How much does it cost to put power lines underground?
For your own property's service line, indicative cable cost is $80–$180 per metre, with a full private job typically $3,000–$12,000+. That's a different thing from a council street-wide undergrounding scheme — this guide is about your own connection.
Undergrounding your service line: cost
Sydney, 2026. For your own property's connection, not a council street scheme.
| The job | Price |
|---|---|
| Underground cable, supply and installPer metre, depending on cable size and ground conditions | $80 – $180 / m |
| Full private service-line jobTrenching, conduit, new underground run, reconnection at the point of attachment | $3,000 – $12,000+ |
| Difficult access or long runsDriveways, established gardens, rock, longer distances | $12,000+ |
These are indicative market ranges for Sydney in 2026, not a quote. What you pay depends on distance, ground conditions, access and what the ASP finds on inspection. This is Level 2 ASP (Accredited Service Provider) work.
Your service line, not a council scheme
It's worth being clear about the distinction up front. A council or network-led undergrounding scheme converts an entire street's overhead network to underground, is planned and funded at council or network level, typically over years, and isn't something one homeowner can initiate. This guide is about the other thing: putting your own property's private service line underground — the run from the street connection or point of attachment to your meter — as a job you commission yourself, independent of whether the street ever gets a wider scheme.
Why North Shore homeowners do this
Reducing storm-outage risk. An overhead service line running through established tree canopy — common in Lindfield, Killara, Roseville Chase and similar Upper North Shore streets — is exposed to branch strikes every time there's a serious wind event. Taking your own line underground removes that specific point of failure, even though it doesn't change the shared network upstream.
Avoiding recurring Ausgrid defect notices. Ageing overhead consumer mains attract defect notices that then have to be actioned on a deadline, sometimes repeatedly as the same line continues to degrade. Undergrounding it once resolves the recurring notice rather than patching the same overhead run again.
Heritage and streetscape reasons. In heritage conservation areas across the North Shore's older suburbs, removing an overhead line crossing a period streetscape is sometimes done for appearance and heritage character as much as reliability — particularly where council or a heritage panel has taken an interest in visible services.
What the job actually involves
Undergrounding a private service line is Level 2 ASP work — it involves the network connection, not just your own wiring, so it needs specific accreditation beyond a standard electrical licence. A typical job includes: trenching from the connection point to the house (or to a new pillar/pit if distance requires one), laying conduit and the new underground cable, terminating and testing, then decommissioning the old overhead run and its point of attachment. Expect a scheduled supply interruption while the changeover happens, coordinated with the network.
Undergrounding power lines questions
How much does it cost to put power lines underground?
For your own property's service line: indicative cable cost is $80–$180 per metre, with a full job typically $3,000–$12,000+ depending on distance, access and ground conditions. This is separate from a council street-wide undergrounding scheme, which is a much larger, publicly planned project.
Can I put just my own house's line underground without the street changing?
Yes. This is exactly what most private undergrounding jobs are — your service line from the connection point to your meter, done independently of whether the wider street network is ever converted.
Why would I underground my line instead of just repairing it?
If your overhead line keeps attracting Ausgrid defect notices, or keeps getting damaged by falling branches through tree canopy, repairing the same overhead run again just resets the clock on the next fault. Undergrounding it removes that failure mode.
Is undergrounding a standard electrical job?
No — it's Level 2 ASP work because it involves the network connection. We coordinate this with an accredited Level 2 provider as part of the project.
Does undergrounding my line protect me from a whole-street outage?
No. It removes your own line as a point of failure, but the shared network feeding your street is unchanged. It's most effective against faults on your own service line specifically — which, on properties with overhead lines through heavy canopy, is a meaningful share of outages.
What customers say
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Tired of patching the same overhead line?
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