Switchboard upgrade — scope checklist

The Quotes Desk uses this checklist when the inbound request is a main switchboard upgrade or replacement. Ticking every item below produces a complete quote; omissions are the most common cause of variations mid-project.

Information to confirm from the client

• Site address (physical location of the switchboard)
• Billing address and accounts contact
• Current main switch rating (A) and phase configuration
• Required new rating (A) and reason (load growth, compliance, EV charging, solar PV + battery, etc.)
• Available shutdown window (after-hours, weekend, phased)
• Client preference on brand of switchboard or breakers (if any)
• Whether metering is being upgraded in the same visit
• Whether sub-boards or distribution boards are being replaced as part of the same scope

Materials lines to include (from pricing-materials)

For a typical main switchboard upgrade, include:

• New main switchboard (SB-200-M / SB-400-M / SB-630-M / SB-800-M depending on rating)
• Main isolator (ISO-63-3P / ISO-125-3P or higher as per rating)
• Sub-main cabling (CBL-70M / CBL-185M / CBL-240M depending on rating and run length)
• Surge protection (SPD-T1) — mandatory on new installations
• New meter (METER-3P) if metering upgrade is in scope
• Emergency isolator label set and circuit labelling materials
• Termination hardware and glands

Labor lines to include (from pricing-labor)

• Industrial electrician (Level 2 ASP) hours — use the productivity defaults for switchboard replacement
• 4th-year apprentice hours — 1:1 with the lead electrician
• Project supervisor hours — typically 4–6 hours for shutdown coordination and commissioning witness
• Commissioning and certification hours
• Travel per the site-address band

Commercial lines to include

• Markup per markup-rules — typically heavy-commercial tier for ≥ 400 A jobs
• Expedited scheduling modifier if the client requested a start within 7 days
• GST per gst-tax
• Payment terms per payment-terms — tiered schedule applies for any job likely to exceed $25,000 incl. GST
• Warranty per warranty-policy — flag the extended workmanship option on switchboards ≥ 400 A
• Exclusions per scope-exclusions

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Quoting the switchboard cost without the sub-main upgrade that the new rating will typically require.
2. Missing the DNSP notification / pass-through fee for supply-side changes (e.g., moving from single-phase to three-phase).
3. Not quoting standby time for asbestos abatement if the premises was built before 1990 and existing switchboard panels are Zelemite or similar — see scope-exclusions.
4. Under-quoting commissioning hours. Full commissioning of a commercial switchboard includes phase-rotation verification, RCD trip tests, insulation resistance, continuity, loop impedance, and labelling audit — typically 3 hours at the minimum.