Switchboard upgrades are bread-and-butter work for most sparkies, and they’re easy to under-quote. The board looks simple, then you open it up and find unlabelled circuits, a neutral fault and a backing panel you’re not allowed to touch. Here’s how to quote one properly.
What should you check on site before quoting?
- The existing board and enclosure. Size, condition, ceramic fuses or old circuit breakers, space for RCBOs.
- Backing panel. Older boards may have backing panels containing asbestos. If in doubt, treat it as asbestos, don’t drill it, and exclude or allow for licensed removal.
- Consumer mains and main switch. Size and condition, and whether they suit the new load.
- Circuits. Count them and note what each one supplies. Unlabelled boards take longer.
- Earthing and bonding. Confirm the main earth and any bonding.
- Load. Air conditioners, induction cooktops, EV chargers and solar change what the board needs to handle.
- Location and access. Meter box, internal board, clearances.
Take photos of everything, including inside the board.
Which compliance items should the quote cover?
Your quote should allow for the work being done to the current AS/NZS 3000 wiring rules and your state’s requirements, including RCD protection, testing, and the certificate of compliance your state regulator requires. Requirements differ between states and distributors, so check your local rules and note any supply authority work as an exclusion or a separate line.
What materials go into a switchboard upgrade?
| Item (example) | Qty | Cost ex GST |
|---|---|---|
| Switchboard enclosure | 1 | $180.00 |
| Main switch | 1 | $45.00 |
| RCBOs | 8 | $440.00 |
| Labels, links, cable and sundries | 1 | $60.00 |
| Materials at cost | $725.00 |
Example figures for illustration only. Price from your own current supplier price list.
How do you price the labour?
Allow for isolation and changeover, terminating each circuit, labelling, testing every circuit, fault-finding on circuits that trip the new RCBOs, paperwork, and travel and clean-up. In this example, allow 7 hours.
Price the labour at your real charge-out rate, worked out from your running costs with the charge-out rate calculator. At an example rate of $110 an hour ex GST, 7 hours is $770.
Example switchboard upgrade quote
| Line | Ex GST |
|---|---|
| Materials ($725.00 cost + 25% markup) | $906.25 |
| Labour (7 hours at $110/hour) | $770.00 |
| Subtotal ex GST | $1,676.25 |
| GST (10%) | $167.63 |
| Total inc GST | $1,843.88 |
Example only. Your rate, markup and labour times will differ.
Now check the profit. If the labour costs you $55 an hour in wages and on-costs, the job costs $725 + $385 = $1,110. The price ex GST is $1,676.25, so the gross profit is $566.25 and the margin is about 34%. If that’s below your target, fix the estimate now.
How can you quote switchboard upgrades faster?
Price the job properly once, then reuse it. In TradieTally, a switchboard upgrade is a Smart Bundle (preset job) holding the enclosure, main switch, RCBOs, sundries, labour and your margin. On site you add the bundle, change the RCBO count to suit, and the quote, profit and margin update instantly. The customer gets a branded PDF and an online link to accept, and the accepted quote becomes the job.
That’s quoting software for electricians built on estimating priced for profit on your real numbers, not guessing. Try it on your next board with a 21-day free trial.
Switchboard quote checklist
- Board, mains, earthing and load inspected, with photos
- Asbestos risk assessed and excluded or allowed for
- Every circuit counted and noted
- Materials priced from a current price list
- Labour allows for testing, fault-finding and paperwork
- Certificate of compliance and exclusions on the quote
- Profit and margin checked before sending
Key takeaways
- Inspect before you price: asbestos, mains, circuits and load all change the job.
- Allow labour for testing and fault-finding, not just the changeover.
- Check profit and margin on every switchboard quote.
- Save the job as a Smart Bundle in TradieTally so the next quote takes minutes.