WA's licences, and why they matter to you as the client
WA splits electrical licences in two. The business that contracts for the work needs an electrical contractor's licence, numbered from EC, and the people doing it need electrician's licences, numbered from EW. Building and Energy says to check both on the WA Online Licence Search.
It's worth the two minutes. Under regulation 34 of WA's licensing regulations, someone who contracts for electrical installing work commits an offence if they know the contractor is breaking the licensing rule. Unless another penalty is set, the maximum fine under those regulations is $50,000 for an individual and $250,000 for a company.
WA contractors must show their EC number on their ads, vehicles, business cards and letterheads, and leaving it off an advertisement has been an offence since 1 November 1991. A quote or a van without one is a reason to ask questions.
Perth details that shape a commercial job
Supply for new equipment
Western Power's standard allocation on a three phase connection is 32 amps per phase. If a fit-out adds load beyond the site's supply, the contractor assesses demand and applies for more, so raise big equipment at the first meeting.
Notices to the network
For notifiable work, the contractor lodges a preliminary notice with Western Power before starting and a notice of completion within 3 days of finishing, through the eNotice portal.
Planned shutdowns
Western Power lists planned outages 10 days in advance. Check the list before you lock in an opening date or a stocktake.
Houses turned into businesses
A house converted into a clinic or shop is still covered by WA's roof space rule, so the power, solar included, goes off before an electrician works up there. Plan trading hours around it.
Unplanned outages
Pole top fires cut power to around 47,000 Perth homes and businesses at the peak on 4 March 2024. If you run cool rooms, servers or a register that can't drop out, ask the electrician what protects them when the supply goes.
What a good Perth commercial quote includes
- The scope area by area, with what each new circuit feeds.
- Whether the work is notifiable, and who lodges the notices with Western Power.
- Whether the site's supply covers the new load, or an upgrade application is needed.
- When the power will be off, and for how long.
- The contractor's EC number, printed on the quote itself.
- An Electrical Safety Certificate within 28 days of finishing.
- A certificate of currency for the contractor's public liability insurance.
Safety switches and testing at work
WA workplaces must take all reasonable steps to have their RCDs, fixed ones in the switchboard included, tested regularly by a competent person. Keep a record, and replace any that fail as soon as possible.
Plug-in gear in kitchens, workshops and other tough environments has its own testing rule. Test and tag in Perth covers what WorkSafe WA expects.
What we'd do for a Perth fit-out
We'd bring the electrician in while the layout is still on paper, and ask straight away whether the site's supply covers the new equipment, because that's the item most likely to move an opening date. Then we'd check the EC and EW numbers, look at Western Power's planned outages for the fortnight, and get the shutdown times written into the quote.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.