How much does an electrician cost in Melbourne?
Melbourne electricians charge $84–$160 an hour, and most add a call-out of $52–$160, which is why so many people here ask about the day rate: $735–$1,100 buys a full day and usually beats hours plus call-out once a job passes the half-day mark. Fixed-price work is easier to compare: a new powerpoint is $160–$315, a downlight $63–$160 each and a ceiling fan $160–$420. An after-hours visit, call-out and first hour together, is $210–$735. Nearly a third of Melbourne dwellings are rented (30.2%, ABS 2021 Census), which matters because Victorian rental properties have their own electrical safety reports under the Residential Tenancies Regulations. The hourly band includes GST.
Detailed Pricing — Electrician Cost in Melbourne 2026
Wiring an office, shop or warehouse instead? See our commercial electrician cost guide for Melbourne.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician (hourly rate) | $84/hr | $105 | $160 |
| Call-out / service fee | $52flat | $115 | $160 |
| New powerpoint installation | $160per point | $210 | $315 |
| Switchboard upgrade | $945per job | $1,900 | $2,950 |
| Ceiling fan installation | $160per fan | $260 | $420 |
| LED downlight installation | $63per light | $115 | $160 |
| Safety switch installation | $160per switch | $240 | $370 |
| Smoke alarm (supply + install) | $105per alarm | $160 | $260 |
| Rewiring (per room) | $1,050per room | $1,900 | $3,150 |
| Full house rewire (3-bed) | $8,400total | $12,600 | $21,000 |
| EV charger installation | $1,050installed | $2,100 | $3,150 |
| Outdoor lighting | $160per light | $315 | $525 |
| Fault finding / diagnostics | $160per visit | $260 | $420 |
| Emergency / after-hours call-out fee | $160per visit | $250 | $525 |
| Emergency / after-hours visit, all-in (call-out + first hour) | $210per visit | $420 | $735 |
| Electrician day rate | $735per day | $890 | $1,100 |
| After-hours hourly rate (evenings, weekends, public holidays; excl. call-out) | $135/hr | $200 | $295 |
| Solar inverter replacement, 5 kW string inverter (supply + install) | $1,150installed | $2,250 | $3,150 |
| Three-phase switchboard upgrade | $2,625per job | $3,775 | $5,800 |
| USB powerpoint installation (replacing an existing powerpoint) | $115per point | $170 | $295 |
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Prices include GST. Based on Melbourne metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
How Electrician Costs Vary Across Melbourne
Inner Melbourne
South Yarra, Prahran, Fitzroy, Carlton, Collingwood. Victorian-era homes with original wiring in some cases, or 1960s–70s rewires that are now also aging. Knob-and-tube wiring (pre-1940) still exists in some properties — if your home has this, a full rewire is urgent. Apartment work requires strata coordination and sometimes after-hours access.
South-East & Mornington Peninsula
Cranbourne, Dandenong, Frankston, Mornington. Mix of established suburbs and new estates. Newer homes generally have adequate switchboards but may have been built with builder-grade fittings that need upgrading. Peninsula properties near the coast need corrosion-resistant outdoor fittings.
Western Suburbs & Growth Areas
Werribee, Point Cook, Tarneit, Melton. Predominantly new housing stock with modern wiring. More electricians competing for work keeps rates lower. Check builder defect periods before paying for repairs on homes less than 6 years old — electrical faults in new homes should be covered under warranty.
Eastern Suburbs & Outer East
Box Hill, Ringwood, Doncaster, Lilydale. Solid 1960s–1990s housing stock. Most homes in this belt have switchboards that are due for upgrading — if yours still has ceramic fuses or a rewireable fuse board, budget for a modern switchboard. The Dandenong Ranges and outer hills areas may attract a travel surcharge, so ask for it on the quote.
What You'll Actually Pay — Real-World Scenarios
What common electrical jobs cost in Melbourne, using the rows in the price table above:
Add a double powerpoint to an existing wall
If there's existing wiring in the wall cavity and the switchboard has capacity, this is a quick job — 20–40 minutes. Adding a powerpoint to a brick wall (common in Melbourne's brick-veneer suburbs) costs more than plasterboard due to the chasing required.
Switchboard upgrade — ceramic fuses to modern RCD/MCB
Marginally cheaper than Sydney due to lower labour rates. A standard upgrade for a 3-bedroom home takes 3–4 hours. This includes a new switchboard enclosure, modern circuit breakers (MCBs), two or more RCDs (safety switches), circuit labelling, and testing. Older homes may also need the sub-main cable from the meter to the board replaced, which is quoted separately. Under Victoria's Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019, electrical work must comply with the Wiring Rules (AS/NZS 3000), which require RCDs on all final subcircuits in a new home, on circuits altered during a renovation, and on all final subcircuits when a switchboard is replaced — this is not optional.
Smoke alarm compliance upgrade
Smoke alarms are compulsory in all Victorian homes: homes built after 1 August 1997 must have hard-wired smoke alarms with a battery back-up, older homes can have battery-powered alarms, and rental providers must keep them working and tested. Owner-occupiers are not exempt. Hardwired interconnected alarms with battery backup cost $105–$260 per alarm, supplied and installed. A typical 3-bedroom home needs 4–5 units. Wireless interconnected alarms are a less expensive retrofit option and don't need an electrician for the installation.
Install a split-system air conditioner (electrical component)
The electrician installs a dedicated circuit from the switchboard to the outdoor unit location, fits an isolator switch, and connects the indoor and outdoor units. This is separate from the refrigeration/mechanical installation (done by the air con installer). Many split system installers include basic electrical in their price — but for older homes that need a switchboard circuit added, the electrical component is quoted separately. Running a new circuit across a single-storey house is straightforward; two-storey or double-brick homes cost more due to cable routing complexity.
Full house rewire — 3-bedroom brick veneer
Melbourne's vast stock of 1950s–1970s brick veneer homes often has original TPS wiring that's reaching end of life. A full rewire replaces all circuits, upgrades the switchboard, and typically adds more powerpoints and light circuits to meet modern usage. Melbourne's brick veneer construction makes rewiring moderately easier than double-brick or solid masonry — the electrician can access wall cavities from the roof space in most cases. Allow 3–5 days for a typical house. Consider bundling with a data/network cable run and smart home preparation while the walls are accessible.
What Affects Electrician Costs in Melbourne
Day rate versus the hourly clock
Hours are billed at $84–$160, but on a rewire, a kitchen fit-off or a day of fault chasing the day rate of $735–$1,100 caps what you pay in a way an hourly quote never does. Electricians rarely offer it unless asked, so raise it when you book anything that will run past lunch.
What the call-out covers
A call-out of $52–$160 pays for the van arriving, not for the work, so one visit should carry as many jobs as you can line up. Swapping an existing powerpoint for a USB one is $115–$295, an outdoor light $160–$525, and a replacement smoke alarm $105–$260; three small jobs on one call-out cost far less than three visits.
The certificate is yours
In Victoria you must engage a Registered Electrical Contractor, who sends a licensed electrician to do the work (Energy Safe Victoria). When it is done, the contractor or electrician must give you a copy of the Certificate of Electrical Safety, a legal document under the Electricity Safety Act 1998 that records what was installed. File it with the title and insurance paperwork; it is what a buyer, an insurer or a rental safety check will ask to see.
Old switchboards
A terrace with its original board and ceramic fuses needs the switchboard brought up to standard before most other work, at $945–$2,950, or $2,625–$5,800 on a three-phase supply. Putting a safety switch on a board that has none is $160–$370. Melbourne's 16.2% share of semi-detached terraces and townhouses (ABS 2021 Census) is where this comes up most, so ask for the board to be assessed at the first visit.
After hours, and when to wait
The emergency call-out fee is $160–$525 and the after-hours hourly rate $135–$295. October, Melbourne's wettest month (66.0 mm, BOM averages), is when a damp outdoor fitting trips the safety switch at night and the phone rings; if the rest of the house still has power, booking the morning swaps the emergency band for the standard one.
Kitchens and new circuits
A kitchen renovation usually needs dedicated circuits for the oven, cooktop and dishwasher plus a run of new points, each at $160–$315, and sometimes board work as well. Rewiring is $1,050–$3,150 a room or $8,400–$21,000 for an entire three-bedroom house, the most common size here with 39.4% of dwellings at three bedrooms (ABS 2021 Census), so ask which way the quote is built.
Chargers, inverters and strata
An EV charger installed is $1,050–$3,150, and replacing a failed 5 kW string inverter on a rooftop solar system is $1,150–$3,150. In a flat, 15.6% of Melbourne dwellings (ABS 2021 Census), either job means cable through common property and a board in a communal meter cupboard, so the owners corporation's consent comes before the electrician does.
How to Save Money on Electrician Cost in Melbourne
Electrician day rate in Melbourne
Day rate billing suits Melbourne homeowners who have enough electrical work to fill a full day, and it saves the call-out fee ($52–$160) on each of several shorter visits. Day rates are most commonly quoted for larger projects: complete rewires, new extension electrical, kitchen and bathroom renovation circuits, whole-house switchboard and safety switch upgrades, and solar installation electrical preparation. The contractor benefits from guaranteed income for the day; you benefit from a capped daily rate and prioritised scheduling.
To get maximum value from a day rate booking in Melbourne, consolidate everything you need done into the one visit. Prepare a written list ranked by priority — if time runs short, you want the most important jobs done first. Ensure access is straightforward: remove obstacle furniture, label which rooms need work, and have any fittings or fixtures you have purchased ready on site. If you are not sure there is a full day's work, many Melbourne electricians will agree to a half-day rate for a 4-hour session. For ongoing renovation projects with multiple electrical stages, discuss a discounted ongoing rate — many contractors reward regular, repeat clients.
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →
Related Guides
Fixed-Price Electrician Cost in Melbourne: Common Jobs Compared
Many Melbourne electrical jobs are quoted as a fixed price per item rather than by the hour, which makes them easy to compare. A new powerpoint costs $160–$315 per point, an LED downlight $63–$160 per light, a ceiling fan $160–$420 per fan and a supplied-and-installed smoke alarm $105–$260 per alarm. A safety switch is $160–$370 per switch, and outdoor lighting $160–$525 per light. Bigger jobs sit higher: a switchboard upgrade costs $945–$2,950 and an EV charger $1,050–$3,150 installed. In Victoria every electrical worker must be licensed by Energy Safe Victoria, and every installation job comes with a Certificate of Electrical Safety; for most work the electrician must give you a copy within 30 days, so ask for it on the quote. Compare fixed-price quotes line by line, on the same items and the same fittings.
Switchboard and New Circuit Electrician Cost in Melbourne
Adding a circuit, whether for a kitchen renovation, an induction cooktop or a workshop, can start at the switchboard. If the board can't take the new circuit, a switchboard upgrade costs $945–$2,950 in Melbourne, and a safety switch on its own $160–$370. In Victoria, replacing a main switchboard is prescribed electrical work: it must be inspected by an independent Licensed Electrical Inspector before it can be switched on, and you receive a copy of the Certificate of Electrical Safety within 4 days of the certificate being completed, once the inspection is complete. For a kitchen, the circuit work sits beside the fit-off: new powerpoints at $160–$315 per point and LED downlights at $63–$160 per light, while rewiring a room runs $1,050–$3,150. Rental providers have rules of their own: for rental agreements from 29 March 2021 the electrical installation must be checked by a licensed electrician at least every two years, and since 29 March 2023 every power outlet and lighting circuit in a Victorian rental must connect to a switchboard-type circuit breaker and a switchboard-type safety switch (RCD).
After-Hours and Emergency Electrician Cost in Melbourne
An after-hours or emergency call-out in Melbourne costs $160–$525 per visit (typical $250), before any parts or repair work. That compares with a business-hours call-out or service fee of $52–$160, so if the fault can wait until morning it usually should. Fault finding, when the cause isn't obvious, costs $160–$420 per visit, and replacing a failed safety switch $160–$370. Ask whether the after-hours rate covers any time on site or only the call-out, and whether the repair will be quoted before the work starts.
Electrician Call-Out Fee Cost in Melbourne: What It Covers
A Melbourne electrician's call-out or service fee runs $52–$160 (typical $115) during business hours. It pays for the trip, so ask before you book whether it includes any time on site or is charged on top of the hourly rate. If a business advertises no call-out fee, ask how its hourly rate and minimum charge compare. After hours, the same visit costs $160–$525. For small jobs, a fixed price per item, such as $160–$315 for a new powerpoint, avoids the question altogether.
Frequently Asked Questions — Electrician Cost in Melbourne
Four deep-dives on Melbourne electrician cost
