Most North Shore homes were built in one wave. Apart from the villa pockets at Devonport and Northcote Point, the suburbs filled after the Harbour Bridge opened in 1959, and growth carried on through the 1990s and 2000s around Albany. That leaves a large stock of 1960s and 1970s houses that still run on their original switchboard, often extended room by room as kitchens were redone, garages converted and decks added. A board like that can work for decades and still have no RCD protection on the circuits you use most.
For many of these homes, a switchboard upgrade is the job that makes everything else easier. It adds proper RCD protection, gives room for new circuits and is often needed before EV charger installation in the garage. In the bays, salt air is the other big factor, so outdoor lighting and sockets need fittings that stand up to it. We test first, explain what we find in plain language and give you a written, fixed price before any work starts.
Electrical Services in the North Shore
Emergency Electrician North Shore
Power out, sparks, a burning smell or a breaker that will not reset?
View serviceElectrical Repairs North Shore
Tripping RCDs, dead power points, flickering lights and faulty switches traced to the cause and repaired, not just reset.
View serviceMore electrical services in the North Shore:
- Solar Installation North Shore
- Commercial Electrician North Shore
- Test and Tag North Shore
- Data Cabling North Shore
We also handle switchboard upgrades, house rewiring, power points, extractor fans, oven installation, electrical inspections, smoke alarm installation, led lighting, outdoor lighting, ev charger installation and every other electrical service in the North Shore.
Common Home Types in the North Shore
Post-bridge homes in Glenfield, Browns Bay and the East Coast Bays are mostly single-level or split-level 1960s and 1970s houses wired in plastic-sheathed cable, which ages far better than rubber. The weak point is usually the switchboard: ceramic rewireable fuses or early circuit breakers, little spare space and RCDs on only some circuits or none. Current wiring rules require RCD protection on new and altered circuits, so a renovation is a good time to bring the board up to date. Devonport and Northcote Point villas are a different case, where old rubber-insulated VIR or TRS cable may still be in the roof space and should be replaced rather than extended. Albany's 1990s and 2000s homes generally have modern boards and garages, which makes them the simplest on the Shore for adding an EV charger, as long as the board has capacity for a dedicated circuit.
What the North Shore Conditions Mean for Your Wiring
BRANZ maps homes within about 500 metres of the coast as being in the highest sea spray zone, which takes in a lot of the bays. Salt builds up on sheltered surfaces that rain does not wash, so outdoor sockets, garden lights, security lights and meter box hinges near the water corrode faster than inland. We fit outdoor gear rated for the location and check existing fittings for corrosion when we are on site. Many sections in the bays are narrow and steep, which affects cable routes to garages, sleepouts and pool pumps. For EV charging, WorkSafe guidance requires a dedicated circuit protected by a Type B RCD, or a Type A RCD with an RDC-DD, starting from a switchboard on a MEN system. A Type B RCD built into the charger does not replace that protection on the circuit.
Suburbs We Cover in the North Shore
Electrician North Shore FAQs
Does my 1970s house need a switchboard upgrade?
Not automatically. Plenty of original boards are still safe. The usual reasons to upgrade are no RCD protection, no room for new circuits, signs of heat or damage, or a new load such as an EV charger or induction cooktop. We test the board and tell you honestly whether it needs replacing.
Why do my outdoor lights near the beach keep failing?
Salt air is a common cause. BRANZ puts homes within about 500 metres of the coast in the highest sea spray zone, where fittings corrode faster, especially in sheltered spots. Fittings rated for coastal use and sealed connections last longer.
Can you install an EV charger in my apartment car park?
Often, but it needs body corporate approval and a plan for where the power comes from, because car parks are usually common property. We can assess the supply and give the body corporate a written scope.
Who checks a switchboard upgrade once it is done?
Work on the main switchboard is high-risk electrical work, so it must be inspected by a licensed electrical inspector. We arrange the inspection and you get a Certificate of Compliance and a record of inspection.