Updated November 2026·Independently researched·10 min read
Test and tag in Canberra runs $3.50–$9.50 per item
for a job of 1 to 50 items, as published by testers (most ex GST) - larger jobs, minimum charges, RCD and exit light tests below
A Barton office floor with a few dozen laptops, chargers and desk fans sits in the $3.50–$9.50 per-item band, with $5.50 typical. A Fyshwick workshop with the item count in the hundreds is quoted at $2.10–$4.95 per item, and a Manuka cafe with a handful of appliances pays the minimum site charge of $89–$250 before anything else.
+4.7%Test and Tag costs in Canberra are up around 4.7% over the past year, re-verified against 90+ sources in November 2026.Year on year
Typical per-item rate in Canberra, 1-50 items
$5.50
per item tested and tagged, Canberra 2026, as published
Test and tag, 1-50 items
$3.50-$9.50
Test and tag, 51-200 items
$3.20-$6
Test and tag, 200+ items
$2.10-$4.95
$3.50$5.50$9.50
Test and tag in Canberra is priced per item, and the item count sets the band: $3.50–$9.50 per item for 1 to 50 items, $3.20–$6 per item for 51 to 200 and $2.10–$4.95 per item once a site passes 200. Underneath the per-item rate sits a minimum site charge of $89–$250, which is what a small Braddon tenancy or a Kingston Foreshore kiosk actually pays, because the minimum covers a stated number of items before the per-item rate starts.
What moves a Canberra quote is everything that is not a plain single-phase appliance. Fixed safety switches on a distribution board are tested on their own line at $5–$20 per unit and portable ones at $5.49–$12, emergency and exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting, microwaves in a Woden tearoom at $5–$30 per unit and three-phase plant in a Hume factory at $4–$9.50 per item. Extension leads and power boards are counted as items of their own at $2–$8 each.
The last lines are repairs and access. A failed plug top replaced on the spot is $15–$55 per item, a fire extinguisher or fire blanket inspected during the same visit $10–$35 per unit, and where nobody can say how many items a Mitchell depot holds, testers quote an hourly rate of $60–$150 instead. After-hours access to a Civic office tower or a Westfield Belconnen tenancy is priced as its own line, and the quote should say so.
Quick answerTest and tag in Canberra runs $3.50–$9.50 per item for a job of 1 to 50 items in 2026, $3.20–$6 per item for 51 to 200 items and $2.10–$4.95 per item for 200 or more, with a minimum site charge of $89–$250 where the item count is small. Fixed RCD tests add $5–$20 per unit and emergency and exit light tests $7–$20 per fitting. Prices are as published by testers, most of them ex GST. Get free Canberra quotes →
Test and Tag Prices in Canberra 2026: Cost Table and Price List
Service
Low
Typical
High
Test and tag, 1-50 items
$3.50per item
$5.50
$9.50
Test and tag, 51-200 items
$3.20per item
$4.50
$6
Test and tag, 200+ items
$2.10per item
$3.50
$4.95
Minimum site charge or call-out
$89per visit
$125
$250
Fixed RCD test, push-button and trip time
$5per unit
$15
$20
Portable RCD test
$5.49per unit
$9.50
$12
Emergency and exit light test, six-monthly
$7per fitting
$12
$20
Microwave leakage test
$5per unit
$15
$30
Three-phase equipment test
$4per item
$8
$9.50
Fire extinguisher or fire blanket inspection, with a test-and-tag visit
$10per unit
$15
$35
Hourly rate, unknown item count or complex site
$60per hour
$90
$150
Extension lead or power board test
$2per item
$5
$8
Plug top replaced on site
$15per item
$25
$55
Scoping test and tag work in Canberra? Get a quote from a local commercial contractor - free, no obligation.
Prices are as published by testers, most of them ex GST. Canberra and Queanbeyan, November 2026.
What does test and tag cost per item in Canberra?$3.50–$9.50 per item for a small job of 1 to 50 items, $5.50 typical. The rate steps down with volume: $3.20–$6 per item for 51 to 200 items and $2.10–$4.95 per item for 200 or more, and most testers apply a minimum site charge of $89–$250.
What gets added to a Canberra test and tag quote?Fixed RCD push-button and trip-time tests at $5–$20 per unit, portable RCDs at $5.49–$12 per unit, emergency and exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting, microwave leakage tests at $5–$30 per unit, three-phase equipment at $4–$9.50 per item, and a plug top replaced on the spot at $15–$55 per item.
Worked Test and Tag Cost Scenarios — Canberra
Canberra examples priced from this page's rows: a Lonsdale Street Braddon cafe, a Barton office floor and a Hume transport depot. Each line names the row it draws on; the quote you receive prices your own item count and access.
Lonsdale Street Braddon cafe. A cafe on Lonsdale Street with a coffee machine, grinders, fridges, a microwave and a dozen leads has too few items to clear the minimum site charge, so it pays $89–$250 ($125 typical) for the visit, plus a microwave leakage test at $5–$30 per unit, the fixed safety switch on the board at $5–$20 and the two exit lights over the doors at $7–$20 per fitting, with the register left behind on the way out.
Barton office floor. A tenant on a Barton office floor counts laptops, chargers, monitors, desk fans and kitchen appliances into the 51 to 200 band at $3.20–$6 per item ($4.50 typical), with the power boards under every desk at $2–$8 per item on their own line, the floor's emergency lights at $7–$20 per fitting and a failed charger cord's plug top replaced on the spot at $15–$55 per item rather than tagged out and lost.
Hume transport depot. A freight yard in Hume with workshop tools, battery chargers, pressure washers and three-phase welders runs well past 200 items and is quoted at $2.10–$4.95 per item, typically $3.50, with the three-phase plant on its own line at $4–$9.50 per item, portable safety switches on the extension reels at $5.49–$12 per unit, and the yard's fire extinguishers inspected on the same visit at $10–$35 per unit.
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Prices are as published by testers, most of them ex GST. Canberra and Queanbeyan, November 2026.
Test and Tag Costs by Sector in Canberra
Canberra's test and tag work runs from the office towers of Civic, Barton, Woden and Belconnen, through the retail tenancies of the Canberra Centre, Westfield Belconnen, Westfield Woden and the Canberra Outlet Centre, to the workshops and yards of Fyshwick, Hume, Mitchell and Queanbeyan and the kitchens of Braddon, Kingston Foreshore, Manuka and NewActon.
Offices and agencies: Civic, Barton, Woden, Belconnen - Floors of laptops, chargers, monitors and tearoom appliances sit in the $3.20–$6 band for a single floor and at $2.10–$4.95 per item for a multi-floor tenancy, with power boards at $2–$8 per item, emergency and exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting and after-hours access to the ACT's government precinct priced as its own line.
Workshops and yards: Fyshwick, Hume, Mitchell, Queanbeyan - Three-phase welders, compressors and saws at $4–$9.50 per item, portable safety switches on the reels at $5.49–$12 per unit and fixed ones on the board at $5–$20, with the hand tools and chargers counted into the $2.10–$4.95 per-item band once the yard passes 200 items.
Cafes and kitchens: Braddon, Kingston Foreshore, Manuka, NewActon - A small kitchen pays the minimum site charge of $89–$250, a microwave leakage test at $5–$30 per unit, and a fire blanket and extinguisher inspection at $10–$35 per unit on the same visit, which is usually simpler than a separate fire contractor for a venue with one or two units.
Retail tenancies: Canberra Centre, Westfield Belconnen, Westfield Woden, Canberra Outlet Centre - Point-of-sale gear, lighting and back-of-house appliances sit in the $3.50–$9.50 band for one shop, and a centre's trading hours push the visit before opening or after close, so the quote should price that access rather than fold it into the per-item rate.
Schools, childcare and hire yards: across the ACT and Queanbeyan - Spread-out sites with item counts nobody has kept are quoted at an hourly rate of $60–$150 rather than per item, with a plug top replaced on the spot at $15–$55 per item so a classroom kettle is not tagged out and binned, and the register left behind so the next visit is quoted per item.
What a Compliant Test and Tag Quote Includes — Cost in Canberra
Before comparing Canberra quotes, check each one prices the same item count in the same band, says whether the minimum site charge covers a stated number of items, and lists RCDs, exit lights, microwaves and three-phase equipment on their own lines with the GST basis stated.
The per-item rate and the band it sits in - 1 to 50, 51 to 200 or 200 or more items - at $3.50–$9.50, $3.20–$6 or $2.10–$4.95 per item
The minimum site charge at $89–$250 and exactly how many items it covers before the per-item rate starts
Fixed RCD push-button and trip-time tests at $5–$20 per unit and portable RCDs at $5.49–$12 per unit, counted separately from appliances
Emergency and exit light tests at $7–$20 per fitting, with the six-monthly discharge test named
Microwave leakage tests at $5–$30 per unit and three-phase equipment at $4–$9.50 per item as their own lines
Fire extinguisher and fire blanket inspections at $10–$35 per unit where bundled with the visit, and who services them otherwise
Extension leads and power boards at $2–$8 per item, and the on-site repair basis - a plug top replaced at $15–$55 per item
The tester's competency - a nationally accredited portable appliance testing course or an electrical licence - and the register and report included
A single GST basis across every line, with the retest interval the quote assumes and the tester's ABN and insurance
Test and tag cost in Canberra: offices, workshops and the kitchens between
Test and tag cost in Canberra is a per-item rate stepped by the count: $3.50–$9.50 for 1 to 50 items (typically $5.50), $3.20–$6 for 51 to 200 and $2.10–$4.95 per item past 200, sitting on a minimum site charge of $89–$250. The rate buys the visual inspection, the electrical test, the tag and the register, so a Barton floor and a Mitchell depot with the same item count pay close to the same per-item line; the difference between their quotes is in what else is on site.
That is where the extra lines come from. A fixed safety switch tested for push-button and trip time is $5–$20 per unit and a portable one $5.49–$12, an exit or emergency light $7–$20 per fitting, a microwave $5–$30 per unit, three-phase plant $4–$9.50 per item and extension leads or power boards $2–$8 each. Repairs sit on their own line at $15–$55 per plug top, a fire extinguisher or blanket inspection folded into the visit is $10–$35 per unit, and a site nobody has counted, from a Queanbeyan workshop to a NewActon hotel, is quoted at $60–$150 per hour until the first register exists.
SafeWork SA reproduces the model Code of Practice interval table: equipment in factories, workshops, manufacturing, assembly, maintenance and fabrication is tested every 6 months, with a portable RCD push-button tested daily or before every use, a fixed RCD push-button every 6 months and RCD operating-time tests every 12 months; equipment that is flexed in normal use or sits in a hostile environment every 12 months; equipment that is not flexed, not open to abuse and not in a hostile environment every 5 years; residential-type areas such as hotels, motels, boarding houses, halls and hostels every 2 years; commercial cleaning equipment every 6 months; and hire equipment inspected before each hire and tested and tagged every 3 months. Only a competent person may inspect and test: someone who has completed a nationally accredited portable appliance testing course through a registered training organisation, or a licensed electrical worker. The standards it cites are AS/NZS 3760:2022, AS/NZS 3012:2010 for construction and demolition sites and AS/NZS 5762 after a repair. WorkSafe ACT cites AS/NZS 3760:2022 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment and AS/NZS 3012:2010 for construction and demolition sites, says testing is done by a licensed electrician or a person certified as competent, and that the tag must be durable, non-reusable and non-metallic. Ask the Canberra tester to name the course or licence on the quote and to say what register and report they will leave behind, because that is what the next quote is priced from.
Test and tag cost by item count and site type in Canberra
Quick answerCanberra pricing steps by count: a Manuka or Kingston Foreshore cafe sits on the $89–$250 minimum charge, a Barton or Woden office floor in the $3.20–$6 per-item band, and a Fyshwick or Hume yard past 200 items at $2.10–$4.95 per item with three-phase plant added at $4–$9.50.
Count is the first lever in Canberra. Under 50 items the per-item rate is $3.50–$9.50 but the minimum site charge of $89–$250 usually decides the bill, which is why a Braddon cafe and a Civic kiosk pay much the same; between 51 and 200 items the rate drops to $3.20–$6, and a Belconnen office floor with every power board counted at $2–$8 per item lands there; past 200 items it falls again to $2.10–$4.95, which is where a Queanbeyan workshop or a multi-floor Woden tenancy sits.
Site type is the second lever. A Hume or Fyshwick workshop adds three-phase plant at $4–$9.50 per item, portable safety switches at $5.49–$12 per unit and more plug tops replaced at $15–$55 each, because tools are flexed and dropped; an office adds exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting and a fixed safety switch at $5–$20 per unit on the board; a kitchen adds a microwave at $5–$30 per unit and extinguishers at $10–$35 per unit; and a spread-out school or hire yard across the ACT is quoted hourly at $60–$150 until it has been counted once.
Frequently Asked Questions — Test and Tag Cost in Canberra
What is the price of test and tag in Canberra?
From our Canberra table: $3.50–$9.50 per item for 1 to 50 items (typically $5.50); $3.20–$6 per item for 51 to 200 items (typically $4.50); $2.10–$4.95 per item for 200 or more (typically $3.50); minimum site charge $89–$250.
How much does test and tag cost per item in Canberra?
A small job of 1 to 50 items costs $3.50–$9.50 per item in Canberra, with $5.50 typical, and the rate steps down to $3.20–$6 for 51 to 200 items and $2.10–$4.95 for 200 or more. A Fyshwick workshop that counts every lead and power board at $2–$8 per item reaches the 51 to 200 band sooner than it expects, so ask the Canberra tester which band the count lands in before comparing per-item rates.
What is the minimum charge for test and tag in Canberra?
Going by our Canberra table, the minimum site charge or call-out is $89–$250, typically $125, and it usually covers a stated number of items before the per-item rate applies. Small Braddon, Manuka and Kingston Foreshore tenancies are the usual Canberra buyers at the minimum, so ask how many items it covers and whether a microwave at $5–$30 per unit or an exit light at $7–$20 per fitting counts against it.
How much does RCD testing cost in Canberra?
A fixed RCD push-button and trip-time test is $5–$20 per unit on our Canberra table, with $15 typical, and a portable RCD test $5.49–$12 per unit; both are counted separately from the appliances plugged into them.
How often does equipment need to be tested and tagged in Canberra?
SafeWork SA reproduces the model Code of Practice interval table: equipment in factories, workshops, manufacturing, assembly, maintenance and fabrication is tested every 6 months, with a portable RCD push-button tested daily or before every use, a fixed RCD push-button every 6 months and RCD operating-time tests every 12 months; equipment that is flexed in normal use or sits in a hostile environment every 12 months; equipment that is not flexed, not open to abuse and not in a hostile environment every 5 years; residential-type areas such as hotels, motels, boarding houses, halls and hostels every 2 years; commercial cleaning equipment every 6 months; and hire equipment inspected before each hire and tested and tagged every 3 months. Only a competent person may inspect and test: someone who has completed a nationally accredited portable appliance testing course through a registered training organisation, or a licensed electrical worker. The standards it cites are AS/NZS 3760:2022, AS/NZS 3012:2010 for construction and demolition sites and AS/NZS 5762 after a repair. In Canberra the tester should write the retest cycle the quote assumes for your site type on the quote itself, and a Hume yard, a Barton office and a Manuka kitchen will not be given the same one; keep the register so the next visit is priced per item rather than at $60–$150 per hour.
Who is allowed to test and tag in Canberra?
WorkSafe ACT cites AS/NZS 3760:2022 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment and AS/NZS 3012:2010 for construction and demolition sites, says testing is done by a licensed electrician or a person certified as competent, and that the tag must be durable, non-reusable and non-metallic. On our Canberra table an hourly rate of $60–$150 applies where the item count is unknown or the site is complex, with $90 typical.
What do emergency and exit light tests cost in Canberra?
Emergency and exit light tests cost $7–$20 per fitting in Canberra on a six-monthly cycle, with $12 typical, and most testers quote them alongside the appliance visit. Office floors in Barton, Woden and Belconnen and the venues of Braddon and NewActon are the usual Canberra buyers; ask for the fitting count the price is based on and whether a failed fitting is reported or replaced.
Does test and tag cover microwaves, three-phase equipment and fire extinguishers in Canberra?
A microwave leakage test is $5–$30 per unit, three-phase equipment $4–$9.50 per item and a fire extinguisher or fire blanket inspection bundled with the visit $10–$35 per unit on our Canberra table. Hume and Fyshwick workshops carry the three-phase lines and Braddon and Kingston Foreshore kitchens the microwaves; for a venue with one or two extinguishers, the bundled inspection at $10–$35 per unit is usually simpler than a separate fire contractor's visit.
What does a failed item cost to fix during a Canberra test and tag visit?
A plug top replaced on site costs $15–$55 per item on our Canberra table, with $25 typical, and an extension lead or power board test $2–$8 per item. AS/NZS 3760:2022, In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment and RCDs, was published on 29 June 2022 as a complete revision superseding AS/NZS 3760:2010, and Standards Australia describes its interval recommendations as based on equipment type, environment and usage; AS/NZS 2293.2:2019 is the routine service and maintenance part of the emergency lighting and exit sign standard. On a Canberra visit ask whether a failed item is repaired on the spot, retested at the per-item rate or simply tagged out, and have the repair line at $15–$55 per item agreed before the tester starts.