Electrical Safety Inspection Costs QLD 2026 - Get Free Quotes

What an Electrical Safety Inspection Covers in Queensland

An electrical safety inspection is a structured examination of a property's electrical installation, carried out by a licensed electrician to find the problems that normal use keeps hidden. Where everyday faults announce themselves with a trip or a failure, the slow problems of ageing wiring, loose connections, missing protection and quiet non-compliance can sit undetected for years until they cause a fire or a shock. The inspection brings those issues to light while they can still be addressed calmly and cheaply, rather than as an emergency. It is one of the most cost-effective pieces of electrical work a household can commission, precisely because it prevents the far larger costs that a missed fault eventually brings. The economics are simple, since the inspection is a fixed and modest cost while the fault it heads off can run to many times that figure. Spending a little to know the state of an installation is almost always cheaper than spending a great deal to recover from not knowing it.

An inspection's scope ranges from a quick visual safety check to a comprehensive assessment of the whole installation with a written report. A basic check looks over the obvious safety elements such as the switchboard, the safety switches and the smoke alarms, and gives a verbal or short written summary of their condition. A comprehensive inspection goes further, examining the wiring condition, the earthing, the outlets and fittings, the circuit loading and the general state of the installation against current standards, and documenting the findings in a report you can act on. The depth you need depends on the reason for the inspection, with a quick check suiting a routine condition review and a full inspection suiting a purchase, a rental or an older home. A good electrician helps you choose the right depth rather than selling the most expensive option by default.

It helps to see where an inspection sits within the wider electrical trade. The full picture of electrical work in Queensland, including the licensing framework and the projects a home needs over time, is set out in our electrical services guide. An inspection is the diagnostic front end of that work, the assessment that tells you what, if anything, needs doing before you spend on the doing. Where the inspection finds faults, the rectification is separate work that a local electrician carries out and certifies. The inspection itself is advice and assessment; the repair is the action that follows from it.

What is worth holding onto is that an inspection is preventive rather than reactive. It is the planned, daylight alternative to discovering a fault as a three in the morning emergency, and it routinely pays for itself in the single problem it catches early. For an older Queenslander, a recently purchased home or a rental property, the case for a periodic inspection is especially strong, because these are exactly the homes where hidden problems accumulate. Spending a few hundred dollars to know the true state of an installation is a sensible investment against the much larger cost of not knowing. The homes that benefit most are often the ones whose owners think least about the wiring, because everything still appears to work. An inspection is how that appearance is tested against the reality behind the walls.

When You Need an Inspection

Buying a home is the most common trigger for an electrical safety inspection, and it is money well spent before a major purchase. A standard building and pest inspection rarely covers the electrical installation in any depth, which leaves a buyer exposed to the cost of faults that surface after settlement. A pre-purchase electrical inspection examines the switchboard, the safety switches, the wiring condition and the smoke alarm compliance, and gives the buyer a clear picture of what they are taking on and what it might cost to put right. On an older home in particular, the difference between a sound installation and one needing a rewire is a substantial sum, and knowing before you commit is far better than discovering after. The report also gives a buyer something concrete to raise in negotiation, where the cost of identified electrical work can be reflected in the price or the conditions. Walking into a purchase with open eyes on the electrical side is worth far more than the inspection costs. It sits alongside other pre-purchase checks such as a building inspection and an asbestos inspection, each covering a different risk in an older Queensland home.

Selling a home brings its own reasons to inspect. The safety switch and smoke alarm obligations that apply at sale are easier to meet calmly ahead of time than in the rush of settlement, and an inspection confirms where the property stands. A seller who has addressed the obvious compliance items removes a point of friction from the sale and avoids a last-minute scramble. The same inspection can flag anything that a buyer's own inspection would raise, letting the seller deal with it on their own terms.

Rental properties are a major reason for inspections, driven by the owner's obligation to provide a safe home. Queensland's minimum housing standards require rental properties to be safe and in good repair, and while the state does not mandate a fixed periodic electrical check in the way some other jurisdictions do, a regular inspection is the practical way an owner meets and evidences that obligation. The minimum housing standards and tenancy obligations are published by the Queensland Government. For an owner with one property or a portfolio, a routine inspection cycle is cheaper and calmer than waiting for a fault to force the issue, and our local electrician network handles this work across the state. The inspection between tenancies, when the property is vacant and accessible, is the natural point to fit it into the cycle. An owner who treats it as routine rather than reactive rarely faces the unpleasant surprise of a fault in an occupied rental.

A renovation, a recent fault, or simple reassurance round out the common triggers. Before a renovation, an inspection establishes whether the existing installation can support the new loads a kitchen, a bathroom or an extension will add, which often determines whether a switchboard upgrade is needed as part of the work. After an electrical fault or an emergency, an inspection of the wider installation checks whether the fault was isolated or a symptom of something larger. And for any older home that has not been assessed in years, an inspection is simply prudent, since the wiring and the board age whether or not anyone is watching. The cost of finding out is small, and the value of knowing is that decisions about the home can be made on fact rather than hope. An installation that has not been looked at in years is exactly the one most likely to be hiding something.

What the Inspector Actually Checks

The switchboard is the first and most important thing an inspector examines, because it is the hub where the installation's protection lives. The inspector checks whether the board uses modern circuit breakers or outdated ceramic fuses, whether safety switches protect the circuits, whether the board is correctly labelled, and whether there is capacity for the home's loads. They also look for signs of overheating, loose connections, water ingress and the asbestos backing panels common in older boards. Its overall state tells an experienced inspector a great deal about the installation as a whole, and it is frequently where the most significant findings sit. The inspector also notes the type and age of the board, since some older switchboard arrangements are known for particular weaknesses that warrant closer attention. What looks like a plain metal box on the wall tells a trained eye most of the story of the installation behind it.

Safety switches receive particular attention because they are the protection that stops a fault from becoming an electrocution. The inspector confirms that safety switches are fitted where required, tests that they operate within the correct time, and identifies any circuits left unprotected. A board with no safety switches, or with switches that fail to trip on test, is a significant finding that the report will flag clearly. Testing the trip time is a genuine measurement rather than a glance, and it is one of the checks that separates a real inspection from a cursory look. The result is a clear statement of whether the home's most important protection actually works. It is also the check most often skipped by a rushed inspection, which is one reason a tested result matters far more than a glance at the board.

Wiring, earthing and outlets make up the next layer of the inspection. The inspector assesses the condition of accessible wiring, looking for the perished insulation, rodent damage and earlier non-compliant work that older homes accumulate, and checks the earthing system that gives fault current a safe path. Power points and switches are checked for correct wiring, secure mounting and signs of heat, and the inspector notes any outlets that are damaged, overloaded or wired incorrectly. Light fittings, exhaust fans and hardwired appliances are examined where accessible, since these are common points of fault. The depth of this part of the inspection is where a comprehensive assessment earns its cost over a quick visual check.

Smoke alarms are part of any thorough inspection, given their legal importance in Queensland. The inspector checks that alarms are present where required, that they are photoelectric and interconnected, that they are within their service life, and that they are correctly placed away from dead-air spaces. The detail of the alarm requirements, which tighten further by 2027, sits on our smoke alarm installation page. An inspection that overlooks the smoke alarms has missed one of the most consequential compliance items in a Queensland home. The alarms are checked not only for presence but for type, age, placement and interconnection, since any one of these failing leaves the home non-compliant. Confirming the alarms are right is one less thing hanging over a sale or a tenancy.

An honest inspection is also clear about what it cannot see. Wiring concealed within walls, beneath insulation or under floors is not fully visible, and an inspection assesses what is accessible rather than dismantling the home. A good inspector is upfront about these limits, noting where access was restricted and what could not be confirmed, rather than implying a certainty the inspection cannot deliver. Where a finding suggests a hidden problem, the report recommends the further investigation needed to confirm it. This honesty about scope is part of what separates a professional assessment from a reassuring glance. Knowing the limits of the inspection is as useful as knowing its findings.

Safety Switches and the Sale and Lease Requirement

Safety switches are where an inspection most often meets a hard legal requirement rather than a recommendation. A safety switch, or residual current device, monitors the current flowing in a circuit and cuts the supply within milliseconds if it detects current leaking to earth, which is the protection that prevents a fault from electrocuting a person. Queensland law has required safety switches on power circuits in new domestic installations since the 1990s, and the obligation has widened over time. The inspection establishes which circuits are protected and which are not, which is the starting point for bringing an older home up to standard. The inspector records which circuits carry protection and which do not, so the scope of any upgrade is defined rather than guessed at. That circuit-by-circuit picture is what turns a vague worry into a clear and quotable job.

The sale and lease rules turn this from good practice into an obligation. When a domestic residence is sold in Queensland, the owner must ensure an approved safety switch is installed on the general purpose socket outlet circuit, and the requirement also applies when a property is leased. An inspection ahead of a sale or a new tenancy confirms whether the property meets this requirement, and flags the work needed if it does not. Many older homes fall short simply because they still run on the original board, which is why the safety switch finding so often leads to a wider conversation about the switchboard. Addressing it early, rather than at settlement, keeps the transaction smooth.

Where an inspection finds missing or faulty safety switches, the rectification is straightforward but should be done properly. Fitting safety switches across the circuits, or replacing a board that cannot accommodate them, is routine work for a licensed electrician, and it is one of the highest-value safety improvements an older home can make. The work attracts a Certificate of Testing and Compliance, and the upgrade often resolves several inspection findings at once where an ageing board was behind them. Our switchboard upgrade page sets out that scope and cost. A home with working safety switches on every circuit has the protection that matters most.

The Inspection Report and Defect Categories

A written report is what turns an inspection from a look around into a usable document, and its quality varies between providers. A good report records what was inspected, what was found, and what the findings mean, with enough detail that you, a future electrician, or a buyer can understand the state of the installation. It distinguishes between issues by severity, separating an immediate hazard that needs urgent attention from a non-compliance that should be rectified and a recommendation that would improve the installation without being urgent. Photographs of the significant findings make the report far more useful than text alone. A report you can actually act on is worth more than the cheapest inspection that leaves you with a verbal all-clear. A report you can hand to a buyer, a tenant or the next electrician carries a weight that a spoken reassurance never will.

Understanding how findings are prioritised helps you respond sensibly to a report. An immediate hazard, such as exposed live parts, a board with no safety switches in a home with vulnerable occupants, or signs of active overheating, warrants prompt rectification rather than delay. A non-compliance or defect that is not an immediate danger, such as an outdated but functioning arrangement, should be planned and addressed in a reasonable timeframe. A recommendation, such as adding surge protection or upgrading an ageing but sound board, is an improvement to consider rather than an urgent fix. Read together, these categories let the spend be staged according to genuine priority.

The report is also a record that has value beyond the immediate findings. At sale it demonstrates the state of the installation to a buyer, at insurance time it can support a claim by showing the property was maintained, and for a landlord it evidences that the obligation to provide a safe home has been taken seriously. Keeping the report with the property records, alongside any compliance certificates from rectification work, builds a history that future owners and electricians will thank you for. The report from one inspection becomes the baseline against which the next is read. Over time, a series of reports tells the story of how an installation has been maintained, which is exactly the evidence that reassures a buyer or an insurer. A single report is useful, but a documented history is genuinely valuable.

Test and Tag and Workplace Inspections

Test and tag is a related but distinct service that inspects portable electrical equipment rather than the fixed installation. The work involves visually inspecting and electrically testing plug-in appliances, leads and equipment, then attaching a tag that records the test date and the next due date, in line with the in-service testing standard AS/NZS 3760 published by Standards Australia. It is most commonly required in workplaces, on construction sites, and in furnished rentals where the owner supplies appliances, since these are settings where the duty to provide safe equipment applies. A home owner-occupier is not generally required to test and tag, though it can be sensible for older appliances and tools. Power tools, extension leads and older portable appliances are the items most likely to develop a fault, and a quick test catches the lead with damaged insulation before it causes harm. The small cost per item is easy to justify against the risk a faulty lead presents.

Workplaces carry electrical safety duties that often bring test and tag into scope. Under the work health and safety framework administered by WorkSafe Queensland, a business must ensure the electrical equipment it provides is safe, and regular testing of portable equipment is the common way to manage that risk. Construction and demolition sites have particularly frequent testing requirements given the harsh conditions and the higher risk. The testing interval depends on the environment, with a harsh site needing far more frequent testing than a low-risk office. An electrician or a qualified tester who understands the standard sets the right interval for the setting.

The output of test and tag is a tagged item and a register, which together evidence that the duty has been met. The tag on each item shows at a glance that it is in date, while the register provides the documented record an auditor or an insurer may ask for. For a furnished rental, keeping the supplied appliances tested and recorded is part of providing a safe property, and it sits naturally alongside the broader safety inspection. Bundling test and tag with an installation inspection is efficient where both are needed, since the electrician is already on site.

Thermal Imaging and Advanced Diagnostics

Thermal imaging is an advanced inspection technique that finds problems before they become visible or audible. A thermal camera detects the heat that a loose, corroded or overloaded connection gives off under load, revealing a developing fault in a switchboard or a circuit that a visual inspection alone would miss. Because heat is the precursor to most electrical failures and fires, finding a hot connection early lets it be fixed before it fails. The scan is quick and non-invasive, carried out with the board energised and under normal load so that the heat signature of a fault shows up clearly. A board scanned cold tells the camera nothing, which is why the work is done with the installation live and operating as it normally would. That requirement is also why thermal imaging is electrical work for a licensed professional rather than a job for a hardware-store camera.

Thermal imaging is particularly valuable on switchboards, which is where many loose-connection faults originate. Over years of thermal cycling, connections can work loose, and a loose connection carrying current heats up in a way that accelerates toward failure, sometimes ending in a board fire. A thermal scan of the switchboard identifies the hot terminals so they can be tightened or repaired before that happens, which is why thermal imaging is a worthwhile addition to an inspection on an older or heavily loaded board. The thermal report documents the findings with images that make the problem clear. It is the kind of check that quietly prevents an emergency rather than responding to one.

Thermal imaging complements rather than replaces a thorough visual and electrical inspection. The camera shows where heat is being generated, but interpreting what it means and deciding the fix is the electrician's judgement, informed by the rest of the inspection. For most homes a standard inspection is sufficient, with thermal imaging adding value where a board is old, heavily loaded or showing other signs of stress. An electrician who offers thermal imaging will advise whether it is warranted for your property rather than adding it as a default. Used well, it is a powerful early-warning tool in the inspection kit.

Older Queenslanders and What Inspections Reveal

Queensland's older homes are where inspections most often find significant issues, for reasons rooted in how and when they were wired. The classic timber Queenslander may still run decades-old cabling whose insulation has hardened and cracked in the heat of the roof space, and an inspection assesses whether that wiring is still safe or approaching the end of its life. Roof spaces in these homes reach extreme summer temperatures that age cable insulation faster than in cooler climates, which is one reason older Queenslanders accumulate hidden electrical problems. The inspection is the way to understand the true condition of wiring that has been quietly ageing out of sight. The roof space is often where the worst of it hides, baked by years of Queensland summers into cable that can fail the moment it is disturbed. An inspection that includes the accessible roof space gives a far truer picture than one confined to the visible fittings.

The switchboard in an older home is frequently the source of the most serious findings. Boards running ceramic fuses with no safety switches offer none of the protection a modern installation provides, and the inspection flags both the missing protection and the asbestos backing panels that many of these boards contain. A competent inspector recognises asbestos-containing material and notes it for safe handling during any rectification, with the controls for asbestos work regulated by WorkSafe Queensland. The inspection finding is often the prompt for a long-overdue board upgrade. Knowing the board's true state is the first step to deciding what the home needs.

Earlier alterations and accumulated work are a common source of inspection findings in established homes. Decades of additions, renovations and quick fixes by various hands leave a layered installation where some work is sound and some is not, and the inspection sorts the good from the questionable. Non-compliant earlier work, undersized cabling for added loads, and circuits extended beyond their safe capacity are typical findings in a home that has been added to over the years. Coastal homes add corrosion of fittings and external equipment to the list, while northern properties carry the cyclone-region exposures. An inspection brings the whole accumulated picture into focus so it can be managed deliberately. The value of seeing the whole is that money can go first to what genuinely matters rather than to whatever happened to be noticed first.

Rental Properties and Minimum Housing Standards

Rental properties carry a clear obligation on the owner to provide a safe home, and electrical safety is central to that duty. Queensland's minimum housing standards require rental premises to be safe, secure and in good repair, which in electrical terms means working safety switches, compliant smoke alarms and an installation that is safe to use. While Queensland does not impose a fixed periodic electrical safety check in the prescriptive way some other states do, the obligation to provide a safe property is ongoing, and a regular inspection is the sensible way an owner meets and evidences it. The standards are published by the Queensland Government.

For owners and managers, a routine inspection cycle is simply good risk management. An inspection between tenancies, when the property is empty and accessible, catches developing faults and confirms the safety switch and smoke alarm compliance that each new tenancy requires. A periodic inspection costs little against the consequences of a preventable fault in an occupied rental, both for the tenant's safety and the owner's exposure. A landlord who can show a history of inspections and rectification has taken the obligation seriously in a way that matters if anything ever goes wrong. Building the inspection into the turnover between tenancies makes it a routine rather than an afterthought.

Furnished rentals add the equipment dimension that test and tag addresses. Where the owner supplies appliances, keeping them tested and recorded is part of providing safe equipment, and it sits naturally alongside the installation inspection. A tenant facing a genuine electrical fault should be able to report it as an urgent repair, and an owner with a relationship to a reliable electrician resolves those situations far more smoothly than one scrambling for a stranger. The smoke alarm obligations in particular fall on the owner, and our smoke alarm installation page sets out what compliance requires.

Units and Body Corporate

Inspections in units and townhouses raise the question of where the lot ends and the common property begins. The wiring and fittings inside an individual lot are generally the owner's responsibility, while the supply infrastructure and common-area services belong to the body corporate, and an inspection scoped to a single lot covers the former rather than the latter. Where a fault or a finding touches common property, it falls to the body corporate to address, and an inspector experienced with strata understands where that boundary lies. Knowing the boundary in advance saves confusion when a finding straddles it.

Body corporate committees commission their own inspections of common electrical services as part of managing the building. Common-area lighting, shared supply infrastructure, car park and lift services, and the safety of the common electrical installation are all within the body corporate's remit, and a periodic inspection supports the duty to maintain them. For an individual owner, understanding that the building has its own electrical responsibilities helps make sense of what a lot inspection does and does not cover. The two layers, lot and common property, together make up the building's complete electrical picture.

What an Inspection Costs and What Drives It

An electrical safety inspection is inexpensive relative to the cost it can save, which is much of its appeal. A basic visual safety check runs roughly one hundred and fifty to three hundred dollars, a comprehensive inspection with a written report two hundred and fifty to five hundred dollars, and a pre-purchase inspection two hundred and fifty to four hundred and fifty dollars depending on the size and age of the property. A rental compliance check focused on safety switches and smoke alarms sits at the lower end, while thermal imaging adds to the cost where it is warranted. These are modest sums against the value of catching a serious fault before it causes damage. Set against the cost of a switchboard fire, a ruined appliance, or the disruption of an after-hours callout, the inspection fee is small. It is one of the few electrical spends that is almost always cheaper than the problem it prevents.

A few factors move the price within those ranges. The size and age of the property is the main one, since a large or old home has more circuits, more outlets and more to assess thoroughly than a small modern unit. The depth of the inspection and the report matters, with a documented report taking longer than a verbal summary, and added services such as thermal imaging or test and tag carry their own cost. Travel can apply for regional jobs in Ergon network areas, reflecting the distances involved across the state. The broader picture of what drives electrical pricing is set out in the electrical services guide.

It is important to separate the inspection from the rectification in your budgeting. The inspection identifies what needs doing, while the work to fix any faults is quoted separately once those faults are known, and a reputable inspector is clear about this distinction. An inspection that finds nothing serious has still bought you the certainty that the installation is sound, which is a worthwhile outcome rather than a wasted spend. Where it does find issues, you gain a prioritised list to address in order of genuine urgency. Either way, the inspection turns uncertainty about the installation into a clear and manageable picture.

What to Look Out For

The licence is the first thing to confirm, because an inspection is electrical work and must be done by a licensed electrician. The individual holds an electrical work licence and the business an electrical contractor licence, and you can verify both through the Electrical Safety Office before booking. An inspection by an unlicensed operator is worth nothing, since they are neither qualified to assess the installation nor able to certify any work that follows. Confirming the licence takes a moment and is the foundation of a trustworthy inspection. The check confirms not only that the licence exists but that it covers the work and is held by the business contracting with you. A licence that does not match the work, or that belongs to someone other than the person attending, is a reason to pause.

Be wary of the cheap inspection that is really a sales lead for unnecessary work. A genuine inspection assesses the installation honestly and reports what it finds, while a disreputable operator may offer a very cheap or free inspection designed to manufacture findings that justify expensive rectification. The protection is to use a licensed electrician with a good reputation, to ask for a written report with photographs of any significant findings, and to be cautious of pressure to commit to large rectification on the spot. A finding that genuinely needs urgent attention will be clearly explained, while vague claims of serious danger that only that operator can fix are a warning sign. A second opinion on a major rectification quote is always reasonable. The cost of a second quote is small, and a reputable electrician is untroubled by it, because an honest assessment stands up to checking.

Insist on a proper written report rather than a verbal all-clear, because the report is the value you are paying for. A report that records what was inspected, what was found, how serious each finding is, and what is recommended gives you something to act on and to keep, while a verbal summary leaves you with nothing. The report should distinguish urgent hazards from non-urgent improvements so you can prioritise sensibly. An inspector who is reluctant to provide a written report, or whose report is a single line, has not delivered the service. The documentation is the point of the exercise as much as the inspection itself.

Finally, check the inspector carries public liability insurance and treat the report as the start of a relationship rather than a one-off. The electrician who inspects your home and explains the findings clearly is often the right one to carry out the rectification and to call for future work. The consumer protections that apply to inspection services are administered by the ACCC and the Queensland Office of Fair Trading. A good inspection, from a licensed and insured electrician, is the foundation of keeping a home electrically safe over the years you own it.

How to Get Useful Quotes

A useful inspection quote starts with a clear description of the property and the reason for the inspection. Telling the electrician the age and type of the home, whether it is single or double storey, the number of bedrooms, and why you want the inspection, whether for a purchase, a rental or general reassurance, lets them quote the right depth accurately. A pre-purchase inspection, a rental compliance check and a comprehensive condition assessment are different jobs, and naming the purpose avoids paying for more or less than you need. A few details up front turn a rough estimate into a firm quote.

Confirm what the inspection includes and what you will receive at the end. A quote should make clear whether the inspection is a quick visual check or a comprehensive assessment, whether thermal imaging or test and tag is included, and whether you will get a written report with photographs. Comparing quotes on scope rather than price alone is essential, since the cheapest number is often the shallowest inspection, and the approach to comparing electrical quotes generally is covered in the electrical services guide. Knowing exactly what you are buying is the difference between a useful inspection and a wasted one.

Getting a couple of quotes is sensible, and the platform makes it efficient by putting your job in front of several licensed electricians at once. Ask each the same questions about licensing, the depth of the inspection, the report you will receive and whether they carry out rectification themselves. Where the inspection is likely to lead to work, an electrician who can both inspect and rectify offers a continuity that saves repeating the diagnosis, and pairing the inspection with any known needs such as a switchboard upgrade or smoke alarm compliance keeps the project efficient. Posting the job through The Quote Yard reaches multiple Queensland electricians in a single step.

Insurance, Warranty and Australian Consumer Law

Public liability insurance matters for inspection work as it does for any electrical service. A reputable inspector carries cover in the standard range of five to twenty million dollars for residential work, which protects you in the unlikely event of damage during the inspection. Confirming the cover is reasonable, and an established business answers the question readily. Its presence is part of what marks a professional service. The cover protects you in the unlikely event of damage during the inspection, and an established business confirms it without hesitation. A reluctance to confirm insurance, like a reluctance to confirm the licence, is a reason to look elsewhere.

The inspection itself is a professional assessment, and any rectification that follows carries the usual warranties. Where the electrician carries out repairs identified by the inspection, the workmanship is typically warranted for twelve months and the components carry their own manufacturer warranties, with a Certificate of Testing and Compliance recording that the work was tested and verified. The inspection report and any certificates together form the documented history of the installation, which has value at sale, at insurance time and for future work. Keeping these records together is a simple habit that pays off later.

Australian Consumer Law applies to inspection services, requiring that they be provided with due care and skill. The consumer guarantees mean an inspection must be carried out competently, and any goods supplied in subsequent rectification must be of acceptable quality, regardless of what a contract says. Where a dispute cannot be resolved directly, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading and the national consumer regulator provide the avenues, with information published by the ACCC. Tradespeople looking for work can find paid project leads on the Queensland tradie job leads board, with related categories at electrician jobs in Queensland and tradie jobs across the state. A licensed, insured electrician who inspects honestly and reports clearly is the best safeguard a Queensland home can have.