A CCEW, or Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work, is the document a licensed electrician issues in New South Wales to certify that completed electrical work meets the wiring rules and is safe to connect. You get a copy for your records. It is the paperwork insurers, buyers, and the network operator ask for.
Most people meet the term twice. Once when an electrician mentions it at the end of a job, and once years later when somebody asks to see it and it cannot be found. This guide covers what the document is for, which jobs produce one, and what to do if you never received it.
What does a CCEW actually certify?
A CCEW certifies that a named licensed contractor did a specific piece of electrical work, tested it, and found it compliant with the Australian wiring rules. It is a declaration of responsibility, not a receipt and not a warranty.
It records who did the work, the property address, what was installed or altered, the date, and the contractor licence number behind the declaration. A licensed person has put their name against that work, so if the installation is later found unsafe, the certificate is the trail back to whoever signed it off.
What electrical work needs a CCEW?
Electrical installation work produces a CCEW, which covers far more everyday jobs than most property owners expect. The test is whether the fixed wiring of the property was installed, altered, added to, or repaired.
- Adding a new circuit, power point, or light fitting.
- Replacing or upgrading a switchboard, including fitting RCD safety switches.
- Replacing consumer mains or the service connection into the property.
- Installing a hardwired appliance such as an oven, air conditioner, or EV charger.
- Rewiring all or part of a home or commercial tenancy.
- Repairing a fault in the fixed wiring, including work done on an emergency callout.
- Rectifying a defect after the network operator has issued a notice.
Work that leaves the fixed wiring untouched does not. Changing a globe, resetting a tripped breaker, or testing and tagging plug-in appliances have their own paperwork, or none. If you are planning a project, our guide to the electrical check before renovating covers the wider list.
Who issues the CCEW, and when should you get it?
The licensed electrical contractor who carried out the work issues the certificate, and you should have a copy within about a week of the job finishing. It is not something you apply for, and it is not issued by a council or by the network.
The contractor completes and signs the certificate, gives a copy to whoever engaged them, and lodges it where the work requires it. Jobs touching the service connection or the metering also go to the network operator, which for most of Sydney is Ausgrid, so the connection is recognised on the property record. For service-side work, only an accredited Level 2 ASP can do the job in the first place. The difference between Level 1 and Level 2 electricians explains which tier handles what.
There is no separate fee for the certificate. It is part of doing the job properly, and an electrician who treats it as an optional extra is telling you something useful.
CCEW or NOSW: which paperwork does your job produce?
A CCEW certifies the electrical work itself, while a NOSW notifies the network operator that service work has happened. Larger jobs generate both, which is why quotes sometimes list two pieces of paperwork for what looks like one task.
| Document | What it does | Typical jobs |
|---|---|---|
| CCEW Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work |
Certifies that installation work was done by a licensed contractor and tested as compliant | New circuits, power points, lighting, switchboard upgrades, rewiring, hardwired appliances, fault repairs, defect rectification |
| NOSW Notification of Service Work |
Notifies the network operator that work on the service connection or metering has been completed | Connecting or disconnecting supply, new or altered service mains, meter installations and changes, private pole work |
A switchboard upgrade that also renews the consumer mains is the clearest example. The board work is installation work and produces a CCEW, while the reconnection to the network is service work and produces a NOSW. That is one visit and one invoice, but two separate records on the property.
Need the certificate for a job you have already had done?
DM Electrical is a licensed NSW electrical contractor and a Level 1 and Level 2 ASP based in Brookvale. If you need work certified, a defect cleared, or an inspection before a sale, tell us what happened and we will tell you what the job needs. Available 24/7 across the Northern Beaches and wider Sydney.
What if you never received a CCEW?
Ask the electrician who did the work first, because a missing certificate is usually an administrative gap rather than a sign the work was unsafe. Contractors keep their own copies, and reissuing one is a small task.
If that fails, the position depends on why it failed:
- The contractor is contactable but unresponsive. Put the request in writing. A licensed contractor is obliged to provide the certificate for work they carried out, and a written request tends to move things along.
- The contractor has closed down or cannot be traced. A certificate cannot be recreated by somebody who did not do the work. What can be done is an inspection by a licensed electrician, giving you a current report on the installation, though it is not a retrospective CCEW.
- You suspect the work was never done by a licensed person. This is the case worth acting on. Unlicensed electrical work is a safety risk and an insurance problem, so an inspection should come first.
Why the CCEW matters when you sell, insure, or claim
The certificate does its real work years after the job, at the moments when somebody needs proof the wiring was done properly. Two situations come up repeatedly.
Insurance claims. After a fire or an electrical fault, insurers commonly ask who did the work and whether it was certified. If the wiring was installed by an unlicensed person, expect the claim to be questioned.
Property sales. Buyers and building inspectors ask about recent electrical work, particularly switchboard upgrades and rewiring. Producing the certificate closes the topic. Not producing it invites a closer look and, sometimes, a price conversation.
The same logic applies to network paperwork. Our guide on what to do with an Ausgrid defect notice covers that process, and defect notice rectification is work DM Electrical handles as a Level 2 ASP.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CCEW the same as an electrical safety certificate?
In New South Wales they are the same document. The full name is the Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work, and it is often called an electrical safety certificate or a compliance certificate in everyday conversation. Other states use their own names and forms, such as the Certificate of Electrical Safety in Victoria, so a certificate issued interstate is not a NSW CCEW.
How long should I keep my CCEW?
Keep it permanently, with the property records rather than with your receipts. A CCEW is the evidence that a specific piece of electrical work was done by a licensed contractor, and it can be asked for years later by an insurer after a fault, by a buyer during a sale, or by an electrician planning further work on the same circuits. Scan it and store a copy, because the paper version is easy to lose in a house move.
Does every small electrical job need a CCEW?
A CCEW covers electrical installation work, so adding a circuit, installing a power point, wiring a new light, replacing a switchboard, or connecting an appliance all produce one. Work that is not installation work, such as simply replacing a globe or testing and tagging a plug-in appliance, does not. If you are unsure whether your job produced one, ask the electrician who did it.
Do I need a CCEW to sell my house in NSW?
There is no rule that a sale cannot proceed without one, but buyers and their inspectors regularly ask for certificates covering recent electrical work, and a missing certificate raises questions about who did the wiring. If you have had a switchboard upgrade, a rewire, or a new circuit installed, having the CCEW on hand removes an easy objection during the sale.
The bottom line
The CCEW answers one question: was this electrical work done by somebody entitled to do it, and was it tested. Keep every certificate you are given, ask for one after any job that touches the fixed wiring, and treat an electrician who cannot produce one as a warning. DM Electrical holds NSW Electrical Contractor Licence 463912C plus Level 1 and Level 2 ASP accreditation, and lodges the paperwork for every job that requires it. If you need work certified or an installation inspected, get in touch.