A temporary power pole is a freestanding pole on a building site that takes power from the street and feeds a temporary switchboard with safety switch protected outlets. It runs tools, site sheds and lighting until the new building's permanent supply is connected. In NSW, connecting it to the network is Level 2 ASP work.
Builders call it a temp pole, a builder's pole or a temporary builder's supply. This guide covers what goes on one, who can install and connect it, and how it gets from application to power on site.
What is a temporary power pole used for?
It gives a building site safe, metered power from day one, before there is a building to mount a meter board on. The usual jobs that need one:
- Knockdown rebuilds. The old house and its supply come off before demolition, so the site needs a new temporary connection.
- New builds on vacant land. There is nothing on the block to connect to yet.
- Major renovations. When the wall holding the meter board is being demolished, or the existing supply has to be disconnected for the work.
What is on a temporary builder's pole?
A typical temp pole carries the incoming supply, a meter and a small lockable switchboard with safety switch protected outlets, all on a pole or post fixed and braced so it cannot fall. Each part has a different owner:
| Part | What it does | Who deals with it |
|---|---|---|
| Pole or post | Holds the service line clear of the site, or carries the board on an underground site | Electrician installs it, often hired for the build |
| Service line or cable | Brings power from the street pole or pillar | Level 2 ASP connects it |
| Meter | Records usage for the site's electricity account | Metering provider, arranged through the retailer |
| Main switch and breakers | Isolate and protect the site supply | Licensed electrician |
| 30 mA safety switches | Cut the power if current leaks to earth, for example through a damaged lead | Licensed electrician, tested regularly |
| Weatherproof outlets | 10 amp and 15 amp points for tools, site sheds and lighting | Licensed electrician |
Electrical installations on construction and demolition sites are covered by AS/NZS 3012. It requires safety switch protection on outlets, equipment built for outdoor conditions, and regular inspection of both the installation and everything plugged into it. That is where the three-month test and tag cycle on building sites comes from.
Does an overhead or underground street supply change anything?
Yes. The supply in your street decides what the pole looks like and where it can go. In an overhead area, the service line runs from the street pole to the temp pole, so the pole has to be tall enough, and placed so the line clears the driveway, scaffold, delivery trucks and any crane. Network rules set minimum heights for that line, and they are higher over driveways.
In an underground area, the temporary supply is usually taken from the pillar or pit at the boundary, and the "pole" is often a shorter post carrying the board close to it. Either way the position should sit near the connection point and clear of excavation and the building footprint.
A temp pole is not the same thing as a private power pole, which is a permanent pole on your land carrying the supply to the house. Our private power pole guide covers those.
Who can install and connect a temporary power pole?
A licensed electrician can build and test the temporary installation, but only a Level 2 Accredited Service Provider can connect it to the Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy network. Connecting a service line or underground cable to the street supply is network work, the same boundary explained in our guide to Level 1 vs Level 2 electricians.
Three parties are involved. The electrician builds the installation and lodges a CCEW certificate of compliance for it. The Level 2 ASP makes the network connection and handles the connection paperwork. The meter is fitted by the metering provider your retailer appoints, which is why the site needs its own electricity account. DM Electrical holds Level 1 and Level 2 ASP accreditation, so the pole, the board and the Level 2 connection are handled as one job.
Need power on a building site?
DM Electrical installs and connects temporary builder's supplies across the Northern Beaches, North Shore and wider Sydney. Based in Brookvale, Level 1 and Level 2 ASP accredited.
How do you get a temporary power pole connected?
Start early: the network application and the meter take far longer than installing the pole. The usual order:
- Agree the pole position with the builder: near the connection point, clear of excavation, driveways, scaffold and where materials will be dropped.
- Lodge the connection application with the network. Your Level 2 ASP normally does this for you.
- Open an electricity account for the site with a retailer, which starts the meter request.
- The electrician installs and braces the pole, fits the board, tests it and issues the CCEW.
- The Level 2 ASP connects the supply, the meter is fitted, and the site has power.
Network and metering lead times vary with the area and the season, so begin the paperwork a few weeks before the site needs power. On a knockdown rebuild, the old house's supply has to be disconnected before demolition, and that is Level 2 work too, so plan the disconnection and the temp pole together.
What happens to the temporary pole at the end of the build?
Once the new building's meter board and consumer mains are in, the supply is moved from the temp pole to the permanent installation and the temp pole is disconnected and removed. That changeover is Level 2 work as well: the temporary connection comes off, the consumer mains are connected to the street supply, and the meter goes into its permanent position.
If the new home will need three phase power for an EV charger, ducted air conditioning or a pool, raise it at the application stage, while the connection is still being designed.
What goes wrong with temporary power poles?
Most temp pole problems trace back to where the pole was put. The common ones:
- Pole in the way. Moving it off the slab or driveway means another disconnection and reconnection.
- Line too low. An overhead line that trucks or the concrete pump cannot pass under safely.
- Failed site induction. Outlets without safety switch protection, or untagged and damaged leads plugged into the board.
- Undersized board. Welders, compressors and site sheds on a handful of outlets trip breakers all day. On larger or commercial sites, size the supply to the load.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a temporary power pole for a renovation?
Not always. If the house stays standing and its supply stays connected, tools can usually run from the existing switchboard through safety switch protected outlets. You need a temporary pole when the house is demolished, when the wall holding the meter board comes down, or when the existing supply has to be disconnected for the work.
Can any electrician install a temporary power pole?
Any licensed electrician can build and test the temporary installation, but connecting it to the street supply is Level 2 ASP work in NSW. A contractor who holds both can handle the pole, the board, the connection and the paperwork as one job.
How long does it take to get a temporary power pole connected?
Installing the pole and board is usually a short job. The waiting is in the network connection application and the meter installation, and both vary with the area and the time of year. Start the paperwork a few weeks before the site needs power.
Who pays for the electricity used on a building site?
Whoever holds the site's electricity account with the retailer. On most builds that is the builder or the owner, as agreed in the building contract, so check the contract before the account is opened.
The bottom line
Put the temporary pole in the right spot, start the network and meter paperwork early, and use a contractor who can do both the electrical work and the Level 2 connection. If you have a build coming up, get in touch and we will plan the temporary supply with your builder.