Updated November 2026·Independently researched·10 min read
Test and tag in Melbourne 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 Cremorne studio with desks, monitors and a kitchenette comes in at $3.50–$9.50 per item, $5.50 typical, or at the minimum site charge of $89–$250 when the count is small. A Dandenong South fabrication shop with welders, grinders and chargers across the floor prices at $2.10–$4.95 per item once the count passes 200.
+4.6%Test and Tag costs in Melbourne are up around 4.6% over the past year, re-verified against 90+ sources in November 2026.Year on year
Typical per-item rate in Melbourne, 1-50 items
$5.50
per item tested and tagged, Melbourne 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
Melbourne testers quote test and tag per item with volume breaks, and the band is set by the count: $3.50–$9.50 per item for a job of 1 to 50 items, $3.20–$6 per item for 51 to 200 and $2.10–$4.95 per item for 200 or more. Where the count is small, the minimum site charge of $89–$250 applies instead of the per-item sum, which is what a Lygon Street Carlton cafe or a Chapel Street Prahran boutique actually pays.
Two Melbourne quotes for the same tenancy differ on access and on what is counted beside the appliances. A Hoddle Grid or Docklands tower floor means an after-hours booking and a dock slot; a retailer with tenancies at Chadstone, Highpoint and Westfield Doncaster is three visits, each with its own minimum. Fixed RCDs are priced at $5–$20 per unit, portable RCDs at $5.49–$12 per unit and emergency and exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting, all counted apart from the appliance tally.
Beyond the appliance count come the lines a kitchen or a workshop adds: microwave leakage tests at $5–$30 per unit along Smith Street Collingwood, three-phase equipment at $4–$9.50 per item in Laverton North and Truganina sheds, fire extinguisher or fire blanket inspections at $10–$35 per unit bundled with the visit, extension leads and power boards at $2–$8 per item, and a plug top replaced on the spot at $15–$55 per item. A Campbellfield site nobody has counted is quoted at the hourly rate of $60–$150.
Quick answerTest and tag in Melbourne 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 Melbourne quotes →
Test and Tag Prices in Melbourne 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 Melbourne? Get a quote from a local commercial contractor - free, no obligation.
Prices are as published by testers, most of them ex GST. Melbourne metro, November 2026.
What does test and tag cost per item in Melbourne?$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 Melbourne 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 — Melbourne
Three Melbourne jobs priced from this page's rows: a Cremorne software office, a Dandenong South fabrication shop and a Fitzroy restaurant group with venues on three streets. Each line names the row it draws on; your own quote prices your item count and access.
Cremorne software office. A software company on two floors in Cremorne has laptops, docks, monitors, screens and kitchen appliances tested at $3.20–$6 per item ($4.50 typical) once the count passes 50, the fixed RCDs on each floor's board at $5–$20 per unit and the emergency and exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting in the one after-hours visit, with the register emailed to the office manager and a copy left at reception.
Dandenong South fabrication shop. A metal fabricator in Dandenong South counts welders, grinders, drop saws, chargers and leads past 200 items at $2.10–$4.95 per item, with three-phase equipment at $4–$9.50 per item on its own line, extension leads and power boards at $2–$8 per item and the portable RCDs on the site boxes at $5.49–$12 per unit; plug tops that fail are replaced on the bench at $15–$55 per item so nothing leaves service.
Fitzroy restaurant group. A group with venues in Fitzroy, on Smith Street Collingwood and at St Kilda pays a minimum site charge of $89–$250 ($125 typical) at each venue rather than the $3.50–$9.50 per-item rate, adds microwave leakage tests at $5–$30 per unit in every kitchen and has the extinguishers and fire blankets inspected at $10–$35 per unit on the same morning round before service.
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Prices are as published by testers, most of them ex GST. Melbourne metro, November 2026.
Test and Tag Costs by Sector in Melbourne
Across Melbourne the work runs from the Hoddle Grid, Docklands and St Kilda Road offices, through the kitchens of Southbank, St Kilda and Fitzroy and the shops of Chapel Street Prahran, Smith Street Collingwood, Lygon Street Carlton and Bridge Road Richmond, to the estates at Dandenong South, Laverton North, Truganina and Campbellfield and the centres at Chadstone, Highpoint and Westfield Doncaster.
Hoddle Grid, Docklands and St Kilda Road offices - Desks, docks, monitors and kitchenettes at $3.50–$9.50 or $3.20–$6 per item by count, fixed RCDs at $5–$20 per unit and emergency and exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting on their own lines; the after-hours window and the dock booking are what to check on a tower quote.
Western and south-eastern estates: Laverton North, Truganina, Dandenong South, Campbellfield - Sheds that pass 200 items at $2.10–$4.95 per item, three-phase equipment at $4–$9.50 per item, portable RCDs at $5.49–$12 per unit, leads and power boards at $2–$8 per item and the on-the-spot plug top at $15–$55 per item; ask for the failed-item list in the register.
Southbank, St Kilda and Fitzroy kitchens - Small counts that land on the minimum of $89–$250, microwave leakage tests at $5–$30 per unit and fire extinguisher and fire blanket inspections at $10–$35 per unit while the tester is on site; the booking is before service, and a group with several venues pays a minimum at each.
Chapel Street, Smith Street, Lygon Street and Bridge Road shops - A single shop sits in the $3.50–$9.50 per-item band or on the minimum of $89–$250; a chain across Chadstone, Highpoint and Westfield Doncaster is priced as spread-out sites, and the quote should name each tenancy and its minimum.
Box Hill schools, gyms, childcare and cleaning contractors - Schools and gyms pass 51 items and price at $3.20–$6 per item; childcare centres and cleaning contractors with equipment that moves between sites often take the hourly rate of $60–$150 where the count cannot be stated, with the register and report the thing to insist on.
What a Compliant Test and Tag Quote Includes — Cost in Melbourne
Before comparing Melbourne 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 Melbourne: offices, estates and hospitality
Test and tag cost in Melbourne steps down with volume: $3.50–$9.50 per item for 1 to 50 items (typically $5.50), $3.20–$6 per item for 51 to 200 (typically $4.50) and $2.10–$4.95 per item for 200 or more (typically $3.50). Under the small end sits the minimum site charge of $89–$250, and a Melbourne quote should say how many items that minimum covers before the per-item rate begins.
The rest of a Melbourne quote is written by access and plant. A Bourke Street Mall or Docklands tenancy adds an after-hours window; a business with sites at Cremorne, Box Hill and St Kilda Road adds a minimum per site; a Truganina or Campbellfield workshop adds three-phase equipment at $4–$9.50 per item. Alongside the appliances sit fixed RCDs 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, fire extinguisher inspections at $10–$35 per unit, leads and power boards at $2–$8 per item and the plug top replaced on site at $15–$55 per item, with the hourly rate of $60–$150 for a site whose count is unknown.
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. The Victorian Department of Education's own policy has equipment tested and tagged by a competent person: a licensed electrician or a person who has completed one of two named accredited courses, with intervals set by its separate frequency guide. A Melbourne quote should show the tester's course or licence and say what register and report are left behind, so the next visit can be booked from it.
Test and tag cost by item count and site type in Melbourne
Quick answerIn Melbourne the band follows the count: a Lygon Street Carlton cafe or a Bridge Road Richmond shop sits on the minimum of $89–$250 or in the $3.50–$9.50 per-item band, a St Kilda Road or Cremorne office floor at $3.20–$6 per item, and a Dandenong South or Laverton North shed at $2.10–$4.95 per item.
Item count moves a Melbourne test and tag price in bands rather than smoothly. To 50 items the rate is $3.50–$9.50 per item, from 51 to 200 it is $3.20–$6 and from 200 it is $2.10–$4.95, so a Chapel Street Prahran boutique and a Docklands floor pay a different rate for the same monitor. At the bottom the minimum site charge of $89–$250 replaces the per-item sum, which is the figure a Southbank kiosk or a St Kilda cafe is really quoted.
Site type adds what count cannot. A Laverton North or Truganina shed adds three-phase equipment at $4–$9.50 per item, portable RCDs at $5.49–$12 per unit and leads and power boards at $2–$8 per item; a Hoddle Grid or St Kilda Road office adds fixed RCDs at $5–$20 per unit and emergency and exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting; a Fitzroy or Smith Street kitchen adds microwave leakage tests at $5–$30 per unit and fire extinguisher inspections at $10–$35 per unit. Failed plug tops are swapped on the spot at $15–$55 per item, and a Campbellfield site with no count goes to the hourly rate of $60–$150.
Frequently Asked Questions — Test and Tag Cost in Melbourne
What is the price of test and tag in Melbourne?
From our Melbourne 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 Melbourne?
A small job of 1 to 50 items costs $3.50–$9.50 per item in Melbourne, 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 Docklands or Bourke Street Mall floor adds an after-hours window and a dock booking to the visit; a single shop on Bridge Road Richmond needs neither, and a retailer spread across Chadstone, Highpoint and Doncaster pays a minimum at each tenancy.
What is the minimum charge for test and tag in Melbourne?
Going by our Melbourne 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. Cafes on Lygon Street Carlton, kiosks at Southbank and single shops on Chapel Street Prahran are the Melbourne buyers who usually land on the minimum, and the quote should state how many items it covers.
How much does RCD testing cost in Melbourne?
A fixed RCD push-button and trip-time test is $5–$20 per unit on our Melbourne 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 Melbourne?
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. For a Melbourne site, have the tester write the retest date on each tag and in the register so a Box Hill school or a Truganina warehouse books its next visit from the register, not from a guess.
Who is allowed to test and tag in Melbourne?
The Victorian Department of Education's own policy has equipment tested and tagged by a competent person: a licensed electrician or a person who has completed one of two named accredited courses, with intervals set by its separate frequency guide. On our Melbourne 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 Melbourne?
Emergency and exit light tests cost $7–$20 per fitting in Melbourne on a six-monthly cycle, with $12 typical, and most testers quote them alongside the appliance visit. Office floors on St Kilda Road, in the Hoddle Grid and at Cremorne and tenancies at Chadstone and Westfield Doncaster are the usual Melbourne jobs; ask the tester to count the fittings on the quote and show the discharge test as a separate line.
Does test and tag cover microwaves, three-phase equipment and fire extinguishers in Melbourne?
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 Melbourne table. Southbank, St Kilda and Fitzroy kitchens buy the microwave line in Melbourne, and Dandenong South, Laverton North and Campbellfield workshops the three-phase line; ask whether the extinguisher inspection rides on the same visit or comes from a separate fire contractor.
What does a failed item cost to fix during a Melbourne test and tag visit?
A plug top replaced on site costs $15–$55 per item on our Melbourne 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 Melbourne quote, ask for failed items to be listed in the register with the plug top at $15–$55 per item on its own line, so the repair and the retest can be matched up afterwards.