The short answer
Plan the electrical work before the reno starts, not halfway through. Check your switchboard has room and is in decent shape, count every power point, light and appliance you'll want, think ahead to the aircon, EV charger and heat pump you might add later, and get the electrician in for the rough-in before the walls are lined. Any circuit you alter or add must get 30 mA safety switch protection at the switchboard, and if the switchboard is replaced, every applicable circuit on it must. Smoke alarm rules may also apply to the building work. All of it must be done by a licensed electrician, tested, and finished with a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW).
1. Start at the switchboard
The switchboard decides a lot about what your reno can include. Before you design anything, check:
- Is there space for the new circuits (oven, cooktop, aircon, extra power circuits)?
- Is it fuses or breakers? Old ceramic fuses usually mean an upgrade is due.
- Are there safety switches? How many, and which circuits do they cover?
- What's the backing board? Black or dark brown, rough or fibrous boards made before 1987 may contain asbestos. A missing warning sticker doesn't mean it's asbestos-free.
- Any warning signs? Scorch marks, buzzing, a burning smell or frequent trips.
If the board needs replacing, doing it at the start of the reno is cleaner and often cheaper than squeezing it in later. Get a switchboard estimate online, or see signs you need a switchboard upgrade.
2. Know the safety switch rules
These come from AS/NZS 3000:2018 (the Wiring Rules) and the national advisory note on alterations (ERAC):
- Altering or adding a circuit: that circuit must get 30 mA RCD protection at the switchboard where it starts.
- Only that circuit: the rest of the house doesn't have to be upgraded, unless the switchboard is replaced.
- Replacing the switchboard: every applicable final subcircuit on it must get RCD protection.
- Like-for-like swaps: replacing a power point, light or single item in exactly the same place without altering the circuit is a repair. That includes swapping a single power point for a double.
- No Type AC RCDs in new work in NSW since 1 May 2023. New work uses Type A or better.
Many people choose RCBOs (a safety switch and circuit breaker in one) so a fault on one circuit doesn't take out others. See RCD vs RCBO.
3. Kitchen checklist
- Oven and cooktop: what type, and what supply does each need?
- Rangehood: position and power
- Dishwasher and fridge: dedicated points where needed, accessible once cabinets are in
- Bench power points: count them generously, plus USB if you want it
- Island bench: power and lighting runs planned before the slab or floor goes down
- Microwave, coffee machine and appliance cupboard
- Under-cabinet and pendant lighting
- Switch positions that make sense when you walk in
4. Bathroom and laundry checklist
- Exhaust fan
- Lighting: ceiling, mirror and any feature lighting
- Heated towel rail and floor heating, if wanted
- Power points for shavers, hair dryers and the washing machine and dryer
- Heaters or heat lamps
- Positions of every fitting near the bath and shower, planned with Nelson before the tiler starts
5. Living areas, bedrooms and extensions
- Power points: more than you think, in the right spots for furniture
- TV, data and NBN points; see data and TV points
- Lighting layout, dimmers and two-way switching
- Ceiling fans
- Outdoor lights and power for a deck or pergola
- Split system positions and circuits; see air conditioner circuits
6. Plan for what's coming
Even if it's not in this budget, run conduit or cable now for:
- an EV charger (a dedicated circuit to the garage or carport)
- a heat pump hot water system (NSW Advisory Note 1/2025 requires a Type A RCD on a new or upgraded circuit for one)
- extra aircon units
- outdoor kitchen, spa or pool equipment
If big loads push your maximum demand past your connection agreement, a connection application to Essential Energy is needed, with a maximum demand calculation to AS/NZS 3000.
7. Smoke alarms
NSW law requires at least one working smoke alarm, complying with AS 3786, on each level of every home. For new homes and relevant building work under the National Construction Code (NCC 2022 still applies in NSW), alarms must be connected to mains power where it's supplied and interconnected where there's more than one. Your builder or certifier will confirm what your reno triggers.
Fire and Rescue NSW recommends going further: interconnected photoelectric alarms in every bedroom, living area, hallway and stairway, and the garage. A reno is the easy time to do it. See smoke alarm rules in NSW.
8. Asbestos and older homes
If the house was built before 2000, the NSW Government recommends an electrician check the wiring, and it flags pre-1980s wiring as a particular risk. Old switchboard backing boards may contain asbestos. The NSW asbestos site advises using a licensed asbestos assessor and licensed removalist. Nelson doesn't remove asbestos but can work alongside a removalist. See old house wiring.
9. Timing on site
- Design and quote: sit down with your plans and this checklist.
- Switchboard first, if it's being upgraded.
- Rough-in: cables run before walls are lined and cabinets go in.
- Fit-off: power points, lights, appliances connected after plastering, painting and tiling.
- Testing and CCEW: lodged through the Building Commission NSW eCert portal, no later than 7 days after the test, with a copy emailed to you.
10. Don't let anyone cut corners
DIY electrical work is illegal in NSW, even on your own reno, and can void your home insurance. Check your electrician's licence at verify.licence.nsw.gov.au. Nelson's contractor licence is 374694C. Every NAF job comes with a written price before work starts, every circuit tested and signed off, and a CCEW. For renos, see kitchen and bathroom renovations.
Common questions
When should I get an electrician involved in a renovation?
At the planning stage, before the builder's quote is locked in and well before walls are lined. The electrician needs to do the rough-in while the frame is open.
Will renovating mean I need safety switches on the whole house?
Not usually. Only the circuits you alter or add must get RCD protection. If the switchboard is replaced, though, every applicable circuit on it must be protected.
Do I need hardwired smoke alarms if I renovate?
It depends on the building work. Existing homes need at least one working AS 3786 alarm per level. For new or relevant building work under the NCC, alarms must be mains powered and interconnected. Your builder or certifier will confirm.
Can I swap a single power point for a double during my reno myself?
No. Any electrical wiring work, including swapping a power point, must be done by a licensed electrician in NSW. A like-for-like swap is treated as a repair, so it doesn't trigger new safety switches, but it's still licensed work.
What certificate do I get when the electrical work is done?
A Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW). The electrician who tests the work lodges it through the Building Commission NSW eCert portal, and you get a copy by email.