Updated November 2026·Independently researched·10 min read
Test and tag in Sydney 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 North Sydney office with a small count of laptops, chargers and kitchen appliances pays $3.50–$9.50 per item, with $5.50 typical, and more often the minimum site charge of $89–$250 than the per-item sum. An Eastern Creek warehouse with power tools, chargers and three-phase plant on the floor prices at $2.10–$4.95 per item once the count passes 200.
+4.8%Test and Tag costs in Sydney are up around 4.8% over the past year, re-verified against 90+ sources in November 2026.Year on year
Typical per-item rate in Sydney, 1-50 items
$5.50
per item tested and tagged, Sydney 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 Sydney is priced per item with volume breaks: $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. Below a stated count the minimum site charge of $89–$250 applies instead, so a Crown Street Surry Hills cafe with a handful of appliances pays the minimum, not the per-item sum.
What separates two Sydney quotes for the same office is access and the count of things that are not appliances. A Barangaroo or Pitt Street Mall tower floor is after-hours work with a loading dock booking; a business spread across Macquarie Park, Parramatta Square and the CBD is three site visits, each carrying its own minimum. Fixed RCDs at $5–$20 per unit, portable RCDs at $5.49–$12 per unit and emergency and exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting are counted separately from the appliances and belong on their own lines.
The small lines decide the final figure: microwave leakage tests at $5–$30 per unit in a Darling Harbour kitchen, three-phase equipment at $4–$9.50 per item on a Wetherill Park factory floor, fire extinguisher or fire blanket inspections at $10–$35 per unit when 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. Where nobody can state the item count, testers quote an hourly rate of $60–$150.
Quick answerTest and tag in Sydney 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 Sydney quotes →
Test and Tag Prices in Sydney 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 Sydney? Get a quote from a local commercial contractor - free, no obligation.
Prices are as published by testers, most of them ex GST. Sydney metro, November 2026.
What does test and tag cost per item in Sydney?$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 Sydney 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 — Sydney
Sydney examples priced from this page's rows: a North Sydney office floor, an Eastern Creek warehouse and a Darling Harbour restaurant kitchen. Each line names the row it draws on; the quote you receive prices your own item count and access.
North Sydney office floor. A professional services firm on a single North Sydney floor has its laptops, chargers, monitors and kitchen appliances tested at $3.20–$6 per item ($4.50 typical) once the count passes 50, the fixed RCDs on the distribution board at $5–$20 per unit and the emergency and exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting on the same evening visit, with the register and report left behind for the building manager.
Eastern Creek warehouse. A freight and storage business at Eastern Creek has power tools, battery chargers, pallet-wrapper leads and plant counted at $2.10–$4.95 per item for 200 or more items, 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 loading dock at $5.49–$12 per unit; failed plug tops are replaced on the spot at $15–$55 per item instead of a return visit.
Darling Harbour restaurant kitchen. A Darling Harbour restaurant with a small count of mixers, slicers, toasters and bar fridges pays the minimum site charge of $89–$250 ($125 typical) rather than the $3.50–$9.50 per-item rate, adds microwave leakage tests at $5–$30 per unit and has its fire extinguishers and fire blankets inspected at $10–$35 per unit while the tester is on site before service.
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Prices are as published by testers, most of them ex GST. Sydney metro, November 2026.
Test and Tag Costs by Sector in Sydney
Sydney's test and tag work runs from the CBD, Barangaroo and North Sydney office towers, through the kitchens of Darling Harbour and Bondi Beach and the strips at Oxford Street Paddington, King Street Newtown and The Corso at Manly, to the warehouses and workshops of Wetherill Park, Eastern Creek, Smithfield and Moorebank and the centres at Parramatta, Bondi Junction and Macquarie Centre.
Office towers: CBD, Barangaroo, North Sydney, Macquarie Park - Laptops, chargers, monitors and kitchen appliances at $3.50–$9.50 or $3.20–$6 per item by count, with the fixed RCDs at $5–$20 per unit and the exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting counted separately; after-hours access and a loading dock booking are the lines to check on a tower quote.
Industrial estates: Wetherill Park, Eastern Creek, Smithfield, Moorebank - Tool-heavy sites 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 and leads and power boards at $2–$8 per item; the on-the-spot plug top at $15–$55 per item saves a second call-out.
Kitchens and venues: Darling Harbour, Barangaroo, Bondi Beach - Small counts that land on the minimum site charge of $89–$250, microwave leakage tests at $5–$30 per unit and fire extinguisher and fire blanket inspections at $10–$35 per unit bundled with the visit; morning access before service is the usual booking.
Retail strips and centres: Paddington, Newtown, Manly, Parramatta, Bondi Junction - A single shop sits in the $3.50–$9.50 per-item band or on the minimum of $89–$250; a chain with tenancies across Westfield Parramatta, Westfield Bondi Junction and Macquarie Centre is priced as spread-out sites, each with its own minimum, and the quote should say so.
Schools, childcare, gyms and cleaners: Manly to Parramatta - Schools and gyms usually pass 51 items and price at $3.20–$6 per item; childcare centres and cleaning contractors whose equipment moves between sites often land on the hourly rate of $60–$150 where the count cannot be stated, with the register the deliverable either way.
What a Compliant Test and Tag Quote Includes — Cost in Sydney
Before comparing Sydney 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 Sydney: offices, kitchens and industrial estates
Test and tag cost in Sydney is a per-item rate that 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). A minimum site charge of $89–$250 sits under the small end, and most Sydney testers state how many items it covers before the per-item rate starts.
Access and plant write the rest of a Sydney quote. A Pitt Street Mall or Barangaroo tenancy adds an after-hours window and a dock booking; a business with sites at Macquarie Park, Parramatta Square and the CBD adds a minimum per site; a Smithfield or Moorebank workshop adds three-phase equipment at $4–$9.50 per item. Around the appliances sit the 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 on-site plug top at $15–$55 per item, with an hourly rate of $60–$150 where the count cannot be stated.
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. SafeWork NSW says the frequency of inspection and testing varies depending on the nature of the workplace, that AS/NZS 3760 outlines the inspection, testing and tagging methods and frequency, that the construction-site frequency is set out in AS/NZS 3012, and that a competent person is one who has the knowledge and skills acquired through training, qualification or experience; its amusement-devices guidance asks for test and tag, including RCDs, at least every 12 months by a competent person. Ask a Sydney tester to show the course or licence on the quote and to name the register and report they will leave behind.
Test and tag cost by item count and site type in Sydney
Quick answerSydney pricing steps by item count: a Crown Street Surry Hills cafe or a King Street Newtown shop sits on the minimum of $89–$250 or in the $3.50–$9.50 per-item band, a North Sydney or Macquarie Park office floor at $3.20–$6 per item, and a Wetherill Park or Eastern Creek warehouse at $2.10–$4.95 per item.
Count moves a Sydney test and tag price in steps, not a slope. Up to 50 items the per-item rate is $3.50–$9.50, from 51 to 200 it is $3.20–$6 and from 200 it is $2.10–$4.95, so an Oxford Street Paddington boutique and a Parramatta Square floor pay different rates for the same laptop. Under the small end the minimum site charge of $89–$250 takes over, which is what a Bondi Beach kiosk or a Manly cafe actually pays.
Site type adds the lines count does not. An Eastern Creek or Moorebank workshop 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 CBD or Barangaroo office adds fixed RCDs at $5–$20 per unit and emergency and exit lights at $7–$20 per fitting; a Darling Harbour kitchen adds microwave leakage tests at $5–$30 per unit and fire extinguisher inspections at $10–$35 per unit. Failed items are fixed on the spot at $15–$55 per plug top, and a site nobody has counted goes to the hourly rate of $60–$150.
Frequently Asked Questions — Test and Tag Cost in Sydney
What is the price of test and tag in Sydney?
From our Sydney 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 Sydney?
A small job of 1 to 50 items costs $3.50–$9.50 per item in Sydney, 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 Barangaroo or Pitt Street Mall floor adds after-hours access and a dock booking to the visit; a single-storey shop on King Street Newtown usually needs neither, and a business spread across North Sydney, Macquarie Park and Parramatta pays a minimum per site.
What is the minimum charge for test and tag in Sydney?
Going by our Sydney 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 Crown Street Surry Hills, kiosks at Bondi Beach and single shops on The Corso at Manly are the usual Sydney buyers who land on the minimum, and the quote should state the item count it covers.
How much does RCD testing cost in Sydney?
A fixed RCD push-button and trip-time test is $5–$20 per unit on our Sydney 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 Sydney?
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 Sydney, ask the tester to print the retest date on every tag and in the register, so the next visit for a Macquarie Park office or a Smithfield workshop is booked from the register rather than from memory.
Who is allowed to test and tag in Sydney?
SafeWork NSW says the frequency of inspection and testing varies depending on the nature of the workplace, that AS/NZS 3760 outlines the inspection, testing and tagging methods and frequency, that the construction-site frequency is set out in AS/NZS 3012, and that a competent person is one who has the knowledge and skills acquired through training, qualification or experience; its amusement-devices guidance asks for test and tag, including RCDs, at least every 12 months by a competent person. On our Sydney 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 Sydney?
Emergency and exit light tests cost $7–$20 per fitting in Sydney on a six-monthly cycle, with $12 typical, and most testers quote them alongside the appliance visit. Office floors in the CBD, North Sydney and Parramatta Square and tenancies at Westfield Parramatta and Bondi Junction are the usual Sydney jobs, and the quote should count the fittings and show the discharge test as its own line.
Does test and tag cover microwaves, three-phase equipment and fire extinguishers in Sydney?
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 Sydney table. Darling Harbour and Bondi Beach kitchens are the usual Sydney buyers of the microwave line, and Wetherill Park, Eastern Creek and Moorebank workshops of the three-phase line; ask whether the extinguisher inspection is bundled with the visit or quoted by a separate fire contractor.
What does a failed item cost to fix during a Sydney test and tag visit?
A plug top replaced on site costs $15–$55 per item on our Sydney 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. In Sydney, ask for failed items listed in the register with the plug top at $15–$55 per item shown separately from the test, so the repair line and the retest can be checked against each other.