Queensland-wide commercial switchboard project delivery
- info@commercialswitchboards.com.au
Failed switchgear, fault investigation and emergency stabilisation for commercial, industrial and multi-tenant sites. We make the site safe, find the cause and manage the repair through to certified completion.
Emergency faults responded to within hours. Standard enquiries within one business day
When you may need it
Most repair calls start as a trip that will not reset, a burning smell, a failed isolator or a defect notice, raised by a facility manager, centre manager, body corporate or site supervisor
Direct answer
A commercial switchboard repair restores a failed or faulty switchboard to safe, compliant operation. That can mean replacing failed switchgear, repairing damaged terminations, correcting nuisance tripping or stabilising a board after a fire, water or impact event.
A repair can include fault investigation, switchgear replacement, thermal imaging, temporary supply for critical loads and the testing needed to re-energise safely.
Commercial Switchboards manages the repair from first response through investigation, parts sourcing, rectification and certified handover. Where the board is beyond economic repair, we confirm the upgrade path before any work proceeds.
Emergency switchboard repairs are carried out to AS/NZS 61439, with safe isolation and temporary supply arranged first. Fast switchboard repairs on trading sites are prioritised, and every repair is documented so the board is left compliant, not just running.
The real risk
The 1600A CT chamber pictured failed after years of un-coordinated maintenance and undocumented changes. That is how bad repairs compound: switchgear with the wrong fault rating, no records of what was touched, voided insurance and a board that fails again under load. Speed matters, but so does doing it once, properly.
Failed 1600A CT chamber, un-coordinated maintenance
Cost factors
Every fault is different, so pricing is confirmed after the board is assessed. These are the factors that drive cost on commercial switchboard repairs.
A single failed breaker costs far less than a burnt busbar zone or a fire-damaged chamber. The extent of the damage drives cost more than any other factor.
Current-model switchgear can be sourced in days. Obsolete gear may need adaptation, retrofit kits or a rebuild of that section of the board.
Overnight and emergency response carries premium labour, often offset by the trading losses it avoids.
Generators and temporary boards keep refrigeration, tenants and production running while the repair is completed.
Re-energising a damaged board requires testing and certification proportional to the damage and the site.
Insurer-driven repairs need forensic documentation, cause reports and scope approval, which adds coordination.
Our approach
Detailed failure investigations and engineering reports are scoped separately depending on project requirements.
Related pages
If the fault points to a bigger problem, an end-of-life board or a specific site type, these pages may help.
Related services
Why us
Most Electrical Contractors
Commercial Switchboards
Backed by 10 years of practical switchboard depth: 6 years building and commissioning LV, MV and HV switchboards on the iPower factory floor, 3 years underground at Lady Loretta running 11kV substations and live HV switching, and end-to-end delivery of a remote open-cut gold mine in central Africa.
A commercial switchboard repair in Brisbane typically costs $2,000 to $15,000 for single-component failures such as a failed breaker, contactor or isolator, depending on switchgear rating and availability. Major damage involving busbars, fire or water can run $20,000 to $80,000 and may trigger the repair-versus-replacement decision. Make safe and assessment come first, with repair pricing confirmed before rectification proceeds.
Emergency switchboard faults with trading or supply impact are responded to within hours during business hours, with after-hours and overnight works arranged where the site requires it. Standard repair enquiries are reviewed within one business day. Email info@commercialswitchboards.com.au with photos and a description of the failure, flagged as urgent.
Nuisance tripping is usually a repair: a failing breaker, a loose termination, moisture or an overloaded circuit. It becomes a replacement question when the board is ageing, out of capacity or the switchgear is obsolete. We diagnose the cause first and confirm the right path before any work is scoped. Not every tripping board needs replacing.
Yes. Fire and water damaged boards are made safe, assessed and either repaired or staged for replacement depending on the damage extent. We document the failure cause, provide insurer-grade reports and photographs, deploy temporary supply where critical loads need it and manage rectification through to certified re-energisation.
Often, yes. Obsolete switchgear can sometimes be sourced through specialist suppliers, replaced with retrofit kits or substituted with current equivalents adapted to the board. Where the gear genuinely cannot be supported, we confirm the staged upgrade path so the site is not left exposed to repeat failures.
Yes. Temporary supply for critical loads, refrigeration, tenants and production can be arranged as part of the make-safe response. Temporary boards and generation are coordinated so the site keeps operating while parts are sourced and the repair is completed.
Yes. Every repair closes with test results, certificates of compliance for the work performed, photographs and a summary of the failure cause. Insurer-grade reporting is provided where the repair is claim-related. Documentation is built for asset registers, insurers and auditors.
Yes. Insurance-driven repairs, including failed switchgear, fire damage and water ingress, are a common entry point. We coordinate the investigation, provide the documentation insurers require, deploy temporary supply where needed and manage rectification once scope is approved. Most insurer-driven jobs are time-critical and are responded to within one business day.
Yes. Make safe, rectification and re-energisation are staged around trading hours and tenants, with after-hours and overnight works where required and temporary supply for critical loads. The goal is to keep the site trading while the repair is completed properly.
A repair restores the existing board to safe operation by fixing or replacing the failed components. An upgrade replaces the board or major sections of it when the installation is ageing, non-compliant, overloaded or out of capacity. A serious failure on an old board is often the trigger for the upgrade conversation, and we confirm which path applies after assessment.
No. Commercial Switchboards delivers commercial and industrial switchboard work only: commercial sites, multi-tenant buildings, manufacturing, aged care and mining. Residential switchboard repairs belong with a general electrical contractor.
Every repair ends with prevention options: a thermal baseline scan of the repaired board, scheduled inspection and a maintenance contract where the asset owner wants ongoing cover. Most switchboard failures are preventable, and the repair visit is the cheapest moment to set that up.
Send through photos, what failed and your site details. Emergency faults are responded to within hours, standard enquiries within one business day.
