Perth site supply planning · Electrical contractor EC14280
Consumer Poles & Site Main Switchboards in Perth
Replacing a defective private power pole, subdividing a property or changing how electricity reaches a home, rear lot, workshop or commercial site?
Neighbourhood Electrical & Air assesses the complete supply arrangement before equipment is ordered or civil work begins. Depending on the project, that can include the consumer pole, point of supply, metering, site main switchboard, consumer mains, submains, downstream switchboards and work that needs to be coordinated with Western Power or other contractors.
The goal is to establish a practical supply arrangement, define who is responsible for each part and identify any outside approvals or attendances before they affect construction.
Electrical Contractor EC14280 · Malaga-based · Servicing Perth · Homes, subdivisions and businesses
Find the right first step
Start with what is happening at your property
Western Power has contacted me about a defective pole
Send us a copy or clear photo of the notice, its required completion date and safe-to-take photos showing the pole, its base and the overhead connection.
We can review the visible condition, identify what other information is needed and explain the likely next step.
My private power pole is leaning, rusting or damaged
Do not straighten, brace, climb or repair it yourself. Damage may extend below ground or affect fittings and wiring that cannot be safely assessed from appearance alone.
Arrange an assessment if the pole is leaning, moving, heavily corroded, cracked, rotten, termite-damaged or affected by a storm, fire, excavation or vehicle impact. Low wires, damaged stays or insulators, sparking, smoke, heat, buzzing or burning smells also require prompt attention.
I am subdividing or redeveloping
Have the electrical supply arrangement reviewed before finalising the electrical cabinet, driveway, retaining wall, crossover, gate or landscaping positions.
The point of supply, metering, site main switchboard, consumer mains and cable routes need to work with the approved development and the physical site. A position that looks suitable on an early concept plan can become impractical once civil, architectural and landscape details are fixed.
I need to change the property’s power supply
A renovation, demolition, rear dwelling, workshop, EV charger, larger air-conditioning system or conversion to three-phase power may affect more than the final circuit.
We assess whether the existing point of supply, consumer mains and main switchboard remain suitable for the proposed loads and final property arrangement.
Understand the arrangement
The pole and switchboard play different roles
What is a consumer pole?
A consumer pole, often called a private power pole, is installed on private property to support an overhead electricity supply.
The first private pole may support Western Power’s service cable. Additional owner-owned poles and private lines may then carry electricity farther across the property.
A consumer pole may be required when a building is too far from the network pole for a suitable direct connection, required cable clearances cannot be achieved, electricity needs to travel farther into the property, an existing pole is defective, or redevelopment requires a different supply route.
Consumer poles are generally customer-owned equipment. They are not the same as Western Power street poles, and the ownership boundary should be confirmed from the property’s actual connection arrangement rather than assumed from where a pole is located.
What is a site main switchboard?
A site main switchboard, or SMSB, is the main electrical distribution point for a site.
Unlike an ordinary household switchboard, an SMSB may receive the incoming supply and distribute electricity to several lots, buildings, tenancies or downstream switchboards.
It can be relevant to freehold or strata subdivisions, rear-lot developments, grouped dwellings, multi-tenancy commercial properties and sites containing several separate buildings.
Its position and design need to account for the point of supply, metering, protection, consumer mains, outgoing submains, access, weather exposure, vehicle movement and future electrical load.
The required arrangement depends on the development, number of supplies, electrical demand and applicable network requirements. Do not order a generic subdivision switchboard before the site arrangement has been established.
Plan the whole supply path
Consumer-pole and site-main project scope
Consumer-pole installation and replacement
Consumer-pole work can range from replacing one deteriorated pole in an otherwise unchanged installation to redesigning the private supply route.
Depending on the property, the work may involve:
- Assessing an existing pole and visible fittings.
- Reviewing a Western Power defect or replacement notice.
- Replacing a defective consumer pole.
- Installing a new consumer or intermediate pole.
- Checking pole position, cable spans and required clearances.
- Replacing unsuitable private overhead conductors.
- Altering mains connection equipment or supports.
- Replacing or rerouting consumer mains.
- Installing or altering an outdoor meter or switchboard enclosure.
- Coordinating isolation, disconnection and reconnection.
- Testing, labelling and completing applicable electrical documentation.
Excavation, vegetation work, structural supports and making good may need to be separated from the electrical scope and carried out by the appropriate contractor.
A visual inspection from a safe distance can reveal obvious deterioration, but it cannot establish the condition of concealed sections or confirm that a pole remains structurally sound.
Site main switchboards for subdivisions and multi-building properties
An SMSB should be planned around the completed development rather than positioned wherever space happens to remain.
Before the arrangement is finalised, we establish the number of lots, buildings or occupancies requiring power; the proposed metering arrangement; the point of supply; whether the connection is overhead or underground; expected electrical demand; consumer-main and submain routes; common-property areas; access constraints; and responsibilities for network, metering, civil and building work.
Western Power connection applications may also require supporting information such as a site plan, photographs, load details, planning information and a single-line diagram showing the proposed supply and metering arrangement.
Positioning the switchboard
The selected position needs to remain practical after construction is complete.
Important considerations include authorised access, weather and water exposure, vehicle movement, impact protection, driveways, gates, retaining walls, landscaping, underground services, cable corridors, finished ground levels, space for equipment and future loads, and access for later shutdowns or maintenance.
Reviewing these issues early can prevent electrical infrastructure from conflicting with later building or civil work.
Consumer mains, submains and electrical load
The pole or switchboard is only one part of the supply path.
Consumer mains carry electricity from the property’s point of supply to the main switchboard. Submains carry electricity from a site main switchboard to downstream boards, buildings or lots.
Cable size and route depend on matters including maximum demand, cable length, installation method, voltage drop, fault protection, single-phase or three-phase supply, ground conditions, mechanical protection and the number of downstream installations.
Major proposed loads should therefore be identified early. Ducted air conditioning, electric cooking, EV charging, pumps, workshops, commercial equipment, solar and batteries can influence the design.
Future capacity should be based on known or agreed future requirements rather than an assumption that the existing supply can be expanded indefinitely.
Who is responsible for each part of the electricity connection?
The exact ownership boundary depends on the individual connection, but a typical arrangement may include:
Western Power or the network operator: network poles, street-side distribution wiring, the network service cable, green domes or connection pillars, network electricity meters and meter fuses.
The property owner: consumer and other private poles, private overhead lines and fittings, the mains connection box used with an overhead supply, the meter enclosure, consumer mains, private underground cables and customer switchboards.
Because connection arrangements vary, ownership should be confirmed for the actual site before the work is scoped.
From enquiry to handover
How the service process works
Tell us the outcome you need
Send the property address, property type and a plain-language explanation of what is happening.
You do not need to identify the technical solution yourself.
For a defective pole, include the notice and its deadline. For a development, tell us the proposed number of lots, buildings or tenancies.
We review the available information
Good photographs and documents can help establish the next step before a site visit.
Straightforward replacement enquiries may sometimes be narrowed down from a defect notice and clear photographs. Supply changes, new site mains and subdivision projects will normally require a site assessment, supporting plans or further network information.
The supply arrangement is assessed
We consider the point of supply, pole or cabinet location, cable routes, metering, switchboard arrangement, electrical load, access and likely network involvement.
If an outside decision is still required, we identify that dependency instead of presenting an assumption as a confirmed design.
You receive a defined scope
The scope should make clear what is included in the electrical work and what is separate.
That may include equipment and cabling, Western Power or metering work, excavation and concrete, structural or builder work, vegetation management, removal and reinstatement, planned interruptions, testing, certificates and any assumptions still awaiting confirmation.
Applications, installation and handover are coordinated
Depending on the project, the next stage may involve electrical notices, a Western Power application, metering arrangements, a planned disconnection or attendance by another contractor.
External parties can affect the project program, so network work should not be assumed to occur on the electrician’s preferred construction date.
Once the required arrangements are in place, the agreed customer-side equipment is installed, connected and tested, with applicable labels, notices and electrical safety documentation completed.
Build an itemised budget
How much does a consumer pole or site main switchboard cost in Perth?
These projects cannot be priced accurately from the pole or cabinet alone.
A straightforward replacement of an accessible pole in an otherwise unchanged installation will generally involve fewer cost variables than work requiring new conductors, consumer mains, metering, switchboard changes, trenching or alteration of the network connection.
A site main switchboard for a subdivision or multi-building property is a designed project. Cost depends on the number of supplies, electrical capacity, metering, board construction, cable routes, civil work and network requirements.
For budgeting, separate the project into four areas:
- Electrical assessment, design and installation: site assessment, documentation, labour, testing and certification.
- Equipment and cabling: pole, supports, switchboard, enclosure, protective devices, consumer mains, submains, conduit and fittings.
- Network and metering costs: applications, design, disconnection, reconnection, meter changes and other external attendance where required.
- Civil and building work: excavation, boring, concrete, traffic management, structural supports, demolition, paving, landscaping and making good.
The largest price differences commonly come from whether the work is a direct replacement or new design; the condition of existing conductors and consumer mains; access; ground conditions; cable distance; number of lots and meters; switchboard capacity; single-phase or three-phase requirements; temporary or staged supply; network involvement; and reinstatement work.
A useful quote should state what is included, excluded and dependent on an outside party.
Request an itemised quoteCompare supply routes
Should the replacement stay overhead or go underground?
Replacing an ageing private overhead line can be an opportunity to consider an underground route.
Underground supply removes private overhead lines from exposure to wind, vegetation and contact with vehicles or machinery. It may also remove the need to maintain intermediate poles.
The trade-off is that excavation, service locating, conduit routes, paving, rock, retaining walls and network connection work can increase the initial cost.
Retaining an overhead arrangement may be practical where the route remains suitable, required clearances can be achieved, a suitable pole position is available and excavation would be unusually disruptive.
Undergrounding may be worth considering when several private poles are reaching the end of their serviceable life, vegetation repeatedly affects the route, buildings or machinery operate near conductors, the property is being substantially redeveloped or trenching can be coordinated with other civil work.
The final option still needs to be assessed against the actual site and network arrangement.
Licensed electrical work
WA electrical licensing, notices and compliance
Consumer poles, consumer mains and site main switchboards form part of the electrical installation and are not DIY work.
Electrical installing work in Western Australia must be carried out under the authority of the relevant electrical licences. Neighbourhood Electrical & Air publishes Electrical Contractor Licence EC14280.
Depending on the work, the electrical contractor may need to lodge electrical notices, complete testing and verification, provide an Electrical Safety Certificate for applicable work and coordinate with the network operator before energisation.
New or altered network connections may also need to satisfy current Western Power connection requirements. An increase in electrical load or change to the connection can require a network application rather than switchboard work alone.
Prepare your enquiry
What to send when requesting an assessment or quote
Sending useful information early makes it easier to identify the correct next step.
Where available, send:
- Property address and suburb.
- Your name and best contact number.
- Property or development type.
- A simple explanation of the outcome required.
- Any Western Power notice or correspondence, including its deadline.
- Wide and close photographs taken from a safe position.
- A photo of the closed meter and switchboard area.
- Site, survey, building or subdivision plans.
- Proposed number of lots, buildings or tenancies.
- Preferred pole, switchboard or cable positions.
- Known access restrictions.
- Major proposed electrical loads.
- Builder, surveyor or project-manager details where relevant.
Common project questions
Frequently asked questions
Can a defective consumer pole be repaired instead of replaced?
Sometimes. The answer depends on the pole material, the type and location of the damage and the requirements of any defect notice.
Minor work to fittings may be possible if the pole remains serviceable. A badly corroded, rotten, structurally weakened, incorrectly constructed or severely leaning pole may require replacement.
The decision should follow a professional assessment rather than a visual guess.
Can a consumer pole be relocated?
Potentially, but relocation is not simply moving the same pole sideways.
The new position has to work with the network service cable, property boundaries, buildings, overhead clearances, driveways, vegetation, cable routes and switchboard position.
Network involvement may also be required if the point of connection or network-side equipment changes.
Do I need a site main switchboard for every subdivision?
No single arrangement applies to every subdivision.
The appropriate design depends on the subdivision type, number of lots, point of supply, metering and approved network arrangement.
Confirm the required arrangement before purchasing the switchboard or committing surrounding construction.
How long does a consumer-pole replacement take?
The physical installation time and the overall project lead time are different.
Once everything is ready, installation may be relatively contained. The full program can still be affected by design decisions, equipment availability, safe isolation, Western Power attendance and reconnection scheduling.
The expected sequence can be confirmed after the property and required work have been reviewed.
Will the property lose power during the work?
Work that alters a connected consumer pole, consumer mains or site main switchboard will commonly require a planned isolation or interruption.
The expected outage, responsibility for disconnection and reconnection, and any temporary arrangement should be established before the work date.
Can you quote from photos?
For straightforward work, clear photographs, a defect notice and a simple description may be enough to determine the next step and sometimes narrow the scope.
A new consumer pole, site main switchboard, subdivision or change to the point of supply will usually require an on-site assessment, plans or further network information.
Photos cannot confirm matters such as property boundaries, concealed structural condition, underground routes or available electrical capacity.
Plan before the site is fixed
Get the supply arrangement clear before construction is locked in
A consumer pole or site main switchboard can affect more than the electrical equipment. It can influence trenching, metering, driveways, landscaping, building layout, project sequencing and the timing of outside contractors.
Send us the property address, any notice or plans, safe-to-take photographs and the outcome you need.
We will confirm whether the sensible next step is a written quote, an on-site assessment or further supply information.
Neighbourhood Electrical & Air
Malaga-based · Servicing Perth
Monday–Friday · 8:00 am–4:00 pm
Electrical Contractor Licence EC14280