Home Renovation Electrical Checklist for Gold Coast Homeowners
4 min read · Electrical · Published 2026-03-31
A renovation is the right time to fix old wiring, add circuits and position outlets where you actually want them. Here is what to review before the walls go back on.
A kitchen or bathroom renovation opens up walls and ceilings. While they are open, the cost of changing or adding wiring is dramatically lower than after the plasterer has been through. This checklist covers the electrical decisions worth making before the walls go back on.
We quote renovation electrical scopes through our new builds and renovations service, including cottage renovations in Burleigh Heads, prestige rewires in Mermaid Beach and older homes in Labrador.
Switchboard and safety switch audit
A renovation that adds new circuits, new appliances or new wet areas often triggers the requirement to bring the switchboard up to current standards. Check whether there are safety switches on power circuits, whether the board has spare breaker capacity and whether ceramic fuses are still in use. If any of these need attention, do it during the renovation, not as a separate later job.
Kitchen electrical
Kitchen renovations regularly involve new appliances with different power requirements. Review these before finalising the design.
- Dedicated circuit for oven or wall oven
- Dedicated circuit for induction or electric cooktop (draw is substantially higher than gas)
- Dishwasher circuit and outlet position
- Rangehood: plug-in or hardwired
- Bench outlet count and position (every 600 mm along a bench is a common guide)
- Refrigerator on its own circuit (prevents nuisance tripping)
Bathroom and laundry electrical
Wet area rules require safety switches and restrict what can be installed in proximity to water. Heat lamps, exhaust fans, shaver outlets and heated towel rails all have specific installation requirements. Confirm the position of each with your electrician before tiling starts.
Tip: Exhaust fans in new work must be ducted to outside, not to the ceiling cavity. If you are replacing an existing fan, check where the duct goes before the new fan is ordered.
Smoke alarm compliance
Work that triggers a building approval requires smoke alarms to be brought up to the current Queensland standard: interconnected photoelectric alarms in every bedroom, connecting hallway and storey. Check whether your renovation requires approval and whether it triggers the smoke alarm requirement.
Key takeaways
- Open walls during renovation are the cheapest time to update wiring and add circuits.
- Induction cooktops need a dedicated higher-capacity circuit.
- Renovation approvals can trigger Queensland smoke alarm compliance requirements.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a kitchen renovation always require a new switchboard?
- Not always, but it often triggers additions. If you are adding an induction cooktop or dishwasher where there was none, new dedicated circuits are needed. We assess whether existing board capacity can accommodate them.
- What if the walls reveal old knob-and-tube wiring?
- Knob-and-tube wiring is not necessarily illegal if it is intact and not extended, but it cannot be extended with modern cable and should be assessed. We will advise on what needs replacement and what can remain.
- How quickly can FitElec attend?
- We are open 24 hours for urgent electrical work and book standard jobs within days. Call Jayson on 0425 663 172 for a current schedule.
- Where does FitElec work?
- FitElec is based at Palm Beach and services the whole Gold Coast, from Coolangatta to Coomera and everywhere in between.
Related services
Questions? Call FitElec on 0425 663 172 — Gold Coast's licensed electricians.