The questions I get asked most.

Quotes are free on most jobs and I'll usually get one back to you the same day.

For smaller jobs I can often give you a good indication over the phone or from a photo, which saves us both a trip. Bigger work — a rewire, a switchboard, a kitchen — I'd rather come and look at it properly than guess and be wrong.

Depends what it is, but here's a genuine indication rather than the usual runaround. These bands come from actual jobs I've completed:

Where a job could go either way, I'll tell you what it depends on before I start. And if something unexpected turns up once the lining's off — which in older Wellington houses it sometimes does — I stop and talk to you about it before spending any more of your money.

See what's involved in each type of job →

For urgent work, often the same day — I've had people ring in the morning and been on site within the hour. For anything non-urgent it's usually a couple of days, depending on what's already booked.

If I can't get to you quickly and it's something that shouldn't wait, I'll say so rather than leaving you hanging. You're better off knowing straight away than finding out on Thursday.

Yes — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and public holidays. I've taken plenty of Sunday calls.

If there's fire or smoke, ring 111 first. Then ring me.

If it's safe to get to your switchboard, switching off the affected circuit — or the main switch — is usually the right move while you wait. If you can't reach it safely, leave it alone and stay clear.

Based in Porirua, and most of my work is within about forty minutes of it:

Slightly outside that? Ring me anyway. Depending on the job and the week, I can often make it work. There's a map on the contact page →

Monday to Friday, 7am–5pm.

Weekends and evenings are emergency call-outs. If it can wait until Monday it's cheaper for you if it does — but if it can't, ring me.

Yes. Every time.

Pankhurst Electrical is me — Chris. I'm the one who answers the phone, the one who quotes it, the one who does the work and the one you ring if something's not right afterwards. No sub-contractors, no unmarked vans, no being handed between people who each know half the story.

It does mean I can't be in two places at once, so occasionally you'll wait a day or two. Most people find that a fair trade. More about me →

Yes to both. I'm registered with the Electrical Workers Registration Board and working on a current practising licence, I carry public liability cover, and I've been in the trade over fifteen years.

You can check any electrician's registration on the EWRB public register, and honestly, you should. It takes about a minute.

Yes, where the job requires one. Certificates of Compliance are issued on all prescribed electrical work and I'll email it to you — you don't have to chase me for it.

Keep it. You'll want it when you sell the house, and your insurer may ask.

Six-month workmanship guarantee on everything I do. If something I've installed isn't right, ring me and I'll come back and sort it out.

Fittings and appliances carry their own manufacturer's warranty, which is usually longer. If something fails under warranty I'll help you deal with it.

No. A single socket, a light that won't work, a switch that's come off the wall — that's a normal day and I'd rather do it than have you leave it.

Small jobs are also worth batching. If you've got a list of five little things, get them all done in one visit and you'll pay a lot less than having me out five times.

Very little of it, legally, and less than most people think.

New Zealand restricts what a homeowner can do to their own electrical installation, and most work needs to be carried out or certified by a registered electrician. The rules are there because the failure mode isn't a leak — it's a fire or a fatality.

If you're unsure whether something you're planning is allowed, ring me and I'll tell you honestly. If it's something you can legally do yourself, I'll say so.

Possibly. If you've still got ceramic fuses with rewirable fuse wire, it's doing a much worse job of protecting you than a modern board.

An old board will eventually cut the power in a fault — after the fuse wire heats up and melts. A modern RCD-protected board does it in milliseconds, fast enough to matter if someone's touching the thing that's faulty. That's the whole difference, and it's a significant one.

You'd also want to look at it if you're adding load — heat pump, EV charger, new kitchen — and the board's simply out of room. I'll have a look and tell you straight whether it needs doing now, or whether it's fine for a few more years. More on switchboard work →

Either works.

I can supply everything, which is usually simpler and means if a fitting turns out to be faulty it's my problem to sort. Or if you've already bought lights you like, I'll fit those — just check with me first that they're suitable, ideally before you buy rather than after.

Yes, regularly. Rental inspections, ongoing maintenance, and the steady run of small repairs that come with managing properties. I also do fit-out and maintenance work for small commercial sites.

Managing several properties? Ring me and we'll sort out an arrangement that suits — most managers would rather have one number that answers than a different sparky each time. More on property maintenance →

Ring me and I'll come back and put it right. That's what the twelve-month guarantee is for.

I'd much rather you told me than left a bad review — but if it comes to that, I answer those too.