Signs a switchboard needs upgrading
An old switchboard can still be legal to leave in place. It becomes a job when it is damaged, it has no safety switches on the circuits that need them, or it cannot supply the equipment the household actually uses.
What is worth describing
Rewireable ceramic fuses instead of circuit breakers. No safety switch for the power and lighting circuits. Scorch marks, a buzzing sound, a burning smell, or a cover that is warm. Switches that trip often. A board with no spare ways when you need a circuit for an oven, air conditioner or similar fixed appliance. A mix of very old and newer gear in the same enclosure. Say what you can see without removing the cover, and the rough age of the house if you know it.
Do not open the board
The cover is there because the live parts are behind it. Some older boards and backing panels contain asbestos. Leave removal and testing to the electrician, and tell them if you already know asbestos is in the meter box. Do not drill, sand or sweep that material.
What a quote should separate
Ask the electrician to separate the new board, safety switches or combined RCBO devices for the final subcircuits, any meter-box repair, and making good the wall. Also ask which compliance certificate your state requires. Victoria uses a Certificate of Electrical Safety. New South Wales uses a certificate of compliance for notifiable electrical work. The electrician knows which one applies at that address. A switchboard upgrade is a different fee on this site from other electrical leads.
Get a quote
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