In Victoria, electrical installation work needs a Certificate of Electrical Safety from the electrician who did it. We issue yours for every job, arrange inspections for prescribed work like consumer mains and main switchboards, and can inspect and rectify work done by someone else.
When to get it checked
You're selling or settling
A buyer, conveyancer or agent asks for certificates for recent electrical work, such as a new switchboard or an extension.
A reconnection depends on it
The distributor will only reconnect power to a private power line once a Certificate of Electrical Safety has been issued.
An insurer or builder asks
After a renovation, a claim or new work, someone needs proof that the electrical work was done and certified.
Repairs after a rental check
A rental safety check is recorded in a report, but any repair done as part of it needs its own certificate.
You never got one
Electrical work was done, but no certificate arrived, or it has since been lost.
Why it happens
4 common causes
Unlicensed or DIY work
Work done by someone unlicensed can't be certified, which leaves the owner with no record and no assurance it's safe.
Certificates that weren't passed on
The certificate went to a builder or a previous owner and never reached you.
Prescribed work that skipped inspection
Mains or main switchboard work switched on without an inspection is a safety problem, not just a paperwork gap.
A report mistaken for a certificate
A safety check report and a certificate are different documents for different jobs, and one doesn't stand in for the other.
What the job covers
What we usually do on this job. Your quote confirms it for your place.
- Certificate issued for every job we complete
- Work and tests described on the certificate
- Inspection arranged for prescribed work
- Prescribed work kept off until inspected
- Your copy provided within the required time
- Inspection and report on others' work
- Rectification quoted and certified
- Advice on what your certificate covers
Your options, explained
Certificate with new work
Low disruption- Best for
- Any electrical job we carry out
- How it works
- The certificate records the work, the tests and the electrician, and you receive your copy.
- Worth knowing
- For non-prescribed work, Energy Safe Victoria says your copy is due within 30 days.
Prescribed work with inspection
Medium disruption- Best for
- Consumer mains, main switchboards, meter boxes and main earthing
- How it works
- A Licensed Electrical Inspector inspects the work before it's switched on, and the certificate follows the inspection.
- Worth knowing
- The new work stays off until the inspection is done.
Inspection and report on existing work
Low disruption- Best for
- Work done by someone else, with no certificate
- How it works
- We inspect and test the work and give you a written report of what we found.
- Worth knowing
- A report, not a certificate. We can't certify work we didn't do.
Rectify and certify
Medium disruption- Best for
- Uncertified or non-compliant work that needs fixing
- How it works
- We repair or redo the work and issue a certificate for what we did.
- Worth knowing
- Gives you a valid certificate for the rectified part.
The people behind the work
Our own photos from jobs like this one. Based in Altona Meadows, with 19 years in the industry.
Licensed electrical contractor (REC 38187)See more team photos
Worth knowing before you book
- We only certify our own work
- For someone else's, we inspect, report and rectify.
- Prescribed work is inspected
- Consumer mains, main switchboards and meter boxes.
- A report isn't a certificate
- Safety checks end with a report instead.
What affects the price?
The right scope depends on your installation. These are the details we check so your quote is useful, with any additional work explained before it proceeds.
Type of work
Prescribed work needs an independent inspection as part of the job. Non-prescribed work doesn't.
How much is being certified
A single circuit is simpler than a renovation's worth of new wiring, lighting and power.
Inspecting someone else's work
Tracing, testing and reporting on existing work takes time, especially when it's hidden in walls or ceilings.
What needs fixing
If existing work isn't compliant, the rectification is quoted on its own before it goes ahead.
How it runs
- 1
Tell us the purpose
Sale, insurer, distributor or your records.
- 2
Do or inspect the work
New work, or a check of existing work.
- 3
Inspect if prescribed
Independent inspector before switch-on.
- 4
Certify
Your certificate, within the required time.
Step by step, in more detail
5 steps
Tell us what it's for
A sale, an insurer, the distributor or your own records. That tells us whether you need a certificate for new work, a copy of an old one, or an inspection and report.
Certify our own work
For every job we complete, we issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety describing the work and the tests carried out.
Arrange inspection for prescribed work
Consumer mains, main switchboards, meter boxes and the main earthing system are inspected by a Licensed Electrical Inspector before switch-on.
Inspect work we didn't do
If you need assurance about someone else's work, we inspect and test it, report what we find and quote anything needed to bring it up to standard.
Certify the rectification
Once we've fixed that work, we certify what we did, so you have a certificate covering that part of the installation.
What is safe to do, and what to leave to us
Safe for you to do
- Keep every certificate with your property records, and pass them on when you sell.
- Ask to see an electrician's licence before work starts, as Energy Safe Victoria recommends.
- Check that prescribed work stayed off until the inspector had been.
Leave these to us
- Paying anyone who offers to 'sign off' work they didn't do.
- Switching on new mains, a new main switchboard or meter box work before it's inspected.
- Accepting a report or an invoice in place of a certificate for new work.
- Hiring unlicensed people for electrical work. Energy Safe Victoria says it's illegal and potentially fatal.
When to get us in
- You need a certificate or a copy for work we've done
- Electrical work was done and no certificate arrived
- A buyer, insurer or distributor wants proof the work is compliant
- You're unsure whether past work was done properly
- Prescribed work needs inspecting before switch-on
More detail
What a certificate is, and isn't
A Certificate of Electrical Safety is a legal document recording the electrical work an electrician has done, and one must be provided whenever a licensed electrician completes electrical installation work. It describes that work, not the whole house, so a certificate for a new power point says nothing about the switchboard.
It also isn't a safety check. A rental electrical safety check or a pre-purchase inspection ends with a report. Energy Safe Victoria says a certificate isn't the right document to record a rental safety check, but one must be issued for any repair or maintenance done as part of it.
Why we can't sign off someone else's work
A certificate records the work of the electrician who issues it. We can't certify work done by someone else, whether that was another contractor, a previous owner or an unlicensed handyman, because we didn't do it and can't vouch for how it was done.
What we can do is inspect and test that work, tell you in writing what we found, and quote to fix anything that isn't right. Once we've done the rectification, our certificate covers the work we did. If the original contractor can be reached, ask them for their certificate first. They can't refuse to issue one.
Audits and complaints
Energy Safe auditors may make an appointment to view and test work described on a certificate. The audit is free, and you can refuse it at any time. If your electrician won't arrange an inspection for prescribed work or won't provide a certificate, you can report it to Energy Safe.
Energy Safe deals with safety and technical compliance. Billing, warranty, quality-of-work and contract disputes are better taken to Consumer Affairs Victoria or VCAT.
Local rules and conditions
Victorian requirements and local conditions that shape this job, with the sources listed at the foot of the page.
Prescribed or non-prescribed
In a home, prescribed work generally means wiring and equipment that can't be switched off, usually up to the switchboard, including consumer mains, the main switchboard, meter box and main earthing system. Lights, power points, air conditioning and hot water are non-prescribed. Prescribed work can't be switched on, or left on, until it's inspected.
Timelines and your rights
Energy Safe Victoria says you should get your copy within 30 days for non-prescribed work, and copies of a prescribed certificate must go to the relevant parties within 16 calendar days of completion. A certificate can't be withheld for any reason, including a payment dispute, and you can report a refusal to Energy Safe.
Private power lines
Private aerial lines are low-voltage poles and wires on private property that form part of the property's installation. The distribution company will only reconnect power to one once a licensed electrician or registered contractor has issued a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Useful reading
Guides to read before you decide, with checklists and questions to bring to the quote.
- Certificates of Electrical Safety explainedWhat a Victorian COES records, how prescribed and non-prescribed work differ, when your copy should arrive and why it belongs in your house file.
- What electrical work you can and can't do yourself in VictoriaWhere Victorian law draws the line on home electrical work, the short list of jobs that are yours, and what to do when a job goes past it.
- Rental electrical and smoke alarm checks in VictoriaKnow which records to gather, how to arrange access and where to verify the current Victorian requirements.
- Planning a switchboard upgrade without surprisesWhat the electrician needs to check, how to compare the scope and what to organise before the power goes off.
Common questions
Questions people ask about this
- How can I check an electrician is licensed and registered?Ask to see the electrician's licence, and check the business's Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) number.
- What happens during an electrical or air conditioning visit?We arrive at the time we confirmed, look at the job with you, explain what we've found and your options, and give you the price before work starts.
- Why does a Licensed Electrical Inspector need to check my new switchboard?Because replacing a main switchboard is prescribed work in Victoria.
- What records should a landlord keep after a rental electrical check?Keep the electrician's written record of the check.
Sources for the rules and local facts on this page
8 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.Energy Safe Victoria: A prescribed certificate is for all major electrical wiring work in all types of premises. In a domestic property this covers all work done on wiring and equipment where the electricity cannot be switched off. This… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 2.Energy Safe Victoria: 'Prescribed' certificates are for electrical installation work that requires inspection by a Licensed Electrical inspector. This includes (but is not limited to): Consumer mains cables, main switchboard, meter box and… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 3.Energy Safe Victoria: Copies of prescribed COES must be provided to the relevant parties within 16 calendar days from completion of the work. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 4.Energy Safe Victoria: PALs are low voltage poles and wires (which can be bare or insulated), generally located on private properties which form part of the electrical installation of the property and carry the electricity supply from the… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 5.Victorian Legislation (legislation.vic.gov.au) - Electricity Safety Act 1998, authorised version 089 (effective 8 Sep 2026): (a) in the case of prescribed electrical installation work, is 4 business days after the certificate of inspection of that work is given under section 45(3); and Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 6.Energy Safe Victoria: Energy Safe investigates reports about electrical installation work, electrical and gas appliances, electricity and gas infrastructure issues (and some gas installation matters), which are safety or technical compliance… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 7.Energy Safe Victoria: An Energy Safe COES is not the correct form to be used as a record of the electrical safety check. However, a COES must be issued if any electrical repair or maintenance work is carried out. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 8.Energy Safe Victoria: Gas and electricity are inherently dangerous and it’s illegal and potentially fatal for unlicensed and unqualified people to undertake any electrical or gasfitting work. Homeowners and consumers must always use… Accessed 30 September 2026.
