A Level 2 electrician (or Level 2 ASP, Accredited Service Provider) is authorised by the NSW network operator to work between your point of attachment and the switchboard, including consumer mains, metering installations, switchboard upgrades, and disconnections or reconnections from the network. DM Electrical is a Level 1 and Level 2 ASP electrician based in Brookvale on the Northern Beaches, responding to defect notices, smart meter installs, new connections, and switchboard upgrades across Sydney's Northern Beaches, North Shore, Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, and CBD.
Why the Accreditation Matters
A regular electrician cannot legally touch the service line, the meter, or the consumer mains. A Level 2 ASP can. That is the difference that matters when you need a new connection, a supply or switchboard upgrade, a metering change, or a network defect cleared. DM Electrical holds both Level 1 and Level 2 ASP accreditation with Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy, so the network side and the electrical side of the job are handled by one team.
When You Need a Level 2 Electrician
Most homes only meet a Level 2 ASP once. It is usually because the network has issued a defect notice, the switchboard is too old for a renovation, or a new smart meter needs installing and the existing fuse box is not compliant. DM Electrical handles defect rectification, switchboard replacements, and metering work as part of the same business, so you do not get bounced between three different contractors to get one job done. Daniel McCormick is the licensed Level 2 ASP on every job and lodges the Electrical Safety Certificate of Compliance with NSW Fair Trading the same day the work is finished.
What a Level 2 ASP Does
- Overhead service connections up to 400 A. New and upgraded overhead service lines from the network pole to your point of attachment, including the tails, the connection, and the re-seal.
- Underground service connections up to 400 A. Underground supply from the street pillar or pit through to the switchboard, including trenching, conduit, and pit work.
- Consumer mains upgrades. Replacing undersized mains between the point of attachment and the main switch. This is the usual fix when a switchboard upgrade, EV charger, or ducted air conditioning pushes the load past what the existing cable is rated to carry. Our guide explains how to tell if your consumer mains are undersized.
- Three phase supply upgrades. Converting a single phase service to three phase for homes and sites running EV chargers, pool plant, lifts, or commercial equipment. Our guide covers whether your home needs three phase power.
- Main switchboard upgrades. Replacing ceramic fuse boards with a compliant board carrying RCD safety switches, labelled circuits, and spare capacity for future circuits. See switchboard upgrades for scope and pricing.
- Metering installation and changeovers. Installing, relocating, and re-sealing meters, including preparing the board so the retailer's smart meter install is not rejected on the day. See smart metering.
- Disconnection and reconnection. Temporary disconnection at the point of attachment so re-roofing, painting, or wall work can proceed safely, then reconnection, re-seal, and network notification.
- Private power poles. Inspection, replacement, and re-dressing of privately owned poles on your property. Owners are responsible for these, not the network. Our private power pole replacement guide explains who pays for what.
- Private pillars. Repair and replacement of privately owned underground pillars, including shared pillars serving several properties on one driveway or battle-axe block.
- Service fuse and barge fuse replacement. Replacing failed network side fuses. A blown service fuse is the most common reason a house loses power to some circuits but not others. See half the house has no power.
- Temporary builder's supply. Compliant temporary supply for construction sites, including the pole, the board, and the network paperwork, so the site has power before the permanent connection goes in.
- Excavation and trenching. In-house excavation for underground services, so the trench is not a separate contractor, a separate quote, and a separate mobilisation.
- Tiger tails and network safety covers. Insulating covers fitted over network conductors where crane, scaffold, roof, or tree work brings people and plant close to live lines.
- Power logging and supply diagnostics. Metered logging across days or weeks to prove a voltage, load, or supply quality problem before anyone specifies an upgrade, so you are not paying to fix the wrong thing.
- Safety reports and electrical design. Documented switchboard and supply assessments for owners, strata committees, and insurers, plus design work for staged upgrades.
Level 2 Service Provider or Regular Electrician: Who Can Do What
A Level 2 service provider is an electrician who holds an additional accreditation from the electricity network, in Sydney that is Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy, allowing them to work on the connection between the network and your property. A regular electrician is licensed for everything inside the property but is not permitted to break the meter seal, alter the consumer mains, or disconnect and reconnect the service. That single boundary decides who you need to call, and it is the same line that separates consumer mains from submains inside your installation.
| Task | Regular electrician | Level 2 ASP | Level 1 ASP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power points, lighting, internal wiring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Replace a switchboard with no network disconnection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Disconnect and reconnect the property from the network | No | Yes | Yes |
| Alter consumer mains between the point of attachment and the board | No | Yes | Yes |
| Remove, install, or re-seal the meter | No | Yes | Yes |
| New or upgraded service connection up to 400 A | No | Yes | Yes |
| Clear an Ausgrid or Endeavour defect notice | No | Yes | Yes |
| High voltage network, substations, and reticulation | No | No | Yes |
DM Electrical holds both accreditations, Level 1 Scheme 6697 and Level 2 Scheme 5922, which is why a job that crosses the boundary does not turn into two contractors and two quotes. If you want the distinction in plain English, our guide on the difference between a Level 1, Level 2, and standard electrician walks through it.
What Level 2 Work Costs in Sydney
Level 2 pricing is driven by three things: whether the network has to be disconnected, whether the consumer mains are long enough or old enough to need replacing, and whether the work is overhead or underground. Underground is almost always the more expensive of the two because of the trenching. Every job below is quoted fixed-price after a site visit, and the quote includes the network notification and the compliance certificate rather than adding them later.
| Job | Price guide | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Switchboard upgrade, single phase | See switchboard upgrades | Circuit count, whether RCDs are already fitted, whether the consumer mains also need upsizing |
| Switchboard upgrade, three phase or heritage | Quoted on site | Board size, asbestos backing, access, and heritage constraints |
| Consumer mains replacement | Quoted on site | Cable run length, overhead or underground, whether the existing path can be reused |
| Overhead service upgrade | Quoted on site | Span length, point of attachment condition, whether a private pole is involved |
| Underground service connection | Quoted on site | Trench length, surface type (lawn, paving, driveway), pit and conduit work |
| Defect notice rectification | Quoted on site | What the network flagged, and whether the board or the mains are the underlying cause |
| Disconnect and reconnect for trade work | Quoted on site | Number of visits and whether the outage window is inside business hours |
Ausgrid and Endeavour Defect Notices
A defect notice is a written instruction from the network operator telling the property owner that part of the electrical installation does not meet the standard and must be repaired within a set time. Notices are graded by urgency. The most serious require the network to disconnect the supply immediately, while lower categories usually give you a window measured in weeks. Either way the clock is real, and the notice can only be cleared by an accredited service provider who is permitted to work on that part of the installation.
The most common triggers we see on the Northern Beaches and North Shore are perished or undersized consumer mains, a point of attachment that has pulled away from a fascia or wall, a private pole that has rotted at the base, and switchboards with no RCD protection where the network has attended for another reason and noticed the board. Salt air near the coast shortens the life of both the point of attachment and the pole, which is why older Manly, Freshwater, and Avalon properties see more of these than inland suburbs.
Full detail on categories, timeframes and cost is on our defect notice rectification page. Call us with the defect number and we assess the fault, quote the rectification, do the work, and lodge the compliance certificate with the network so the notice is cleared against the property record. Most residential defects are turned around within 24 to 48 hours. For a full walkthrough, see our guide on what an Ausgrid defect notice means and how to clear it.
Our Process
- 1On-site assessment. We inspect the switchboard, consumer mains, and any defect or upgrade scope and confirm whether Level 2 or also Level 1 work is required.
- 2Fixed-price quote. We quote the full job including network notifications, parts, and the compliance certificate, with no surprise charges.
- 3Scheduled work with controlled outage. We coordinate the supply interruption, complete the work in a single visit where the scope allows, and keep the outage to the agreed window.
- 4Compliance and sign-off. The Electrical Safety Certificate of Compliance is lodged with NSW Fair Trading and a copy is sent to you the same day.
Why DM Electrical
- Same-day defect response. Defect notices come with a deadline. We routinely turn around urgent defect rectifications within 24 hours on the Northern Beaches and North Shore.
- Level 1 and Level 2 in one truck. Switchboard upgrades that need an Ausgrid coordination do not require a second contractor, we handle the network side too.
- Owner-operator pricing. No middle layer of project managers or subcontractor margins.
Level 2 Electrician in Manly, Brookvale and the Northern Beaches
DM Electrical works out of 230 Harbord Road, Brookvale, which puts most of the Northern Beaches inside a 20 minute drive. That matters for Level 2 work more than for general electrical, because defect notices carry deadlines and a disconnection leaves a house without power until someone accredited attends. Level 2 callouts, switchboard upgrades, and defect rectifications in Brookvale, Manly, Freshwater, Curl Curl, and Dee Why are usually same day.
Manly and the older coastal pockets bring their own pattern of work. Semi-detached and terrace properties often share a point of attachment or a private pillar, which means the fix has to be coordinated with a neighbour and the network rather than booked as a simple swap. Strata buildings around Manly and Mosman frequently need metering separated or a house board upgraded before individual units can move to smart meters. We handle the network paperwork on those jobs as well as the electrical work. Pick your suburb for local detail:
Not on the beaches? The same crews run Level 2 jobs across the North Shore, Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, and Sydney CBD every week. Travel time changes, the process does not. Browse the full service area for your suburb.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Level 2 ASP?
A Level 2 Accredited Service Provider is licensed by the NSW network operator to perform consumer mains, metering, and switchboard work, plus disconnections and reconnections from the network. They are the only contractors permitted to break and re-seal the meter and lodge the connection paperwork. For a plain-English breakdown, see our guide on the difference between a Level 1, Level 2 and standard electrician.
How much does a switchboard upgrade cost in Sydney?
A residential switchboard upgrade in a Sydney home typically ranges from $2,000 to $6,000 depending on the number of circuits, whether the board is single-phase or three-phase, whether RCDs are already fitted, and whether consumer mains also need upsizing. Multi-dwelling, strata and commercial boards run well above that, particularly three-phase upgrades taken from the street. We provide a fixed-price quote after a site visit.
I received a defect notice from Ausgrid. What do I do?
Call us with the defect number. We assess the fault, quote the rectification, do the work, and lodge the compliance certificate with the network so the notice is cleared. Most residential defects on the Northern Beaches and North Shore are turned around within 24 to 48 hours. Our guide on what an Ausgrid defect notice means and how to clear it walks through the process.
Do I need a Level 2 ASP for a smart meter?
The retailer's metering contractor installs the smart meter itself, but they will reject the install if the switchboard is non-compliant or the consumer mains are undersized. A Level 2 ASP brings the switchboard up to standard first so the smart meter goes in cleanly on the booked visit.
Can you disconnect my power so I can re-roof or repaint?
Yes. We disconnect the service at the point of attachment, store the wiring safely while the trade work happens, then reconnect, re-seal the meter, and notify the network. The job is usually completed in two short visits a few days apart.
How long does a switchboard upgrade take?
Most single-phase upgrades take 4 to 6 hours including the power outage. Three-phase or larger commercial boards can run a full day. We agree the outage window with you in advance so it does not interrupt a workday or a tenant.
Related Services
Have a job in mind? Call 0410 144 047 or use the contact form and Daniel will get back to you the same business day.
Reviewed by Daniel McCormick, licensed electrician and Level 1 and Level 2 Accredited Service Provider. NSW Electrical Contractor Licence 463912C. ASP Level 1 Scheme 6697, ASP Level 2 Scheme 5922. ABN 69 643 435 358. Last updated August 2026.