Test and tag, and electrical maintenance
Scheduled testing, asset registers and reporting for Hills businesses, sites and strata common property.
What test and tag actually covers
Testing and tagging is the inspection and electrical testing of portable equipment — anything with a plug. It confirms the appliance is electrically safe, and the tag records who tested it, when, and when it's next due.
It applies to workplaces, and the intervals depend on the environment rather than the equipment. The principle is that harsher environments damage leads and appliances faster:
- Construction sites — every three months. Leads get run over, dragged and wet.
- Factories, workshops, commercial kitchens — typically every six to twelve months, depending on how hostile the environment is.
- Offices and low-risk environments — commonly every five years for equipment that isn't moved, with more frequent testing for anything portable.
- Hire equipment — before each hire.
- RCDs have their own testing regime, including push-button tests and periodic trip-time testing with an instrument.
If someone quotes you a single interval without asking what your site is like, they're guessing.
Strata and common property
Strata common property has its own rhythm: lighting in car parks and hallways, emergency and exit lighting, common area power, RCD testing at the common board, and the intercom or access system.
The practical difficulty in strata is rarely technical. It's that nobody owns the problem until something fails, and then it's urgent. Working to a schedule with the strata manager — one visit covering common area testing, lighting replacement and anything outstanding — costs less than a series of emergency callouts and produces a paper trail the committee can actually see.
We can deal directly with the strata manager, quote against a scope, and report per building.
What testing and maintenance costs
Sydney, 2026. Per-item rates drop substantially with volume — the callout dominates small jobs.
| The job | Price |
|---|---|
| Test and tag, per itemVolume dependent. Small sites pay more per item because attendance dominates | $3 – $8 each |
| Minimum site attendanceCovers travel and setup for smaller sites | $180 – $350 |
| RCD trip-time testing at the boardInstrument testing, results recorded per device | $15 – $35 per RCD |
| Emergency and exit light testingSix-monthly and annual discharge testing, per fitting | $12 – $30 each |
| Scheduled maintenance agreementPlanned visits, asset register maintained, reporting per site | quoted per site |
These are indicative market ranges for Sydney in 2026, not a quote. What you pay depends on your switchboard, access and what we find. We confirm a fixed price before starting, and it doesn't move.
How we run a maintenance schedule
Site assessment
We walk the site, count assets and work out what intervals actually apply to your environment.
Asset register
Everything recorded, so you know what you have and when each item is next due.
Scheduled visits
Booked in advance around your operations rather than dropped on you.
Reporting
A report per visit — what passed, what failed, what was removed from service and why.
Test and tag questions
How often does equipment need testing?
It depends on the environment, not the equipment. Construction sites are every three months; workshops and commercial kitchens typically six to twelve; low-risk offices commonly five years for fixed equipment. We'll assess your site rather than apply a blanket interval.
Is test and tag a legal requirement?
Workplaces have a duty to ensure electrical equipment is safe. Testing and tagging is the standard, documented way of discharging that duty, and in some industries and sites it is specifically required.
Do I need it for a home office?
Not for your own home. The obligations attach to workplaces. If you have employees attending, that changes the picture.
How much does test and tag cost?
Typically $3–$8 per item, dropping with volume, plus a minimum attendance of $180–$350 for smaller sites. A large site is far cheaper per item than a small one, because attendance is the fixed cost.
Can you work outside business hours?
For most commercial and strata work, yes — it's often less disruptive. Tell us your constraints and we'll schedule around them.
What happens if something fails?
It's tagged out of service and removed from use, and it goes in the report with the reason. Where a repair is sensible we'll quote it; where it isn't, we'll say so rather than charge you to fix a $40 lead.
What customers say
Jason solved a really complex problem for our house with excellent professionalism and workmanship. Highly recommend, would def work with him again. On time delivery and within budget.
Reliable and quality service.
Excellent value and service, including follow-up.
These are Google reviews for our team at Cync Electrical & Automation — the licensed contractor behind Hills Electrician. 5.0 from 20 reviews. — see the profile
Running a site, a business or a strata building?
We'll assess it and quote against a real scope. Call 0422 253 379.
Request a site assessment