Question 1

How quickly can you get a sparky to Hawthorne or my Brisbane suburb?

Accepted Answer

Standard call-outs are scheduled within one to two business days across the 180+ Brisbane suburbs we cover. Genuine electrical emergencies — no power to a section of the house, smoke or burning smells from an outlet, a dropped main switch that won't reset — are prioritised same-day. Call us on the office line and tell whoever answers what's actually happening; they'll triage and either get someone to you that day or book the next available slot. We don't run a separate emergency call-handler — every call comes through the same team.

Question 2

Are your electricians licensed and insured?

Accepted Answer

Yes — every electrician working on a RTL Trades job carries the licence the work legally requires, and we hold the full insurance an electrical contractor needs to operate in Queensland. Our QBCC licence (QBCC: 15129925) is on every quote and invoice we issue. When the work requires a Certificate of Testing and Compliance, we issue it. That paperwork matters for safety switches, rental compliance, real estate sales and insurance claims — keep it on file.

Question 3

Do you do small jobs, or only big rewires?

Accepted Answer

Both. A single power-point swap, a ceiling fan install, a flickering light — those are bread-and-butter jobs and we'd rather you call us than DIY. We also do full rewires, new-build wiring, switchboard upgrades and three-phase commercial installs. We charge appropriately for the job size so the small ones don't feel punished by minimum call-out fees. Tell us the scope when you book and we'll quote it cleanly.

Question 4

What's involved in upgrading my switchboard?

Accepted Answer

Older Brisbane homes often have switchboards that pre-date modern safety standards — no safety switches, ceramic fuses, asbestos backing on some 1960s-1970s boards. We'll assess what you have, recommend the upgrade scope (whether that's adding an RCD circuit, a partial board upgrade or a full replacement), and quote it. The job itself is usually a single day with a short power outage. We coordinate with Energex on the disconnection and reconnection side if your board requires it.

Question 5

Can you do safety switches and smoke alarms for my rental property?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Queensland's smoke alarm legislation requires interconnected photoelectric alarms in every bedroom, between bedrooms and exits, and on each level of the home. We install to that standard for owners and property managers, and we issue the compliance paperwork your insurer and the RTA need. Same for safety switches — required for both power and lighting circuits in rental properties. We can do this as a one-off or build it into a scheduled inspection routine across a portfolio.

Question 6

Do you handle commercial electrical work?

Accepted Answer

Yes — including three-phase, switchboard work, light-and-power rough-ins for new commercial fitouts, EV charger installation, and ongoing scheduled electrical maintenance for facilities managers. Because we run plumbing, roofing and carpentry under the same business, a commercial site can usually book the lot through one point of contact rather than coordinating multiple separate trades. Tell us what the scope and site is and we'll come and have a look.

Question 7

Do you give written quotes before starting?

Accepted Answer

Yes for anything beyond a basic call-out. Smaller jobs (a power point, a light fitting, a fan install) are usually a fixed call-out plus a per-job amount we'll confirm before starting. Larger jobs (rewires, board upgrades, EV charger installs) get a written quote on email after we've seen the site or had a detailed phone scope. If the scope is genuinely unknown until we open the wall, we'll quote a starting figure and tell you upfront what could push it higher.

Electrician Hawthorne

Electrician Hawthorne by RTL Trades.

Plumbing

Electrical

Roofing

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