Johnsonville sits in a small basin at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge, about 7 km north of the city. It was a small rural town by 1896, grew quickly from 1938 when state houses went up between Broderick Road and Fraser Avenue, and gained 329 state houses by 1956. It was an independent town district until it joined Wellington City in 1953, and it had Wellington's first shopping mall in the 1960s.
Johnsonville's state houses and family homes are now decades old, and many still run on their original switchboard. We upgrade boards, add circuits for heat pumps and EV chargers, and look after the shops and offices around the town centre.
Common Home Types in Johnsonville
State houses built between 1938 and 1956, starting in Bould Street, are a big part of Johnsonville's housing. Homes of that era may still have rubber-insulated wiring in places and boards with rewireable fuses and no RCD protection. Many have been extended with new kitchens, bathrooms and garages, often without the board being replaced. Housing also spreads to the base of Mt Kaukau and over the hill towards Newlands, with later homes generally wired in plastic-sheathed cable. Any new or altered circuit needs RCD protection, so a renovation is a good time to upgrade.
What Johnsonville Conditions Mean for Your Wiring
Johnsonville is a basin surrounded by hills, and homes on the western slopes towards Mt Kaukau sit on steep sections where cable runs to garages need planning. Wind on the higher streets calls for outdoor lighting with firm fixings and weatherproof ratings. The town centre, with its shopping centre, the Waitohi community hub and Keith Spry Pool, brings commercial work such as lighting upgrades, maintenance and test and tag. Wellington Electricity runs the lines network here.
Electrical Services in Johnsonville
- Emergency Electrician: Power out, sparks, a burning smell or a breaker that will not reset?
- Electrical Repairs: Tripping RCDs, dead power points, flickering lights and faulty switches traced to the cause and repaired, not just reset.
- Switchboard Upgrades: Old fuse boards replaced with a modern switchboard, circuit breakers and RCD protection, inspected and certified.
- House Rewiring: Full and partial rewires for villas, bungalows and older homes, replacing tired rubber-insulated or overloaded wiring.
- Power Points: Extra power points, USB sockets, outdoor weatherproof outlets and new circuits for heat pumps, spa pools and workshops.
- Extractor Fans: Bathroom extractor fans and kitchen rangehoods wired and ducted outside, to move steam and damp out of the house.
- CCTV Installation: Home and business security cameras and CCTV, wired or wifi, with recorder setup, outdoor cabling and phone viewing.
- Oven and Cooktop Installation: Ovens, induction cooktops and new kitchen circuits connected safely, including upgrades from gas or older electric hobs.
- Electrical Inspections: Electrical safety inspections and pre-purchase checks with a written report, covering the switchboard, wiring, RCDs and earthing.
- Smoke Alarm Installation: Hard-wired and long-life photoelectric smoke alarms installed in the right places, including rentals that must comply.
- LED Lighting: LED downlights, pendant and feature lighting, dimmers and smart switches, planned around how each room is used.
- Outdoor Lighting: Garden, deck, driveway and security lighting, with sensors and timers, wired safely for the outdoors.
- EV Charger Installation: Home EV chargers installed on a dedicated, properly protected circuit, with a switchboard check and certificate.
- Solar Panels: Solar panel systems and home batteries sized to your power use, installed and connected by licensed electricians.
- Commercial Electrician: Maintenance, fit-outs, lighting upgrades and fault finding for offices, shops, clinics and light industrial sites.
- Test and Tag: Portable appliance testing and tagging for workplaces, with a full register of results for your records.
- Data Cabling: Network and data cabling for homes and offices: Cat6 points, comms cabinets, wifi access points and TV outlets.
Not sure what you need? Read the electrician prices guide or book an electrician in Johnsonville.
Working in Johnsonville
A reservoir was built in 1912 for water supplied from Ohariu Valley, and sewage went to a septic tank in Ngauranga Gorge until a main sewer was completed in 1953.
Johnsonville was an independent town district from 1908 until it joined Wellington City in 1953.
From Daisy Hill Farm House and Keith Spry Pool to the quieter streets, we work right across Johnsonville.
Electrician Johnsonville FAQs
Does my Johnsonville state house need rewiring?
Some do and some were rewired years ago. We inspect the ceiling, subfloor and board, look for rubber-insulated cable and tell you whether a full or partial rewire is needed.
Can I add an EV charger to my older home?
Often, but the board may need upgrading first. WorkSafe guidance calls for a dedicated circuit with Type B RCD protection, or a Type A RCD with an RDC-DD. We check the board and quote both if needed.
Do you work on shops in Johnsonville?
Yes. Our commercial electricians handle repairs, LED lighting upgrades, data cabling and test and tag for shops and offices.
Who checks a new switchboard?
A main switchboard replacement is high-risk work, so a licensed electrical inspector checks it before it is livened. You receive a Certificate of Compliance and a record of inspection.