What happened, in short
- Building Commission NSW has issued Advisory Note 2/2026 on when a certificate of compliance for electrical work (CCEW) must be submitted.
- A CCEW must be submitted through the eCert portal (or an approved API) no later than 7 days after completing the work, including the safety and compliance test.
- A CCEW is required for any electrical work that involves installing, repairing, adding or altering electrical equipment in an installation.
- That includes like-for-like replacement of equipment such as water heaters, ovens, cooktops and electrical accessories.
- An installation must not be energised until a safety and compliance test has established its safe operation and compliance with the Wiring Rules.
Building Commission NSW has issued a new advisory note for electricians clarifying when a certificate of compliance for electrical work, or CCEW, must be submitted. The short answer: for almost every job that touches an electrical installation, including like-for-like replacements that many in the industry have treated as exempt.
Advisory Note 2/2026, issued in August and updated on 1 September, was published by the Commission’s Electrical Compliance Team in response to questions from licensed electricians. It matters to builders as well as electricians, because builders coordinate electrical work on their jobs and hand the paperwork over to clients and certifiers.
What the advisory note says
According to the note:
- Licensed electricians must submit a CCEW using the Building Commission NSW eCert portal, or an approved API, no later than 7 days after completing the work, including the safety and compliance test.
- A CCEW must be submitted for any type of electrical work that involves installing, repairing, adding or altering electrical equipment to an electrical installation.
- This includes like-for-like replacement of electrical equipment, with the note giving examples such as water heaters, ovens, stove tops and electrical accessories.
The note points to the definitions of electrical installation work and electrical wiring work in the Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act, which cover installing, repairing, altering, removing or adding to an electrical installation, or supervising that work.
Does this job need a CCEW?
| Work | CCEW required? |
|---|---|
| New circuits and power points in an extension | Yes |
| Replacing an electric hot water system with a new one | Yes, including like-for-like |
| Swapping an oven or cooktop for a similar model | Yes, including like-for-like |
| Replacing a power point or light switch | Yes: electrical accessories are covered |
| Repairing a fault in an installation | Yes: repair work is covered |
Testing before energising
The note also restates the testing requirements in the Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Regulation. An electrical installation, or part of one, must not be energised unless its safe operation and compliance with the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules have been established by a safety and compliance test. The test must be carried out by a qualified person after the work is completed, and must verify matters including continuity of the earthing system, insulation resistance, polarity and circuit connections, and include inspection of switchboards and other equipment required by the Wiring Rules.
What the safety and compliance test must verify (examples from the Regulation)
- Continuity of the earthing system.
- Insulation resistance.
- Polarity.
- Correct circuit connections.
- Inspection of switchboards and other equipment required by the Wiring Rules.
Source: Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Regulation, as summarised in Advisory Note 2/2026.
Why it matters to builders
Renovations and appliance swaps
Renovation builders regularly coordinate small electrical jobs: a new oven and cooktop in a kitchen refresh, a replacement hot water system, extra power points, swapping light switches for new ones. The advisory note makes clear these are not exempt because they are small or like-for-like. Each needs testing and a CCEW. Builders should make sure their electricians are lodging them.
Electrification
With more homes replacing gas appliances with heat pumps and induction cooktops, and adding batteries and EV chargers, electrical work in renovations is increasing. Replacing an electric storage water heater with a heat pump, or an electric cooktop with an induction cooktop, is electrical work that needs a CCEW.
Handover and records
CCEWs are part of the documentation a certifier may require for a final inspection and part of the records a client should receive at handover. They are also evidence if a question arises later about the safety of the electrical work. Builders should collect a copy for every piece of electrical work and file it with the job.
What builders should do
- 1Ask for every CCEWMake CCEW copies a condition of payment for electrical work, including small swaps.
- 2Check the timingCCEWs must be lodged within 7 days of completing the work and testing.
- 3File with the jobKeep CCEWs with the job records for the certifier, the client and future claims.
- 4Include in handoverGive the client copies for all electrical work, including appliance replacements.
Make it a payment condition. A simple rule, no final payment for electrical work until the CCEW copy is received, ensures builders get the paperwork and electricians lodge on time.
Why like-for-like still needs testing
The logic behind the rule is straightforward. Replacing an appliance, even with an identical model, involves disconnecting and reconnecting an electrical installation. Connections can be made incorrectly, earths can be left disconnected, and existing wiring may be damaged or unsuitable for the new equipment. A new hot water system may draw more current than the one it replaces. The safety and compliance test is what confirms the work is safe before it is energised, and the CCEW is the record that it was done.
Many of the most dangerous electrical faults found in homes are in older installations that have been altered over the years without proper testing. A consistent rule, that every piece of installation work is tested and certified, closes that gap.
A worked example: the kitchen refresh
A renovation builder is refreshing a kitchen: new benchtops, a new oven and induction cooktop in the same positions as the old ones, two additional double power points above the bench, and a new rangehood. The builder’s electrician treats the new power points as needing a CCEW, but initially thinks the oven and cooktop swap does not, because they are going into the same places.
Under the advisory note, the whole job needs to be tested and certified: the new circuits and outlets, the oven and cooktop connections, and the rangehood. The induction cooktop may also need a different circuit rating from the old electric cooktop, which is exactly the kind of issue testing and proper design catch. The electrician lodges the CCEW within 7 days of completing and testing the work, and the builder gives the client a copy with the handover documents.
What clients should know
Homeowners often buy appliances themselves and ask a builder or electrician to “just plug them in”. Hardwired appliances such as ovens, cooktops and hot water systems are electrical installation work, not a plug-in job. Explaining that the connection needs a licensed electrician, testing and a certificate, and that the certificate protects the owner, avoids awkward conversations on site.
A broader push on compliance
The advisory note is part of a wider focus by Building Commission NSW on compliance across trades, alongside regional inspection blitzes, new licensing powers passed in August, and national police checks for many new licence applications. The Commission has said the note responds to enquiries from electricians since the introduction of its eCert portal, which moved CCEW lodgement online.
The note also references the Crimes Act 1900, a reminder that providing false or misleading documents, such as a certificate for work that was not tested, is a serious matter.
What electricians and builders should do now
- Electricians: treat every installation, repair, addition or alteration, including like-for-like swaps, as requiring testing and a CCEW lodged within 7 days.
- Builders: ask for CCEW copies for all electrical work on your jobs, including small renovation items, and keep them with the job file.
- Both: never energise work before it has been tested.
What to watch
- Further advisory notes from Building Commission NSW’s compliance teams, which are being used to answer common industry questions.
- Audits of CCEW lodgement, which the online eCert system makes easier for the regulator.
Questions builders ask
Do like-for-like electrical replacements need a CCEW in NSW?
Yes. Building Commission NSW Advisory Note 2/2026 says a CCEW is required for installing, repairing, adding or altering electrical equipment, including like-for-like replacement of items such as water heaters, ovens, cooktops and electrical accessories.
When must a CCEW be lodged?
No later than 7 days after completing the work, including the safety and compliance test, through the Building Commission NSW eCert portal or an approved API.
Can electrical work be energised before testing?
No. An installation must not be energised unless its safe operation and compliance with the Wiring Rules have been established by a safety and compliance test.
Why should builders collect CCEWs?
They are part of the documentation for final inspections and handover, and evidence of the safety of electrical work if questions arise later.
Sources
- New advisory note for electricians: requirements for CCEW · Building Commission NSW · 2026-09-02
Published 2 September 2026. General information for builders, not legal, financial or engineering advice for a specific job. Check current requirements with the relevant regulator or standard before relying on them.
