In this guide
In Victoria you cannot legally carry out your own fixed electrical work — including things people assume are fine, like replacing a light fitting or a power point.
It does not matter how competent you are, whether it is your own home, or whether you turn the power off first. Electrical work must be done by a licensed electrician who issues a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
This surprises people, particularly anyone who has lived in New Zealand or the UK where some limited homeowner work is permitted. Victoria is strict, and the reasoning is straightforward: the failure mode is somebody dying, often not the person who did the work.
What you actually can do
The line falls between fixed wiring and plug-in equipment. Anything that plugs into a socket is yours to deal with. Anything wired into the installation is not.
- Yes: change a light globe or a fluorescent tube.
- Yes: plug in, unplug and use appliances, extension leads and power boards.
- Yes: reset a tripped circuit breaker or safety switch — though not repeatedly if it keeps tripping.
- Yes: press the TEST button on your safety switch. You should, every three months.
- Yes: replace a plug-in appliance entirely.
What you cannot do
- No: replace a light fitting, even a like-for-like swap. This is the one that catches almost everyone.
- No: replace or add a power point or light switch.
- No: install a ceiling fan, rangehood, oven or cooktop that is hard-wired.
- No: run any new cable, extend a circuit, or move a point.
- No: touch anything in the switchboard beyond resetting a breaker.
- No: wire a shed, garage, granny flat or pool equipment.
- No: replace ceramic fuse wire in an old board. People do it. It is not legal, and it is a good indication the board needs replacing.
The rule is not about difficulty. Replacing a light fitting is technically easy, which is exactly why it is the most common illegal DIY job in the state and why it turns up so often in the roof spaces we work in.
Why it matters beyond the law
Your insurance
This is the consequence that actually bites. If there is a fire or an incident and the investigation finds unlicensed electrical work, your insurer may decline the claim. Not because of the fine — because the work was not certified and the policy assumed it was.
That applies even if the DIY work was not the cause. It also applies if a previous owner did it, which is why undocumented work turns up as a problem at the worst possible time.
Selling the property
Undocumented electrical work surfaces during conveyancing and pre-sale inspections. At best it is a delay and a negotiation. At worst you are rectifying work you did not do, at your cost, under time pressure.
The actual risk
The failure modes are not dramatic. A loose connection heats up slowly inside a wall for months. An earth left off a metal fitting does nothing at all until the day something goes wrong. Neither announces itself, and both are found by the next electrician rather than by the person who created them.
The Certificate of Electrical Safety
Every piece of electrical work in Victoria should produce a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES). For most jobs the electrician issues it. For prescribed work — rewiring, a new switchboard, a new installation — it must also be independently inspected by a Licensed Electrical Inspector before the certificate is issued.
Ask for it. Keep it. If a tradesperson is vague about providing one, that tells you something useful about the rest of the job.
How to check someone is licensed
- Ask for their REC number (a registered electrical contractor) or licence number. Ours is REC-10383.
- You can verify registration through Energy Safe Victoria, the state's electrical safety regulator.
- Confirm before work starts that you will receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
- Be wary of cash-only quotes with no paperwork. The saving is not a saving.
Already had DIY work done?
It is a very common situation, particularly in older rental stock and homes that have changed hands a few times. The practical answer is to have it assessed rather than ignored.
A licensed electrician can inspect existing undocumented work, tell you plainly what is genuinely unsafe versus merely uncertified, and make it compliant. That is a far better position than discovering it during a sale or a claim. We do this regularly — see house rewiring in Footscray, where undocumented work is especially common.
Get it assessed before you finalise a renovation budget rather than after. Undocumented circuits, missing earths and perished cable are all much better known in advance.
Common questions
Can I legally replace a light fitting myself in Victoria?
No. Replacing a light fitting is fixed electrical work and must be done by a licensed electrician, even for a like-for-like swap in your own home. Changing a globe is fine; changing the fitting is not.
Can I install my own power point?
No. Installing, replacing or moving a power point is fixed electrical work and requires a licensed electrician who issues a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
What happens if I do my own electrical work?
Beyond the legal penalties, the practical consequences are that your insurer may decline a claim if uncertified work is found after an incident, and the work will surface during conveyancing when you sell. Both are more expensive than having it done properly.
What is a Certificate of Electrical Safety?
The document your electrician issues certifying that the work complies. For prescribed work such as rewiring or a new switchboard, it also requires independent inspection by a Licensed Electrical Inspector. Always ask for it and keep it.
A previous owner did unlicensed work on my house. What should I do?
Have it assessed by a licensed electrician. They can tell you what is genuinely unsafe versus merely uncertified and make it compliant. It is far better dealt with now than discovered during a sale or an insurance claim.
Can I wire my own shed or granny flat?
No. Any fixed wiring, including submains to outbuildings, must be done by a licensed electrician. Owner-wired sheds are one of the most common genuinely dangerous things we find, particularly on larger blocks.
Written by the team at Litmec Electrical, licensed electrical contractor REC-10383, trading in Melbourne since 2007. Last reviewed 12 August 2026. General guidance only — every property is different, and our quotes are free.