Switchboard upgrades, Auckland-wide.
Old fuseboard out, modern certified board in: a switchboard upgrade in Auckland replaces ceramic fuses with RCD protection on every circuit, labels every breaker, and puts a Certificate of Compliance in your hand the same day.
Six reasons people call us about a switchboard
If any of these describe your board, it's worth a conversation. If none of them do, we'll tell you that too. A switchboard that's doing its job doesn't need replacing because it's old.
- Ceramic rewireable fuses. Fuse wire instead of circuit breakers. Common in anything built before the mid-1980s, and the clearest signal of the lot.
- No RCD anywhere on the board. Without one, a fault that would give you a shock has nothing stopping it. This is the safety gap that matters most.
- Breakers that keep tripping. Repeated nuisance tripping usually means the board is undersized for how the house is now used, or something is failing behind it.
- No room left. Adding a heat pump, an EV charger, a cabin or a new kitchen circuit needs a spare way. A full board is the reason a lot of upgrades stall.
- Scorching, buzzing or a burning smell. Stop using it and call. This one is not a "next month" job.
- A report flagged it. Building inspection, insurer or lender. Switchboards are one of the most common things raised during an Auckland property sale.
What actually changes
These are real Auckland boards, photographed on the day. The left-hand column is what people ring about; the right-hand column is what they're left with.
Everything, in one fixed price
A switchboard replacement is prescribed electrical work. That means it has to be done by a registered electrician, tested, and certified. All three are in the quote.
- Site visit before the price. We look at the board, the main earth, the supply and how the house is actually wired, then quote a fixed number.
- New enclosure supplied and fitted. Surface or recessed, sized with spare ways for what you'll add later.
- RCD or RCBO protection across the board. Which is what turns a potential electric shock into a nuisance trip.
- Every circuit identified and labelled. Traced, tested, named and written up, not "power 1, power 2".
- Main switch and main earth checked. The parts nobody sees and every inspector looks at.
- Circuit schedule on the door. Plus the required compliance labelling, fitted as part of the job.
- Tested and certified. Certificate of Compliance issued, and an Electrical Safety Certificate where one is required.
- Old board removed. Taken away and disposed of, wall made good, site left clean.
- A known outage window. Power off four to six hours on a standard replacement, and you're told when before the day.
Keep the Certificate of Compliance somewhere safe. It is the document your insurer, and the next buyer's lawyer, will ask to see.
The person who quotes it is the person who does it
Kocev Services is one registered tradesman. There's no sales visit followed by a subcontractor you've never met.
Registered and certified
EWRB registration #119850, practising licence EE 069268, Site Safe registered, NZBN verified. Certificate of Compliance on every job.
Engineer, not just a sparky
A Bachelor's in Industrial Power Engineering and Automation (NZQA Level 7) and Engineers New Zealand ET Practical recognition, on top of 20+ years on the tools.
Fixed price, quoted upfront
You get the number in writing before any work begins. The number you agree to is the number on the invoice.
Labelled properly
Every circuit traced, tested and named on the schedule. It costs an hour and it saves the next person a morning.
Fast to respond
Enquiries answered the same day, usually within a couple of hours, which matters when the board is the thing holding up a settlement.
Heat pump and EV ready
Because we do both trades, the board goes in sized for the heat pump or charger you're planning, not just the house as it is.
5.0 out of 5, from 45 reviews
Every review below is a verified Builderscrack job: a real customer, a real job, a real date.
"Great comms, fast and efficient. Will use again."
Replace ceiling lightsVerified Builderscrack review · June 2026"Amazing communication. Went above and beyond."
Underfloor heating repairVerified Builderscrack review · April 2025"He asked good questions and gave good advice."
Heat pump installVerified Builderscrack review · July 2026"Great to work with, very fast. Very happy."
Small heat pump installVerified Builderscrack review · July 2026Questions people ask before they book
How much does a switchboard upgrade cost?
What moves the number is how many circuits the house has, whether the board is surface mounted or recessed, and whether the main earth and supply need work as well. Anyone quoting a board sight unseen is guessing, so we look at it first and then put a fixed number in writing. The quote is free, and what it covers is set out above.
How do I know if mine needs replacing?
The usual signs are ceramic rewireable fuses instead of circuit breakers, no RCD protection anywhere on the board, breakers that trip repeatedly, no spare ways left, scorch marks or a burning smell, or a building report, insurer or lender flagging it during a sale. There's a fuller list further up the page.
How long does it take, and how long is the power off?
Most domestic replacements are a single day, with the power off for four to six hours of it. You're told the outage window before the day, not on it, so you can plan around the fridge, the freezer and anyone working from home.
Will I get a Certificate of Compliance?
Yes. A switchboard replacement is prescribed electrical work, so it's tested on completion and you receive a Certificate of Compliance, plus an Electrical Safety Certificate where one is required. Keep them: insurers and buyers ask for them.
Do I need an RCD on every circuit?
New and altered circuits must have RCD protection under the current wiring rules. When we replace a board we fit RCD or RCBO protection across it as standard, which is what turns a potential electric shock into a nuisance trip.
My building report or insurer flagged the switchboard. Can you help?
Yes. That's one of the most common reasons people call. Send the report or a photo of the board through the form and we'll tell you what's actually required and what it will cost, usually the same day.
Can you upgrade the board and install a heat pump or EV charger at the same time?
Yes, and it's usually cheaper that way. Because we do both trades, the new board goes in already sized for the heat pump or charger, instead of being opened up again six months later.
Which parts of Auckland do you cover?
All of it. We're based in Northcross on the North Shore and work Auckland-wide: Central Auckland, North Shore, Rodney and Waitākere, and further for the right job.
Free quote, no obligation
Send a photo of your board and your suburb and we'll come back with a straight answer and a fixed price. Most enquiries are answered the same day, usually within a couple of hours.
- Phone021 070 7379
- WhatsAppContact via WhatsApp
- Service areaAuckland-wide · based in Northcross, North Shore
- HoursOpen 7 days, 7am–6pm
- CredentialsEWRB #119850 · Licence EE 069268 · Site Safe · NZBN verified