Porirua was planned from the late 1940s as a satellite city of Wellington built around state housing. The first state house in the basin went up in 1949, more than 2,700 were built in Porirua East and Cannons Creek on rolling farmland and gorse-covered hills, and by 1977 78% of the city's housing was state owned. The new city centre was finished by 1966.
Many Porirua homes are now more than 60 years old, and plenty still run on older switchboards. We upgrade boards, rewire where needed, fit smoke alarms and add new circuits, and we look after shops and businesses around the city centre.
Common Home Types in Porirua
Porirua's state houses from 1949 onwards may still have rubber-insulated cable in places and boards with rewireable fuses and no RCD protection. Many have been extended over the years without a board upgrade, leaving little space for new circuits. As the city has grown, newer private homes have been built, generally with modern boards. Many older homes are rentals, where landlords need long-life photoelectric or hard-wired smoke alarms within 3 metres of each bedroom door.
What Porirua Conditions Mean for Your Wiring
Porirua East and Cannons Creek are built on hills, so cable runs to garages and sheds often cross slopes and need planning clear of banks. The city centre sits beside the Porirua Stream, which the council manages with Greater Wellington for flood risk, and Te Rauparaha Park carries stormwater. Any electrics that have been under water need testing before use. Industrial and commercial areas near the city centre bring maintenance, lighting and test and tag work. Wellington Electricity runs the lines network here.
Electrical Services in Porirua
- 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 Porirua.
Working in Porirua
A 2009 survey found the Onepoto and Pāuatahanui arms of Porirua Harbour are still filling with sediment.
Harbour reclamation from 1960 straightened the railway from Porirua to Papakōwhai, and further reclamation from the late 1960s made room for a four-lane expressway beside it.
You will often see our vans near Onepoto Arm, Porirua Harbour and Porirua Stream on the way to a job in Porirua.
Electrician Porirua FAQs
Does my Porirua state house need a new switchboard?
Often, but we test first. Many original boards have no RCD protection and no room to grow. We tell you honestly whether yours can stay and what an upgrade costs.
What smoke alarms does a Porirua rental need?
Tenancy Services requires working smoke alarms within 3 metres of each bedroom door and on every level. New or replacement alarms must be long-life photoelectric or hard-wired.
Do you work for businesses in central Porirua?
Yes. Our commercial electricians handle repairs, LED upgrades, data cabling and test and tag for shops, offices and workshops.
Can you add an EV charger to an older home?
Often, though the board may need upgrading first. We check capacity and quote the charger and any board work together.