Dark board behind the fuses? Leave it closed
Black or dark brown backing boards made before 1987 can contain asbestos, and some old fuses on them can hold the crumbly, friable kind inside the fuse carrier. In WA, any amount of friable asbestos has to be removed by a licensed asbestos removalist, and cutting, drilling or sanding asbestos with power tools is banned. Don't touch or tap at it. Mention it when you book, so the electrician can plan the removal before the new board goes in.
What a Perth switchboard job involves
The 63 amp limit
Since 11 April 2023, Western Power's standard household supply has been 63 amps on single phase, or 32 amps per phase on three phase. If new circuits would take the house past that, the electrical contractor assesses the demand and applies for an upgraded supply.
A circuit breaker as the main switch
When circuit capacity is added to an existing home, Western Power requires a main switch circuit breaker. On an old fuse board, that one requirement can turn a small addition into an upgrade.
The meter is Western Power's job
Western Power is fitting more than 1.2 million advanced meters by mid 2027, using its own technicians, with the power off for about 30 minutes. Your electrician works on the board side of it.
Selling or renting
Before a title transfers, safety switches must protect every power point and lighting circuit, and two is the minimum. Landlords need them in the switchboard too.
Going to three phase
A registered electrical contractor lodges a preliminary notice and applies to Western Power once it confirms three phase is available. The changeover then takes 5 to 7 weeks after the application is accepted.
Room for what's coming next
A lot of Perth upgrades now are driven by what's being added: ducted cooling for the heat, an induction cooktop, a battery, a car charger. Under Western Power's 2026 rules, a home can have up to 30 kVA of solar and battery inverter capacity, with a 15 kVA limit on a single phase connection. A 7 kW EV charger is allowed on a standard connection, provided the total load stays inside the supply limit.
So give the electrician the whole plan before they quote. Space for extra breakers is easy to leave now and hard to find later, and a board sized once is better than a board done twice. Switchboards for solar and EV chargers goes deeper on that.
The paperwork in WA
If the job is 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.
Then you get an Electrical Safety Certificate within 28 days of the work being finished, and only a licensed electrical contractor can issue one. The certificate form asks whether at least two safety switches protect all power point and lighting circuits. If yours doesn't turn up, Building and Energy says to ask the contractor, then tell Western Power.
Questions for a Perth electrician before you say yes
- Will the house stay within the 63 amp supply once everything's added, or do you need to apply for more?
- Is a circuit breaker main switch included in this quote?
- How many safety switches, and which circuits will each one protect?
- If the backing board looks like asbestos, who removes it, and when?
- Who lodges the notices with Western Power, and when will the certificate arrive?
- What's your EC licence number, and the EW number of whoever does the work?
Where we'd start
If you're selling in Perth, we'd sort the safety switches first, because settlement depends on them. If you're staying put, we'd list everything you might add over the next few years, from air con to a charger, and ask for one board sized for all of it. Either way, we'd match with an electrician who does switchboards every week and check their EC number before they start.
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.