Pre-purchase electrical inspection in WA: what it covers and what it costs

Published 23 October 2026

Pre-purchase electrical inspection cost

Electrical inspection report and extras

Prices as published, checked 23 October 2026. The business's page carries a 2020 copyright date, so ask for a current price. It was the only WA electrical inspection business we found publishing its own itemised prices, and none in the South West publishes one.

Building inspection packages that include some electrical items

A building inspector's published packages, checked 23 October 2026; the page doesn't say whether GST is included. The inspector notes that it isn't a licensed electrician and doesn't check whether items are correctly wired.

Electrical Inspections WA says it can supply an estimate to fix any defective items on request, which buyers can use in settlement negotiations.

Do you need an electrical inspection to buy a house in WA?

No. Consumer Protection WA says buyers can ask for property and pest inspections as a special condition in the contract, and that you're responsible for hiring and paying the inspector. An electrical inspection works the same way: add it to the contract's conditions, and book it early enough to get the report before the deadline.

What the law does require is on the seller's side: at least two RCD safety switches protecting all power and lighting circuits, and working mains-powered smoke alarms no more than 10 years old, before the title is transferred. If the seller doesn't install the RCDs, the buyer must install them within two months of settlement and can recover the reasonable cost from the seller. The details are in WA smoke alarm and RCD rules when you sell or rent.

Building inspection or electrical inspection?

WA's licensing regulations define electrical work to include assessing an electrical installation to make sure it complies with the regulations, and electrical work needs a licence. So a compliance assessment of a home's wiring is a job for a licensed electrical worker (or, under regulation 19(2)(n), a qualified electrical engineer). A building inspector's report isn't an electrical compliance assessment. We found no Building and Energy guidance on how this applies to a building inspector's visual checks.

Building inspectors' electrical checks vary. One Perth Hills building inspector's packages, InspectionSmith's, list smoke alarm and RCD compliance in the basic inspection and add whether power points, lights and fans work in the standard one; it says it isn't a licensed electrician and doesn't check whether items are correctly wired. Ask any inspector exactly what their report covers.

What a pre-purchase electrical inspection covers

Inspections differ between contractors, so ask for the scope in writing. Electrical Inspections WA's standard report covers:

• The switchboard and its safety switches (RCDs)
• Indoor fittings: switches, lights, power points and fans
• Outdoor fittings: switches, lights, power points and fans
• Fixed appliances: oven, hotplate, hot water system, rangehood and garage motor

It prices pumps, saunas, granny flats, sheds, air conditioners and solar systems as extras, and says the result is a detailed report of test results and findings. If the home is older, ask whether the roof space wiring is included, since several of the problems below are found there.

Common findings in older homes

Old cable joints in the roof space

Building and Energy says that in the 1970s and early 80s, cable joints in ceiling spaces were often wrapped only in insulating tape, which dries out and falls away, leaving exposed cable ends. Where a home has accessible unenclosed joints, it says the owner must have them fixed by a licensed electrical contractor, by fitting approved enclosures.

Deteriorated wiring

Building and Energy lists deteriorated electrical cabling, often in older buildings, among roof space hazards, and the WA Electrical Requirements name degraded wiring insulation as a defect that makes an installation unsafe. The WA Electrical Requirements also say an RCD alone isn't an acceptable fix for these defects.

A switchboard panel that may contain asbestos

Building and Energy says older homes often have switchboard panels made from asbestos-containing material, and WorkSafe WA lists switchboards and meters among the places asbestos is found. WorkSafe says a NATA-accredited laboratory can test the material to confirm it. An electrician replacing such a panel must follow asbestos safety rules.

Ceramic fuses and no safety switches

If the board still has rewireable ceramic fuses, see ceramic fuses and old fuse boxes and the switchboard upgrade cost guide for what replacing one involves.

If the electrician finds a defect that makes the installation unsafe, regulation 62 requires it to be reported to the owner or occupier and to Western Power. Before settlement, by our reading, the owner is the seller, so a serious defect may be reported to them even though you paid for the inspection.

Do you get an Electrical Safety Certificate after an inspection?

Not necessarily. The certificate is required for installing work, and an inspection on its own doesn't install anything. Building and Energy's eNotice system does have an "Inspection Only" certificate type that records smoke alarm and RCD details and any defects, so some contractors issue one, but it isn't the same as a written inspection report. See the Electrical Safety Certificate in WA.

Common questions