Licensed electricians charge $80-$130 an hour nationally, but most household jobs are quoted as fixed prices. Here are the installed ranges for the four jobs homeowners ask about most - power points, downlights, switchboard upgrades and ceiling fans - cross-checked across published Australian sources.
Installed prices including GST where the sources state it. Ranges reflect real quoted jobs, not best-case advertising.
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Power points - whole job | $250-$500 | Standard install; the median quoted job is about $300 |
| Power points - per point in a batch | $80-$200 | Falls per point as the count rises in one visit |
| New dedicated circuit (add-on) | +$200-$500 | The biggest single swing on a power point quote |
| LED downlights - existing positions | $50-$120 / light | Batch pricing, supply + install |
| LED downlights - new positions | $120-$180 / light | New cabling to each position |
| Single downlight replacement | $150-$220 | Includes the call-out - small jobs are mostly call-out |
| Dimmer add-on | +$145-$195 | Per dimmer switch |
| Switchboard upgrade | $1,300-$2,500 | Most homes; complex or large boards to about $3,850 |
| Ceiling fan install - labour | $130-$350 / fan | $130-$200 like-for-like replacement; $170-$350 new position |
| Ceiling fan - whole job incl. fan | $250-$800 | Median quoted job about $350 |
Most power point work is quoted per job, not per hour: $250-$500 for a standard install, with a median around $300 across a year of real platform quotes. Inside a bigger job the maths changes - extra points run $80-$200 each because the call-out, roof work and certification are already paid for. Installer price lists start standard points from about $220. The question that decides your quote is whether the new point can spur off an existing circuit or needs a new dedicated circuit back to the board (+$200-$500). Brick and double-brick walls also price above plasterboard stud walls - cutting in is slower, messier work.
On existing wiring and positions, downlights run $50-$120 a light in a batch - a full room of 6-8 lights typically lands at $600-$1,200. Brand-new positions with fresh cabling run $120-$180 a light. A single replacement light is $150-$220 once the call-out is included, which is why electricians (sensibly) suggest batching lighting work. Dimmers add $145-$195 each, and ground-floor rooms in two-storey homes with no roof space can add $150-$400 a room.
Most homes pay $1,300-$2,500 to replace an old board with a modern RCBO board; large homes and three-phase boards run to about $3,850. The usual trigger is a ceramic fuse board - it can't safely support modern loads, and adding power or lighting circuits to one often forces the upgrade first. That flow-on is worth knowing before you book three smaller jobs separately: one board upgrade can be cheaper than three workarounds.
Installation labour is $130-$200 a fan for a like-for-like swap and $170-$350 in a new position; fixed-price benchmarks sit at $199 for a replacement and $329 for a new install. Supply the fan through the electrician and standard fans add $100-$300 each - whole jobs including the fan run $250-$800, median about $350. High ceilings (3 m+) push installs toward $300-$450.
A dedicated new circuit adds $200-$500 to power point work. It is the first thing to clarify in any quote - two quotes can differ by hundreds on this alone.
Ceramic boards force upgrades before new circuits; asbestos backing panels in very old boards may add handling cost. Brick walls price above plasterboard for points.
Per-unit prices fall as counts rise in one visit. After-hours and emergency work carries minimum charges of $200-$500+ before work starts.
Eight new downlights, new positions, no dimmer: 8 x $120-$180 = $960-$1,440. That sits right against published room pricing - $600-$1,200 for 6-8 lights on existing positions, and $1,200-$1,800 quoted for ten new downlights on new wiring.
Fan benchmarks: the national hardware-chain installation service charges $199 for a like-for-like fan replacement and $329 for a new install - a useful yardstick when an independent quote lands far from those numbers.
Compliance - non-negotiable: in every Australian state and territory, electrical work - power points, downlights, ceiling fans, switchboards - must be done by a licensed electrician. DIY electrical work is illegal, uninsured and dangerous. Your electrician must issue a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW), or your state's equivalent, for hardwired work, and switchboard work must meet the AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules, including RCD/safety-switch protection on power and lighting circuits.
Prices cross-checked against hipages, Service.com.au, Charlie Sparks, Moonlight Electrical, Connex Electrical and WSG Group published pricing, October 2026.
Licensed electricians charge $80-$130 an hour nationally, but most household jobs are quoted as fixed prices. Here are the installed ranges for the four jobs homeowners ask about most - power points, downlights, switchboard upgrades and ceiling fans - cross-checked across published Australian sources.
The biggest drivers are new circuit vs spur, board age and wall type and volume and timing. Each one is worked through with prices in the guide above, and the calculator prices them for your job.
Use the free calculator linked from this guide - it prices your job with the same installed ranges used here, in about 30 seconds. It is a guide range, not a quote: your contractor confirms a fixed price after seeing the job.
No - they are researched guide ranges, cross-checked across at least two published sources, not quotes. Prices move with your area, the condition of the site and the scope you choose. Get itemised quotes in writing, and check the tradesperson's licence with your state building authority before you book.
The calculator uses these same ranges and adjusts for count, circuits, wall type and board condition - get your ballpark in about 30 seconds.