The short answer
Getting power to a shed means running a new supply from your existing switchboard (or a new connection) out to the shed, usually to a small switchboard in the shed with its own circuits for lights and power points. It's electrical wiring work, so in NSW it must be done by a licensed electrician, and it finishes with testing and a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW). The big questions are what you'll run in the shed, whether your main switchboard has room and capacity, and how far the shed is from the house. Get those clear and the rest is straightforward.
Start with what you'll actually use
Before anyone talks cable sizes, write a list of what will be plugged in or wired in. It makes a big difference to the job:
- Light use: LED lights, a few power points, a fridge, battery chargers.
- Workshop: welder, compressor, drop saw, grinder, air conditioner or heater.
- Heavy or farm use: three-phase machinery, a cool room, a hoist, pumps, an EV charger.
Think ahead. Running a bigger supply now costs much less than digging it up again in three years when you buy a welder. Nelson will ask what's going in, and size the job around that.
How power gets to the shed
There are a few common ways, and which one fits depends on your property:
- From the house switchboard. The most common setup in town and on lifestyle blocks. A new supply runs from the main switchboard to the shed, usually underground, and feeds a small switchboard in the shed.
- From an existing shed or sub-board. On farms, power often comes off another shed that already has supply.
- A new connection or private line. For a shed a long way from anything, power might come from a new service or an extension of private overhead lines. Work on service lines, private poles connected to the network, the service fuse and the meter is for Essential Energy or an Accredited Service Provider (ASP), not an ordinary electrician. See private power poles in NSW.
Nelson does the work from the switchboard onwards and can coordinate with an ASP where one is needed.
Does your switchboard have room?
The main switchboard has to be able to take the new circuit. Things that can mean an upgrade first:
- no spare space for a new circuit breaker or safety switch
- old ceramic fuses
- a black "pitch" backing board made before 1987, which may contain asbestos
- signs of trouble: scorch marks, buzzing, a burning smell, frequent trips
If your board needs replacing, the rules change slightly: when a switchboard is replaced, every applicable final subcircuit on it must get safety switch (RCD) protection. You can get a switchboard upgrade estimate online. See also signs you need a switchboard upgrade.
Safety switches in the shed
New circuits need protection to current standards. Under AS/NZS 3000:2018 (the Wiring Rules), domestic and residential installations need 30 mA RCD protection on final subcircuits, and when you add a circuit in an existing home, the new circuit must get an RCD or RCBO. Adding the shed doesn't mean the whole house has to be upgraded. Only the altered or added circuits do, unless the switchboard is replaced.
Two points worth knowing:
- Type AC RCDs can no longer be installed in new work or sold in NSW. New work uses Type A (or Type B where needed, such as some EV chargers).
- If the shed is a workplace (a farm shed, a business workshop), plug-in tools used in wet, dusty or rough conditions also need RCD protection under s 164 of the NSW WHS Regulation 2025.
Single-phase or three-phase?
Most home sheds run fine on single-phase. Three-phase makes sense for big motors, larger welders and compressors, some workshop machinery and farm equipment. Whether you can get it depends on your existing supply. Under the Service and Installation Rules of NSW, supplies up to 100 A per phase can be single, two or three-phase, and above 100 A per phase must be three-phase.
If the shed's load would push the property's maximum demand past your connection agreement, a written connection application to Essential Energy is needed, with a maximum demand calculation to AS/NZS 3000. Nelson can work that out with you. Read more in three-phase power.
Distance matters
The further the shed is from the switchboard, the bigger the cable needs to be to keep voltage up and the circuit safe, and the more trenching is involved. A shed 15 metres from the house is a very different job to one 200 metres across a paddock. Cable selection is covered by AS/NZS 3008.1.1, which had a new edition published in December 2025. Nelson works it out for your shed.
What's involved, step by step
- Site visit or photos. Nelson looks at the switchboard, the route and what's going in the shed.
- Written price before any work starts.
- Trench and conduit for underground cable (who digs can be agreed at the quote stage).
- Install the supply, shed switchboard, lights and power points.
- Test every circuit and sign it off.
- CCEW lodged through the Building Commission NSW eCert portal, no later than 7 days after testing, with a copy emailed to you.
What affects the price
There's no fixed price for shed power because every job is different. The distance from the house to the shed, the load you'll run, the condition of your switchboard, the ground the cable goes through and how far you are from Wagga (travel is free close to town and charged further out) all change it. Call Nelson or send the job through for a written quote.
Don't DIY it
Running an extension lead out to the shed permanently, or wiring it yourself, isn't the answer. DIY electrical work is illegal in NSW, can void your home insurance, and outdoor and shed wiring is exactly where damage, water and dust cause trouble. If a shed has been without power for 6 months or more, it must be inspected by a qualified electrician before it's turned back on.
For more on what we do, see sheds and workshops.
Common questions
Do I need an electrician to run power to my shed?
Yes. Running power to a shed is electrical wiring work, which in NSW needs a licensed electrician. The work must be tested and a CCEW lodged within 7 days of the test.
Does my shed need its own switchboard?
Often, yes, especially if it has several circuits or is a fair way from the house. A small sub-board in the shed is common. Nelson will advise based on what you'll run there.
Will adding power to my shed mean upgrading the whole house?
Not usually. Only the new or altered circuits need RCD protection. If your main switchboard has no room or is in poor condition, though, an upgrade may be needed, and a replaced board needs RCDs on all applicable circuits.
Can I get three-phase power to my shed?
It depends on your existing supply. If you already have three-phase, it can often be run to the shed. If not, a supply upgrade involves Essential Energy and an ASP. Ask Nelson to look at your setup.
How is power to a shed priced?
It depends on the cable run, the load and your switchboard, so every shed is quoted. Call 0416 085 416 or send the job through with photos and what you'll run, and you'll get a written quote before any work starts.