up to $60,000, including whether a tradesperson did the work properly.
What's on you, and what's on them
You can
- Describe the job clearly, including what's coming next.
- Check the licence ID and the public register.
- Get the scope, risk level and certificates in writing.
- Keep every certificate with your house papers.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Hold a current practising licence for the work they do.
- Tell you honestly whether the job is low-risk, general or high-risk.
- Arrange a licensed electrical inspector for high-risk work.
- Issue your certificates as soon as possible after finishing.
Where we'd start
We'd pick the person who does our exact job most often and can explain the paperwork without hesitating, then check their licence. Two clear, written quotes from people like that beat five vague ones. Tell us what's going on and your postcode, and we'll match you with one licence-checked local electrician who specialises in that kind of job.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.