Buying an older home, managing a rental or concerned about an older installation? Dr Watt provides electrical inspections for Sunshine Coast homes and businesses, with clear explanations of the findings and any further work recommended.
Lior checks the accessible installation and carries out the testing agreed for your inspection. You receive a written summary identifying safety concerns, recommended repairs and improvements worth planning for, together with any access or testing limitations.
QLD Electrical Contractor Licence 82601 · 30+ years' electrical experience · Homes, rentals and businesses
Who books an electrical inspection
- Home buyers who want a clearer picture of the electrical installation before committing to a purchase
- Landlords and property managers arranging checks of the installation and safety switch protection
- Sellers who want to identify electrical issues before listing or negotiating a sale
- Owners of older homes concerned about ageing wiring, ceramic fuses, previous alterations or repeated faults
- Businesses assessing a new tenancy or the condition of an existing site
- Owners after storm, water or fire damage who need a tailored assessment once safe access has been established
An inspection after flood or fire damage may need a different scope from a routine condition inspection. Do not use affected equipment or assume it is safe to reconnect while waiting for a booking.
What an electrical inspection covers
We confirm the areas, tests, access requirements and exclusions before booking. Depending on the agreed scope, the inspection can include:
- Switchboard: accessible equipment condition, circuit identification, safety switch coverage and visible signs of overheating or damage
- Safety switches: identifying protected circuits and checking operation using the tests included in your inspection. A push-button check is different from instrument testing of operating performance.
- Accessible wiring: visible cable condition, damage and concerns with previous alterations in safely accessible locations
- Power points and switches: accessible fittings checked for damage, deterioration and relevant electrical test results within the scope
- Lights and fans: visible condition and accessible mounting or installation concerns
- Outdoor circuits and outbuildings: areas specifically included in the booking, subject to safe access
- Earthing: accessible main earthing arrangements and the relevant tests included in the scope
Insulation resistance testing, safety switch instrument testing and other circuit tests are identified in the quote. Testing may require shutdowns and disconnection of equipment, and we discuss these arrangements before the visit.
Suspected asbestos-containing backing panels are recorded as a concern. A routine electrical inspection does not confirm asbestos content or include sampling or removal.
Access and limitations
Wiring concealed inside walls, ceilings or underground cannot all be assessed visually, and roof and underfloor access depends on safe working conditions on the day. The report records the areas inspected, the tests performed, any exclusions and any further investigation recommended. It describes the installation at the time of inspection and does not guarantee that every concealed or intermittent fault has been identified.
Tell us if you want appliances, sheds, data cabling or other systems assessed, so we can confirm whether they are included or need a separate service.
What you receive
A written summary of the agreed scope, accessible findings, relevant test results and limitations, with each recommendation explained in plain English. Findings are prioritised so you can tell these apart:
- Immediate safety concerns: items needing prompt action. Where necessary, affected equipment or circuits may need to be isolated or left disconnected.
- Repairs or further investigation: work recommended to address identified defects or uncertainty.
- Good to know: optional improvements and future planning items, clearly separated from safety defects.
An older fitting or installation is not automatically unsafe because a newer option exists, and we explain why any work is recommended. Where you ask, we can quote identified repairs or explain what further investigation is needed before an accurate quote is possible.
Pre-purchase electrical inspections
A building and pest report usually covers the electrics only briefly. A dedicated electrical inspection looks at the switchboard, circuit protection and accessible wiring, so you know about accessible defects, gaps in circuit protection and work worth budgeting for before you commit.
It cannot guarantee the total future repair cost or establish the condition of every concealed cable. Ceramic fuses do not prove that all the wiring is original, and a modern switchboard does not prove the house has been rewired.
Book during your building and pest period if you can. Arrange access through the seller or agent and tell us your inspection or contract deadline when you enquire. We confirm availability, scope and expected report delivery so you can decide whether the timing suits you.
Rental property electrical safety
Queensland landlords have duties to keep rental properties electrically safe, including required safety switch protection for power point circuits. An inspection can help identify concerns within the agreed scope, but safety switches alone do not establish that the whole installation is safe.
For homes, the Queensland Electrical Safety Office recommends using the safety switch test button every three months. This user check does not replace any instrument testing or further assessment required for the property or work involved.
Dr Watt can assess safety switch coverage and operation within the booked scope, explain identified issues and discuss repair options. See our safety switch services.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as an electrical safety certificate?
No. A condition inspection report records the findings and limitations of the agreed inspection. It is not a blanket certificate that every part of the property is safe or complies with current standards. Where electrical work is carried out, we issue the applicable testing and compliance documentation for that work.
Will you fix problems during the inspection?
We explain what is found and discuss the next step. Small repairs may be possible if authorised and practical, and larger work is arranged separately. An immediate safety concern may require affected equipment or circuits to be disconnected before a permanent repair can be completed. If something needs tracking down, see our fault finding service.
Can an inspection tell me whether I need a full rewire?
Inspection and testing help establish the work needed, but concealed wiring or limited access may call for further investigation. A full rewire is not assumed from the age of the house or the presence of ceramic fuses. See our rewiring services and switchboard upgrades.
Can you check safety switches before a sale?
Yes. We can identify safety switch coverage within the agreed scope. Queensland sellers must declare safety switch protection for power point circuits in the standard sales contract and Form 24 property transfer documentation. That disclosure is separate from an electrical condition report.
Do I need to be there, and will the power go off?
We need authorised access to the agreed areas and arrangements for any shutdowns required by testing. Tell us about occupants, alarms, refrigeration or other equipment that relies on power before the visit so we can plan the inspection.
Send Lior your suburb, property type, the reason for the inspection and any deadline, such as a settlement or building inspection date. Tell us about outbuildings, known faults or systems you want included, and we will confirm the scope, access requirements and price before booking.