Petone is the oldest European settlement in the Wellington Region, with settlers arriving in January 1840. It is home to New Zealand's first state housing, the Heretaunga Settlement built in 1906 and now a Heritage New Zealand historic area, along with 1960s Star Flats on Jackson Street and East Street and an industrial area around Cornish Street.
Petone work spans heritage homes that need careful rewiring, apartment blocks, Jackson Street shops and industrial units. We test first, explain what we find and give you a written, fixed price, whether it is a house or a workshop.
Common Home Types in Petone
Petone's housing ranges from the 1906 Heretaunga Settlement, where some Patrick Street houses are individually listed, to 1960s state housing flats. Older houses may still contain rubber-insulated cable that should be replaced, and boards with rewireable fuses and no RCD protection. Heritage homes need care with any work that shows on the outside. The Star Flats blocks have shared supply arrangements, so some work involves the building owner. The industrial area around Cornish Street has workshops and factories that need three-phase circuits, maintenance and test and tag.
What Petone Conditions Mean for Your Wiring
Petone is low-lying, typically less than 5 m above sea level, on young, soft sediment at the mouth of the Hutt Valley. On 20 December 1976 the Korokoro Stream flooded the Cornish Street industrial area almost a metre deep, and more than 40 people were rescued from factory roofs. Any electrics that have been under water need testing before use. A 1993 study placed Petone among areas with liquefaction potential, so securing heavy items near the switchboard makes sense. The foreshore is within the sea spray zone, so outdoor fittings near the beach need coastal ratings.
Electrical Services in Petone
- Commercial Electrician Petone: Maintenance, fit-outs, lighting upgrades and fault finding for offices, shops, clinics and light industrial sites.
- 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.
- 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 Petone.
Working in Petone
Europeans first settled at Petone in January 1840, making it the oldest European settlement in the Wellington Region. It became a borough in 1888 and merged with Lower Hutt in 1989.
Petone is on flat land between the Hutt River, the western hills and Wellington Harbour, and the foreshore was uplifted by a metre or more in the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake.
From Belmont Regional Park and Petone Settlers Museum to the quieter streets, we work right across Petone.
Electrician Petone FAQs
Can you rewire a heritage house in the Heretaunga Settlement?
Yes. We plan cable routes through the subfloor and ceiling to avoid damaging original linings, and keep exterior changes to a minimum. Check with Heritage New Zealand and the council about anything visible outside.
Do you do three-phase work for Petone workshops?
Yes. Our commercial electricians install and repair three-phase circuits, machinery supplies, lighting and test and tag for workshops and factories.
What should I do if my Petone home floods?
Turn the power off at the main switch if it is safe to reach, and do not use anything that has been wet. We test the board, wiring and appliances and tell you what needs replacing before power goes back on.
Why are my outdoor lights near the beach corroding?
Salt spray from the harbour. Coastal-rated fittings with sealed connections last much longer, and a regular rinse of sheltered fittings helps.