Asbestos Switchboard Replacement across Melbourne
Safe removal and replacement of asbestos-backed switchboards — Zelemite, Ausbestos and Miscolite panels — with a modern RCD-protected board.
Litmec specialises in project electrical work — switchboard and supply upgrades, three-phase conversions, full and partial rewiring, renovation and extension rough-ins, and commercial and industrial fitout. Smaller jobs are taken on as part of a larger scope or for established clients.
What the work involves
The panel behind the switchgear is the whole job. Zelemite, Ausbestos and Miscolite are asbestos-containing boards used widely from the 1950s into the 1980s, and while they are stable if left alone, drilling, cutting or even unscrewing switchgear off them releases fibres. The board is de-energised, the switchgear is removed, the panel is removed and disposed of under the licensed process it requires, and a modern enclosure goes back in with a circuit breaker and an RCD on every circuit. In most cases the mains and the main earth are replaced at the same time, because a board of that age usually sits on cable of the same age.
What usually brings it forward
The triggers we see most often are:
- a black or dark-brown backing panel behind the fuses or breakers
- an electrician declining to work on the board until the panel is dealt with
- a building or pre-purchase inspection flagging the board
- a rental property being brought up to the Victorian safety-check standard
- any board work at all on a house wired or rewired between the 1950s and 1980s
Why it is worth doing properly
The reason not to leave it is that an asbestos panel does not stay untouched. Every future job — a new circuit, an EV charger, a solar inverter connection, even a failed breaker — means someone working on that panel. Most electricians will now decline to, which means the board effectively blocks any further work on the property until it is dealt with.
What to expect on the day
The panel removal is the part that sets the timeline. It is done under the controls the material requires, the waste is disposed of through the proper channel, and the area is left clean. Power is off while it happens. If the mains are being replaced at the same time — and on a board of that age they usually are — that extends the outage, so we agree a day that suits the household rather than dropping it on you.
What it costs
Priced per project after inspection. The variable is not the board itself but what sits behind it: the condition of the panel, whether the mains and main earth have to be replaced at the same time, and the licensed removal and disposal the panel requires.
Quotes are free, fixed-price and given after a site inspection. What is quoted is what is paid, and a Certificate of Electrical Safety is issued on completion.
Where we do this work
Litmec is based in Newport in Melbourne's inner west and travels for project work — across Greater Melbourne and out to roughly 100 km where the scope justifies the trip. Switchboard and supply upgrades, three-phase conversions, rewiring, renovation rough-ins and commercial fitout are quoted anywhere in that radius. The regions we publish suburb pages for are the bayside, east, inner east, inner north, inner north-west, inner south, inner west, west. Suburb pages for this service: Toorak, Armadale, South Yarra, Hampton, Sandringham, Black Rock, Essendon, Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds, Richmond, Fitzroy, Carlton, Kew, Hawthorn, Camberwell, Malvern, Balwyn, Box Hill, Doncaster, Glen Waverley, West Footscray, Newport, Williamstown, Yarraville, Spotswood, Altona, Footscray, Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Brighton, Altona North, Sunshine, Laverton.
If you are not sure whether the panel behind your board is asbestos, send us a photograph of the open board before touching anything and we will tell you what we are looking at. Call 0418 583 097 to talk it through.
Free Quote in Melbourne
No obligation. We'll come out, look at it properly, and give you a straight answer.
Request a Quote →Common questions
How do I know if my switchboard panel contains asbestos?
The tell is a black or dark-brown backing panel behind the switchgear — Zelemite, Ausbestos and Miscolite were used widely from the 1950s into the 1980s. Do not poke at it. Photograph the open board and send it through and we will tell you what we are looking at.
Is it dangerous to leave alone?
Left completely undisturbed it is stable. The problem is that it does not get left undisturbed — every future circuit, EV charger, solar connection or failed breaker means someone working on that panel, and most electricians will now decline to.
Do you handle the asbestos removal on a Melbourne job, or do I arrange it separately?
It is handled as part of the job. The panel is removed and disposed of through the proper licensed channel, and the area is left clean.
Do you work in Melbourne?
Yes. Melbourne VIC 3000 is inside our regular service area — we are based in Newport and cover Greater Melbourne and travel out to roughly 100 km from Newport for project work. There is no travel surcharge for Melbourne.
Are you licensed?
Yes. Litmec Electrical is a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC-10383, Energy Safe Victoria), trading since 2007. A Certificate of Electrical Safety is issued on every completed job.
Is the quote fixed?
Yes. Quotes are free, given after a site inspection, and fixed — what is quoted is what is paid. Variations only happen if you change the scope.