Distribution boards
DB board upgrades in Johannesburg
Old boards swapped out, earth leakage added, and every breaker labelled so you know what it switches.
Signs your board needs work
- Old screw-in or ceramic fuses instead of breakers
- No earth leakage unit
- Breakers that feel warm, buzz, or have scorch marks around them
- No space left for a new circuit
- Nobody knows which breaker switches what
Why earth leakage matters
A normal breaker protects the wiring from overloads and short circuits. It does nothing for a person who touches a live wire. An earth leakage unit trips when current leaks to earth, which is what happens when it flows through someone. On an older board without one, adding it is the most important upgrade you can make.
What an upgrade involves
- We inspect the board and the circuits. We check the breakers, the supply coming in and how many circuits you have.
- You get a quote. It covers the board, the breakers, the earth leakage unit and anything else the inspection turns up.
- We replace and rewire the board. The power is off while we work, and we tell you beforehand roughly how long for.
- We label every breaker. You'll know which one switches the kitchen plugs and which one switches the geyser.
What it costs
Every job starts with the R250 call-out fee, plus travel at the AA rate per kilometre from Northcliff. Labour is R300 an hour on weekdays between 07:00 and 17:00, and R450 an hour after hours, on weekends and on public holidays. Materials are quoted separately.
Jobs of R2,000 or more need a 50% deposit before we buy materials. Our terms have the details.
Questions people ask
I'm selling my house. Do I need a CoC?
Yes. A property can't be transferred without a valid electrical Certificate of Compliance. ACCR doesn't issue CoCs. We can do the repair work, and a registered person has to inspect and certify it separately.
Can you add surge protection?
Yes, a surge arrester can go into the board during an upgrade. It helps with surges from the grid, but nothing fully protects against a direct lightning strike.
Do you need to rewire the whole house?
Usually not. Most upgrades replace the board and keep the existing wiring. If the inspection finds wiring that isn't safe, we tell you and quote it separately.
Tell us what you need
Phone or WhatsApp CJ, day or night. Photos of the board or the problem help us quote faster.