Electricians, contractors and inspectors: who does what in Victoria

Most electrical jobs in a home involve more than one name, even when only one person turns up. The person doing the work holds an electrical licence, the business they work for is registered as an electrical contractor, and some work is checked afterwards by a separate inspector. Knowing which is which makes a quote, a licence card and a certificate much easier to read.

The rule that ties them together is simple. Energy Safe Victoria says an electrician must work for a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) to do work for a customer, and that anyone planning electrical installation work must engage an REC, which then sends a licensed, qualified electrician to do it.

Electrical work needs a licence because of what it is, not how long it takes. Victoria's Electricity Safety Act 1998 defines electrical installation work as the installation, alteration, repair or maintenance of an electrical installation, and section 38 says nobody may carry out, or offer to carry out, a prescribed class of electrical work without the relevant licence.

For household wiring, the licence that matters is the A grade electrician's licence. Energy Safe Victoria says only an A grade electrician is qualified to inspect and install household wiring. Some other trades hold narrower licences: refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanics can apply for a Restricted Electrical Worker's licence, but it only allows like-for-like disconnection and reconnection for repair, replacement or maintenance, not new wiring.

When the electrician finishes, they must provide a Certificate of Electrical Safety. It is the legal record of the work they did and the tests they carried out, so it names the electrician, the contractor and the job.

The REC is the business side. It's registered with Energy Safe Victoria, it's who you engage and pay, and it's responsible for sending a licensed electrician to do the work.

Some REC obligations are visible from the outside. An REC must show its REC number on any advertisement, notice or statement offering electrical contracting work, so the number should be on the website, the vehicle and the quote, and you can check it against Energy Safe Victoria's register.

The REC also carries the paperwork. A certificate can't be withheld for any reason, including payment issues or contract disputes. If an REC or electrician refuses to provide one, or won't arrange an inspection of prescribed work, the customer can report it to Energy Safe.

Some work is checked by someone who didn't do it. Energy Safe Victoria calls this prescribed work, and its examples include consumer mains cables, the main switchboard, the meter box and main earthing system, and solar PV or battery systems. In a home it generally means wiring and equipment that can't be switched off, usually the wires up to the switchboard.

Prescribed work can't be switched on, or left on, until it has been inspected, and Energy Safe Victoria says the inspection should be completed within 8 business days of the work being finished. On a switchboard replacement, power doesn't go back onto the new board until a Licensed Electrical Inspector has inspected it.

The inspector checks that work, not the whole house, and issues a certificate of inspection; the Act then gives 4 business days for your Certificate of Electrical Safety. The contractor normally books the inspector, so ask how it fits the day your power is off.

Energy Safe Victoria recommends always asking to see a tradesperson's licence, because it shows they're qualified and gives you avenues for recourse if something goes wrong. Asking before work starts is normal.

You can also check online. Energy Safe Victoria publishes public registers drawn from its live licensing data, including a Registered Electrical Contractor register, a Licensed Electrical Worker search and a Licensed Electrical Inspector register.

Then match the details. The REC number on the quote should belong to the business named on the quote, and the electrician should be licensed and working for that contractor. If the numbers don't line up, ask before anything is opened up.

Plenty of home jobs cross trades. A split system has an electrical side and a refrigerant side. In Victoria, refrigerated air-conditioning work, including any part of a single-head split system, is a class of plumbing work regulated by the Building and Plumbing Commission, and the Australian Refrigeration Council says anyone who installs or services air conditioning equipment needs a refrigerant handling licence. The circuit and isolator are electrical work.

Gas is separate again. The Building and Plumbing Commission registers and licenses plumbers and gasfitters, and Energy Safe Victoria says it's illegal for unlicensed people to do any gasfitting work. Swapping a gas cooktop for induction, for example, takes a licensed gasfitter to disconnect and cap the gas and an electrician for the new circuit.

A clear quote says which licences the job needs and who holds each one, so each certificate comes from the person who did that part of the work.

A certificate records new work. Inspecting an existing installation is a different job with a different document. Landlords see this most: rental electrical safety checks by a licensed electrician are due every 2 years, and from 13 October 2026 Consumer Affairs Victoria says that applies to all rental agreements, whatever date they started. Energy Safe Victoria says a certificate isn't the right document for that check, but one must be issued for any repairs done.

Buyers have a similar question. Energy Safe Victoria says that when buying a home built before the 1980s, it's imperative to have the wiring checked by a licensed electrical inspector or registered electrical contractor before moving in. The result is a report on condition, not a certificate for work.

Start with the contractor. A missing certificate or a question about the work is usually sorted by asking. If the issue is safety or technical compliance, Energy Safe investigates reports about electrical installation work. Billing, quality-of-work and contract disputes are better taken to Consumer Affairs Victoria or VCAT.

Unlicensed work is a different matter. Energy Safe Victoria says it's illegal, and potentially fatal, for unlicensed and unqualified people to do any electrical work, and its campaign is clear that even small jobs like changing power points or light switches aren't DIY. If you find work you think wasn't done by a licensed person, leave it alone and have it inspected.