How to Quote an Electrical Job in NZ — Points, Circuits, the Switchboard Line, and What AS/NZS 3000 Makes You Own

Steve Parker
Jun 10
5 min read

Updated: Jul 9

Electrical quotes in NZ leak margin in three places: points counted off the plan while the circuits behind them grow, the switchboard priced as a lump while the ways run out, and the mains/fire-stopping scope nobody claimed. Here is the quoting sequence that closes all three.

By Steve Parker · Trueworks · NZ construction estimation · 5 min

What you'll learn in this post

The takeoff structure: points, circuits, runs, and the board — separately
The three scope lines that produce most electrical back-charges
The exclusions and assumptions a defensible sparky quote carries

Quick answer: A defensible NZ electrical quote prices four layers separately: points (outlets, switches, lights, data — counted per room off the current revision), circuits (grouped per AS/NZS 3000 with RCD protection requirements), cable runs (by route length and type — TPS, neutral-screened, submains), and the switchboard (by ways, not as a lump — with spare-way and surge-protection lines stated). Three scopes produce most disputes and belong named on every quote: the mains and service capacity (an upgrade is its own job — exclude or price it), fire-stopping of penetrations through rated elements (C/AS2 — count them, name who supplies the system), and the certification chain (CoC, ROI, and who attends inspections). Wastage on cable: ~10% on cut runs.

Step 1 — count points, then build circuits

Points are the visible takeoff: power outlets, switches, light points, data, TV, external, smoke alarms (interconnected per F7), heated-towel and dedicated appliance points — counted per room, against the named drawing revision.

Circuits are where AS/NZS 3000 sets the real structure: socket circuits with RCD protection, dedicated circuits for ovens, hobs, HWC, heat pumps, EV charging where shown — each with its breaker way and its cable run. The quote that prices points without building the circuit schedule under-counts the board and the runs every time.

Cable runs price by route, not by straight line: ceiling-void routes, vertical drops, subfloor access, and the long submain to a detached garage are metres and labour the plan view hides. Add ~10% cable wastage on cut runs.

Step 2 — the switchboard, by ways

"Supply and install switchboard" as one line is how the margin leaks. Price it by structure:

Ways required by the circuit schedule, plus stated spare ways
RCD/RCBO count per AS/NZS 3000 requirements
Main switch rating against the assessed maximum demand
Surge protection if specified (or excluded by name)
Meter-board interface work — and whether the network company's requirements are in or out

On renovations, the existing board is the trap: if the circuit additions push past its capacity, the board replacement is a four-figure item. Assess it at site visit and price or exclude it in writing.

Step 3 — the three scope lines that produce back-charges

1. Mains and service capacity. A villa renovation adding a heat pump, induction hob, and EV charger can exceed the existing 63 A single-phase supply. The upgrade — new mains, possibly network-company work and trenching — is its own scope. The quote line: "Priced to existing supply capacity; mains or service upgrade excluded / priced separately at $X."

2. Fire-stopping penetrations. Every cable penetration through a fire-rated element (intertenancy walls, rated floors in multi-unit and mixed-use work) needs a tested fire-stopping system under C/AS2, with documentation for the PS3 chain. Count the penetrations, name the system, and name who supplies and certifies it — the sparky who drills the hole owns the question by default.

3. Certification and inspection attendance. The CoC and ROI are yours; inspection attendance, re-visits caused by other trades, and producer-statement support on commercial work are time. Name what is included (one rough-in inspection, one final) and what re-attendance costs.

Step 4 — exclusions, assumptions, validity

The defensible electrical quote carries:

The drawing revision priced, by name
Supply-capacity assumption and the mains-upgrade exclusion
Fire-stopping counted and allocated (or excluded)
Wall/ceiling access assumption on renovations — "open access at rough-in" vs cutting and patching excluded
Other-trade damage re-tests excluded
30-60 day validity with re-pricing line — switchgear and cable pricing both move

FAQ — quoting electrical jobs in NZ

Q1: Should electrical work be quoted per point? Per-point rates work as an internal benchmark on cookie-cutter new builds. On renovations and anything with long runs, dedicated circuits, or board work, the per-point shortcut under-prices the circuits and the board — build the circuit schedule.

Q2: Who pays for the switchboard upgrade on a renovation? Whoever the quote says. If the new load needs board capacity that does not exist and the quote is silent, the argument starts at install. Assess at the site visit; price it or exclude it by name.

Q3: What does AS/NZS 3000 mean for the quote itself? It sets the installation standard you will be held to — RCD coverage, circuit segregation, clearances. Citing it on the quote ("installed to AS/NZS 3000") fixes the standard you priced, which protects you when someone asks for outcomes the standard does not require.

Q4: Who owns fire-stopping where cables penetrate rated walls? By default, the trade that made the penetration — which is why it must be counted and priced or excluded. On multi-unit work the head contractor often packages it; get that in writing before pricing it at zero.

Q5: What validity period for an electrical quote? 30-60 days. Cable and switchgear pricing move with copper and supply conditions; a stated re-pricing mechanism beats honouring stale numbers.

Get your next electrical tender measured properly

Drawings + the tender documents + 5 business days = a point count, circuit schedule, board structure, and run estimate with the risk lines flagged and your exclusions drafted.

No charge for your first packet. No commitment. NDA available. Files NZ-hosted, deleted after 30 days unless you ask us to retain them.

→ Get the free check at trueworks.co.nz/contact — or email hello@trueworks.co.nz

About Trueworks

Trueworks is built by Steve Parker — 20 years on the analytical side of NZ construction. Variation reviews, contract advisory, programme review, and AI-augmented document workflows. Trueworks is the productisation of that practice for builders: same defensible analysis, at a price and pace a NZ builder can actually use.

Every report is checked and signed off by me personally before it goes out. If you have an electrical tender closing, the easiest way to find out if Trueworks is useful is to send the drawings.

hello@trueworks.co.nz · trueworks.co.nz

Got a quote, tender or variation on your desk? Get it checked — written, code-cited, back within 24 hours. First check free. Send us the drawings and the quote, tender or variation. You get a written, code-cited check back within 24 hours. No charge for your first check. No card, no obligation. NDA available. → Get the free check at trueworks.co.nz/contact — or email hello@trueworks.co.nz