Common property electrical work
Most strata electrical work is on common property: the parts of the building the body corporate owns and maintains. Typical jobs include:
- Common area lighting in lobbies, corridors, stairwells and car parks
- External, pathway and garden lighting
- Emergency and exit lighting testing, repairs and replacement
- Main switchboards, common area distribution boards and metering
- Pool, spa and BBQ area electrical
- Gate motors, roller doors, intercoms and access control
- Car park ventilation fans and pumps
- EV charging infrastructure for owners and visitors
- Fault finding on common circuits
We also do work inside individual lots when owners or tenants request it, and we keep that separate from body corporate work so billing is clear.
How we work with strata managers and committees
Strata managers juggle a lot of buildings and a lot of trades. We try to make their job easier. That means acknowledging work orders promptly, turning up when booked, and reporting back with clear notes and photos rather than a one-line invoice. Where we find something outside the original scope, we explain the issue, recommend a fix and provide a written quote so it can go to the committee if needed, rather than doing extra work without approval.
For building managers and caretakers, we are happy to meet on site, work around resident access and give straightforward advice about what is urgent and what can be planned.
Emergency lighting and compliance
Emergency and exit lighting is one of the most common compliance obligations in strata buildings with common corridors, stairwells and car parks. It needs regular testing to AS/NZS 2293, with results recorded in a log book, and failed fittings or batteries need to be replaced. Coastal buildings tend to see more failures from humidity and salt air, particularly in car parks and external stairwells.
We carry out routine emergency lighting testing, repair and replace failed units, and provide the records the building needs. See our emergency and exit lighting page for more detail.
Switchboards, metering and older buildings
Many strata buildings on the Gold Coast date from the 1970s to the 1990s, and their main switchboards and common area boards are showing their age. Common problems include old ceramic fuses, no RCD protection on common circuits, heat damage at terminations, and boards that have been added to over the years without proper labelling. Salt air and water entry in basements speed up deterioration.
We can inspect boards, carry out thermal imaging to find hot spots before they fail, and provide a written report with priorities. Where replacement is needed, we plan the outage with the building manager and give residents proper notice. Our commercial switchboard service covers upgrades in more detail.
Planned maintenance for strata buildings
Reactive call-outs are more expensive and more disruptive than planned work. A maintenance schedule for a strata building might cover emergency lighting testing, common area lighting checks, RCD testing, thermal imaging of main boards, and inspection of external and pool area electrical. Setting it up once means the committee gets consistent records and fewer surprises.
We can put this together as a maintenance contract with a set schedule, so the strata manager does not have to raise a work order every time. Our strata electrical maintenance guide covers what a sensible program includes.
Lighting upgrades, running costs and EV charging
Common area lighting in many buildings runs around the clock, which makes it one of the bigger items on the body corporate electricity bill. Replacing old fittings with LED and adding sensors to stairwells, car parks and corridors can reduce energy use and cut the number of lamp replacement call-outs. We can provide options and a quote for the committee to consider, and stage the work across budget periods if needed.
Owners are increasingly asking committees about charging their cars in the building. Doing it one owner at a time can quickly overload a building’s supply and create a mess of cables and meters. A planned approach, with load management and a common backbone owners can connect to, is usually better for the building. We can assess capacity and prepare a proposal. Read more on our commercial EV charging page.
Quotes, access and paperwork
Every job over a minor repair gets an upfront written quote. We work to the building’s access rules, protect common areas and clean up before we leave. Work is carried out to AS/NZS 3000, and we issue compliance certificates, test records and job reports that strata managers can file against the building. Stefan runs the jobs himself, so committees and managers have a direct line to the person responsible for the work.