Certificate of Electrical Safety: What Melbourne Homeowners Need to Know

Every time a licensed electrician completes work on your property in Victoria, they are required by law to issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES). It is the only document that proves electrical work was done legally and to Australian standards. Whether you are a homeowner, landlord, builder, or property manager, understanding what a COES is and when you need one will save you headaches down the track.

What Is a Certificate of Electrical Safety?

A Certificate of Electrical Safety is a legal document issued under the Electricity Safety Act 1998 (Vic). It confirms that electrical work carried out on a property has been completed by a licensed electrician, inspected as required, and meets the current Australian and New Zealand wiring rules (AS/NZS 3000).

The certificate is lodged with Energy Safe Victoria (ESV), the state’s electrical safety regulator. Your electrician must provide you with a customer copy within 30 days of completing the work. If you do not receive one, ask for it. It is your legal right.

When Is a Certificate of Electrical Safety Required?

A COES is required for all electrical installation work in Victoria, with very few exceptions. This includes:

Any new electrical installation. New power points, lighting circuits, switchboard installations, hot water connections, air conditioning wiring, oven circuits, EV charger installations, and any other new wiring or equipment.

Alterations to existing installations. Switchboard upgrades, circuit modifications, adding safety switches, replacing wiring, and changing the configuration of existing circuits.

Repairs and replacements. Replacing a faulty power point, fixing a damaged circuit, swapping a light switch, and similar repair work.

Safety switch and smoke alarm installations. Installing RCDs (safety switches) and hardwired smoke alarms requires a certificate.

The only exemptions are minor tasks defined by regulation, such as replacing a light globe or plug-top. If an electrician touches your wiring, you should expect a certificate.

Prescribed vs Non-Prescribed Certificates

Victoria has two types of COES, and the distinction matters.

Non-prescribed certificates cover most standard residential and commercial electrical work: switchboard upgrades, power point installation, lighting work, safety switch installation, and general wiring. The electrician who performed the work inspects it and issues the certificate. This covers the majority of jobs in homes and businesses.

Prescribed certificates are required for higher-risk work. This includes work on electrical installations in high-risk locations (such as swimming pools, patient care areas, and hazardous locations), wiring in buildings over three storeys, and certain types of supply work. Prescribed work must be inspected by a Licensed Electrical Inspector (LEI) who is independent of the electrician who did the work, before the certificate can be issued.

Your electrician will know which type of certificate applies to your job and will arrange the independent inspection if one is required.

Why the Certificate Matters to You

Legal compliance. Carrying out electrical work without issuing a COES is a criminal offence in Victoria. If you hire someone who does electrical work and does not provide a certificate, the work was either done illegally or the paperwork was not completed properly. Either way, it is a red flag.

Insurance. If an electrical fault causes a fire or injury and there is no COES on file for recent electrical work, your insurance company may dispute the claim. The certificate proves the work was done by a licensed professional to current standards.

Property sales. When you sell a property, conveyancers and buyers may request copies of COES documents for recent electrical work. Having certificates on file demonstrates that work was done properly and legally.

Rental compliance. Landlords and property managers in Victoria need COES documentation for all electrical work carried out on rental properties. This forms part of your compliance records alongside smoke alarm and safety switch documentation.

Warranty and liability. The COES identifies who did the work, when it was done, and what was covered. If a problem arises later, the certificate establishes the responsible party and the scope of the original work.

What to Do If You Did Not Receive a Certificate

If an electrician completed work on your property and you did not receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety, contact them and request it. They are legally required to provide your copy within 30 days.

If the electrician cannot or will not provide the certificate, you can contact Energy Safe Victoria directly. ESV maintains a register of all lodged certificates and can investigate complaints about unlicensed or non-compliant electrical work.

If you have had work done by an unlicensed person (someone without a current REC or electrician’s licence), that work should be inspected by a licensed electrician before you rely on it. Unlicensed electrical work is both illegal and potentially dangerous.

How to Verify Your Electrician Is Licensed

Before any electrical work begins, confirm your electrician holds a current Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) licence. You can verify this through Energy Safe Victoria’s online licence checker. A licensed contractor will also carry public liability insurance and provide a COES for every job.

At Carlin Co Electrical, our REC licence number is 33210. We issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety for every job we complete, from a single power point replacement through to a full house rewire.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Certificate of Electrical Safety cost?

The certificate itself typically costs between $40 and $120 to issue, covering ESV lodgement fees and administration. Most electricians include this cost in their overall job price rather than charging it separately. If a prescribed certificate is required (for higher-risk work), the independent inspection fee adds to the cost. We include all certificate costs in our fixed-price quotes.

How long is a Certificate of Electrical Safety valid?

A COES does not expire. It is a record of work completed at a specific point in time, confirming that the work met standards on the date it was done. However, it does not guarantee the ongoing condition of the installation. Electrical systems degrade over time, and subsequent modifications by others may affect the original work. If you are buying a property, a COES from 10 years ago confirms the work was compliant then, but a current safety inspection is still worthwhile.

Can I look up certificates lodged for my property?

Yes. Energy Safe Victoria maintains a register of all lodged certificates. You can contact ESV to request records of certificates lodged against your property address. This is useful when buying a property or when you want to confirm that previous electrical work was done legally.

Need electrical work done properly, with full certification? Carlin Co Electrical (REC 33210) issues a Certificate of Electrical Safety with every job across Melbourne. Call 0432 632 346 or book online.