How Much Does An Electrician Cost In Melbourne?

by Admin

In our home, most of our appliances are powered by electricity, which means if there is an electrical issue, you won’t have access to the resources that you need most of the time. You won’t be able to cook, your refrigerator will stop working, your phone will die, and what about Netflix, it won’t work, either!

So, what will you do to fix these things? Just call in for an electrician, but how much do they charge for their services? Are you getting a bill of a thousand dollars, or a few hundred bucks will do the work?

The cost of an electrician depends on a variety of factors, including the nature of the job, the region where your house or office is located, the time the job will take, and the experience of the tradesperson. However, on average, qualified electricians in Melbourne, Australia, charge between $80 and $140 per hour.

Keep reading this exclusive blog on “How much does an electrician cost in Melbourne” to comprehend the electrician hourly rate, electrician call-out fee and many other things around this topic.

1. Who are Electricians and What Do They Do?

Who are Electricians and What Do They Do

An electrician (aka sparkie) is a tradesperson who specialises in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines, transmission lines and other related equipment. They can be employed for the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical systems. Overall, an electrician can help you with a wide range of wiring jobs. The list includes:

  • Maintenance and Repair
  • Home Automation System
  • Entertainment Systems
  • Lighting and Solar Power
  • Power Points, Cabling Lighting installation (new homes)

Whether you are facing any problems with the wiring of your home, your electrical appliances are not working or need to install new lighting, powerpoints, etc., in your new house, a qualified electrician can do all these tasks in a breeze with their years of expertise.

2. Electrician Hourly Rate in Melbourne

Electrician Hourly Rate in Melbourne

You might want to know how much an electrician charges per hour so that when you call an electrician for a job next time, you at least have some idea of how much you may have to pay to the sparkie. An electrician charges a call-out fee with an hourly rate for most jobs, the call-out fee of an electrician ranges between $50 to $140 and you can expect an hourly rate of $70 to $95.

If there is no call-out fee for an electrician, the cost of the first hour of work is increased by the sparkie. The electricians who work on an hourly basis generally calculate their working time with a 15-minute increment. To understand how this working time increment works, see the example below:

  • If the electrician works for 33 minutes at an hourly rate of $75, the amount will be rounded off to 30 minutes. It means you have to pay them $37.5.
  • On the other hand, if you call in an electrician and the job takes 37 minutes, the work amount will be rounded off to 45 minutes, which means you have to pay $56.25.

Not every electrician works the same way and for the exact hourly rates of an electrician and the way they charge, you have to connect with your electrician.

3. Factors Affecting the Cost of an Electrician

Factors Affecting the Cost of an Electrician

As mentioned above, there are a lot of factors that affect the cost of an electrician in Melbourne and you might be interested in knowing those factors. Here is the list of factors that might affect the cost of an electrician:

Your Location

The location of your house, office or wherever you need an electrician will greatly affect the cost of an electrician in Melbourne. Generally, in cities where the cost of living is high, people have to pay more for the tradespersons compared to those living in the country or in cheap cities.

Job Size

The bill you are going to get will also depend on the size of the job; the bigger the wiring or electrical job is, the longer it will take to get accomplished, which will affect the cost of an electrician in Melbourne, especially if they are charging you on an hourly basis.

Difficulty Level

The complexity of the job will also affect the cost of an electrician in Melbourne, the harder the job is, the more bills you get. To get an idea of how much you may have to pay for the job, you can ask your sparkie for a timetable so that you know if the work is on track or being delayed.

Materials Required

The cost of an electrician will also be affected by the materials required to accomplish the electrical job. Every material has its own price, so it is quite difficult to give you a number, however, you can still ask your electrician about the material required and their cost.

Equipment Needed

The tools required to fix electrical issues in your house or office will also affect the cost of an electrician in Melbourne. If it’s a minor fault, the electrician can fix it in a short time without using much equipment. However, for major faults, your sparkie will need more equipment and more time, resulting in a hefty amount of bills.

4. Common Electrician Jobs and Their Cost

Common Electrician Jobs and Their Cost

After getting familiar with the factors affecting the cost of electricians in Melbourne, you might be interested to know about the most common electrician jobs and their costs. So, here are the common electrician jobs with cost:

Electrician Job Cost of Electrician in Melbourne
Install and Fix an Outlet $140 - $180 for each
Safety Switches Installation $85 - $200
Powerpoint Installation $150 (approx)
Ceiling Fan Installation $200 - $400 per piece
Light Installation $60 - $75 per light
Wiring a New House $4,000 - $8,000
Rewiring a House $3,500 - $8,000

Installing And Fixing An Outlet

If you need to get an electrical outlet installed or fixed in your house or office, expect to pay between $140 and $180 for each, which includes the labour and materials. However, many electricians may also quote a flat rate, which typically ranges between $75-$180 per outlet. The total price for such electrical jobs depends on their complexity, the types of outlets required to be installed, and the access to the location.

In general, this type of work takes 15 minutes to 1 hour to finish and you will always benefit if you get more than 1 outlet installed or the electrician does more than just installing electrical outlets. However, if you need an electrician for the replacement or fixation of a standard electrical outlet, you can expect to pay $60-$150, which again also depends on various factors. (the cost of an outlet is typically between $3 and $15).

Safety Switches Installation

Safety switches are one of the most essential electrical components in your house that protect your house and your loved ones from damaged wiring, power surges, and faulty appliances. If you are required to install a safety switch in your house, expect to pay your electrician between $85 and $200.

However, those with older houses requiring an upgrade or replacement of switchboard may have to pay between $500 and $1,200. You need to contact your electrician to determine the exact amount to pay for the safety switch installation.

USB Powerpoint Installation

The average cost of the PowerPoint installation in Melbourne is $150 which includes the material and labour. USB PowerPoint price will greatly affect the cost of an electrician in Melbourne, which is dependent on the sockets required and whether they are required to be combined with standard electrical outlets. The price of a USB PowerPoint installation ranges between $12 to $45 per unit, depending on the brand your electrician is using or associated with.

Lighting Installation

The cost of an electrician in Melbourne for lighting installation depends on a variety of factors, including the quality of lighting, your location, the type of light you need, and the place where lights are required to be installed (indoor or outdoor). Here’s what you should expect to pay for different types of lighting installation jobs:

Lighting Installation Job Cost of Electrician in Melbourne
LED Lighting Installation $62 - $75
Outdoor Light Installation $70 - $95
Downlight Installation $55 - $70

The replacement of one downlight typically takes 5 to 20 minutes, while a new LED downlight requires the installation of new wiring which takes 2 to 3 hours per room, depending on the number of lights you need in your room. These numbers are especially helpful for those planning to hire an electrician who charges on an hourly basis in Melbourne.

Ceiling Fan Installation

The cost of installing a new ceiling fan in your house ranges between $150 and $780, depending on the size, quality of material, and performance. However, the aesthetics of ceiling fans can also affect the cost of ceiling fan installation in Melbourne. You might see an increase in the cost of ceiling fan installation if it requires new wiring.

To save money, you should get more than one fan installed in your house, getting quotes from two to three electricians is a surefire way to get the best bang for your buck.

Wiring of a New House

If you are planning to build a new house in Melbourne and trying to figure out how much to add for the wiring of your new house, you may have to pay between $4,000 and $8,000 if it’s a medium-sized house. On the other hand, if you plan to build a new large house, the price of wiring can increase up to $20,000 where there is restricted access to wiring.

Apart from these, there is a long list of factors that affect the cost of wiring a new house in Melbourne like plumbing costs. Some of the most influential factors are as follows:

  • Material Cost
  • Your house size
  • Amount of labour required
  • Hourly Rate of electrician

The cost of wiring a newly built house is always less than the cost of rewiring a house in Melbourne which is due to quick and easy access to all the necessary points in a new home.

Rewiring a House

If you need an electrician for the rewiring of your old house (40+ years), be ready to pay a hefty amount to the sparkie. The rewiring of an old house is a huge project and requires much work to do, including the following:

  • Opening up of walls
  • Running new wires
  • Switches and outlet connection
  • Repairing if required

For the rewiring of an average-sized old house (100-250 square metre), expect to pay between $3,500 and $8,000. The cost to rewire a house will depend on the number of switches and outlets you need, whether or not you need a new switchboard, or difficulty accessing the old wiring.

Note: The information regarding the cost of an electrician might not be accurate. For flat rates and exact hourly rates, you will need to consult your electrician.

Final Verdict

With the increasing cost of living in Melbourne, the cost of hiring tradespersons like electricians is also surging. We often require sparkies when there is something wrong with our electrical appliances or something a new electrical component is required to be installed in our house. For each type of electrical job, an electrician demands a price and the average hourly rate of a sparkie in Melbourne ranges between $80 and $140.

The average price for different jobs, including the wiring of a new house, the installation of lighting, ceiling fans, the average cost to rewire a house, etc., is mentioned in this blog. Give this blog a read for more information regarding the cost of an electrician for different electrical jobs. Stay tuned for more such interesting articles and blogs!

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