Electrician in Choi Wan

For anything beyond a minimum-charge visit, yes — two or three. Insist each quote covers the same scope: number of points, certification included, chasing and making good walls, and parts brands. The cheapest quote often excludes certification or wall repair; the comparison only means something on identical scope.

Socket or switch replacement: 30 minutes. New light fixture: 30-60 minutes. New circuit to an appliance: 2-4 hours. Consumer unit/panel upgrade: half a day to a day. EV charger install: half a day. Full rewire of a 3-bedroom home: 3-10 days. Anything involving certification adds paperwork time — ask for the certificate before final payment.

Strongly recommended anywhere, and formalised in some countries (periodic inspection reports, compliance certificates at sale). An inspection typically costs a few hours of labour and reveals dangerous DIY history, degraded insulation, missing earthing, and undersized panels — exactly the defects that are expensive to discover after moving in. Use the report as a negotiation item.

Three usual causes: an overloaded circuit (too many high-draw appliances on one circuit), a short circuit (damaged cable or appliance), or an earth-leakage fault picked up by an RCD/GFCI — often a failing appliance or moisture ingress. Unplug everything on the circuit and reset; if it holds, plug things back one at a time to find the culprit. If it trips with nothing plugged in, call an electrician.

Rewiring is priced per circuit or per property size and is one of the most invasive electrical jobs — walls are opened, and the house may be partly without power for days. Expect a multi-day job costing two to three orders of magnitude more than a service call. Get itemised quotes (per room or per point), and ask what wall-repair 'making good' is included, as that is where quotes diverge most.

The panel (consumer unit, fuse board, DB board) distributes power to your circuits. Upgrades are needed when it uses obsolete fuses, lacks modern safety devices (RCD/GFCI/RCBO protection), trips constantly, or can't support new loads like an EV charger or induction range. It is regulated work in most countries and usually requires certification or inspection — budget for a licensed pro, never DIY.

Per-job pricing is standard: socket or switch work runs HK$300-HK$1,200, adding a socket HK$400-HK$1,500, and rewiring a flat HK$8,000-HK$30,000 depending on size and conduit work. Night and urgent calls carry a 50-100% premium.

Fixed electrical works — anything on the building's wiring — legally require an EMSD Registered Electrical Worker. Plugging in appliances or replacing a lamp is fine yourself, but socket, switch, and circuit work is registered-worker territory. Ask to see the EMSD registration card.