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Do I need an electrician to move a power point during a renovation?

The short answer

Yes. Relocating a power point means altering fixed wiring, which is licensed work regardless of how short the move is, and it requires a compliance certificate like any other alteration.

TradieAnswers editorial · written in-house and sourced to the authorities listed below

Checked against 4 published sources, listed in full at the end of this page. How we source this

There is no distance threshold. Whether the outlet moves thirty centimetres or three metres, the work involves disconnecting and reconnecting fixed cabling, and that is licensed everywhere in Australia.12

Sequencing it properly in a renovation

The cheapest version of this job happens when the wall is already open. Electricians price rough-in work, done before plastering, very differently from work in a finished wall where every cable has to be fished and every hole made good afterwards. If a kitchen or bathroom is being stripped, get the electrical layout decided before the trades arrive rather than during.

Decide these before rough-in

  • Where appliances will actually sit, including the microwave, the fridge and anything built in.
  • Whether you want extra outlets while the wall is open, since the marginal cost then is small.
  • Data and television outlets, which need a registered cabler and are far cheaper done at the same time.
  • Switch positions, which are easy to get wrong on paper and obvious once you live there.

Sources

Every source below was fetched and its response recorded on the date shown. Where a government site blocks automated clients, that is noted rather than reported as a successful check.

  1. Electricians · NSW GovernmentChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  2. Search a public register · Energy Safe VictoriaChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  3. Standards Australia · Standards AustraliaChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  4. Australian Communications and Media Authority · Australian Communications and Media AuthorityChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK

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