CCEW NSW: Certificate of Compliance — Electrical Work Guide for Electricians

CCEW NSW: Certificate of Compliance — Electrical Work Guide for Electricians

The Certificate of Compliance — Electrical Work (CCEW) is the cornerstone compliance document for electrical contractors working in New South Wales. Under the Home Building Act 1989 and the Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2004, the CCEW is the legal record that electrical installation work has been performed by a licensed contractor and complies with Australian Standards.

In 2025 and 2026, SafeWork NSW and Fair Trading NSW have increased their compliance focus on electrical contractors — particularly in the solar and battery installation sector, where rapid market growth has led to a mix of highly professional operators and those cutting corners on documentation.

Getting your CCEW obligations right is not complex, but it is non-negotiable. This guide covers everything you need to know.

What Is the CCEW?

The Certificate of Compliance — Electrical Work (CCEW) is a document that certifies:

  1. That specific electrical installation work was performed by a licensed contractor
  2. That the work complies with the Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2004 and relevant Australian Standards (primarily AS/NZS 3000, and for solar work, AS/NZS 5033 and AS/NZS 5139)
  3. The details of the work performed, the property address, and the performing contractor

The CCEW replaced the previous Certificate of Compliance system in NSW and is now issued digitally through the NSW Fair Trading portal.

When Is a CCEW Required in NSW?

A CCEW is required for all notifiable electrical installation work in NSW. Under the Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2004, notifiable work broadly includes:

Residential and commercial electrical installation:

  • Installing or altering any fixed electrical wiring in a dwelling
  • Installing or modifying switchboards
  • Connecting any fixed electrical equipment to the wiring system

Solar and battery installations:

  • Installation of any solar PV system connected to the building wiring
  • Installation of battery energy storage systems connected to the building wiring
  • Connection of an EV charger (EVSE) as a fixed electrical installation

What generally does not require a CCEW:

  • Like-for-like replacement of fittings (e.g., replacing a light fitting with an identical unit, using existing wiring)
  • Maintenance work that does not alter the installation

If in doubt, issue the CCEW. The consequences of failing to issue a required CCEW far outweigh the minor administrative cost of issuing one that wasn’t strictly required.

Who Can Issue a CCEW in NSW?

Only a licenced electrical contractor can issue a CCEW in NSW — specifically, a contractor holding a current contractor licence issued by NSW Fair Trading under the Home Building Act 1989.

An employee electrician — regardless of their individual licence level — cannot issue a CCEW. The CCEW must be issued by the contracting business (the licensed electrical contractor), not the individual tradesperson who performed the work.

For solar businesses using subcontractors, this creates an important consideration: if you engage a subcontractor (another electrical contractor) to perform installation work, that subcontractor should issue their own CCEW for their work, not you. If you’re the head contractor responsible for the overall installation, understand what compliance documentation your subcontractors are required to provide.

Timeframe for Issuing a CCEW

Under NSW requirements, a CCEW must be issued within 28 days of completing the notifiable electrical installation work.

Best practice is to issue within 24–48 hours of completion — while the installation details are fresh, photos are uploaded, and documentation is complete. Waiting until day 27 creates unnecessary risk of forgetting.

Critical: For solar installations, the CCEW and the network notification (to Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, or Essential Energy depending on the region) are separate requirements to separate bodies. Issuing the CCEW does not satisfy the network notification obligation.

What Must the CCEW Include?

A compliant NSW CCEW must include:

Contractor information:

  • Name of the licensed electrical contractor (business name)
  • Contractor licence number (issued by NSW Fair Trading)
  • Contractor address and contact details

Property information:

  • Full address of the property where work was performed
  • Name of the property owner (or occupier where different)

Work description:

  • Detailed description of the electrical installation work performed
  • For solar: panel brand/model, number, inverter brand/model, system capacity (kW), installation location on property
  • For battery: battery brand/model, capacity (kWh), installation location
  • Date work was completed

Compliance declaration:

  • Declaration that the work complies with the Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2004 and relevant Australian Standards
  • Date of issue

How to Issue a CCEW in NSW

Online via NSW Fair Trading Portal

CCEWs in NSW are issued through the NSW Fair Trading Contractor Licensing portal:

  1. Log in to the NSW Fair Trading online services portal (you’ll need a Service NSW account linked to your contractor licence)
  2. Navigate to CCEW / Certificate of Compliance — Electrical Work
  3. Complete the CCEW form with all required details
  4. Submit — the CCEW is recorded and a certificate reference number is generated
  5. Provide a copy of the CCEW to the property owner

Property owner copy: The property owner is entitled to a copy of the CCEW. Provide it digitally (email or PDF) and ensure a copy is retained in your job records.

CCEW and Solar — Specific Requirements

For solar PV installation in NSW, the CCEW obligation exists alongside several other compliance requirements that operate separately:

Network notification

Before connecting a solar system to the grid, the relevant distribution network service provider (DNSP) must be notified:

  • Ausgrid territory (Sydney, Central Coast, Hunter): Ausgrid connection application portal
  • Endeavour Energy territory (greater western Sydney, Blue Mountains, Wollongong): Endeavour Energy portal
  • Essential Energy territory (regional/rural NSW): Essential Energy portal

Network notification is required before connection, not after — it’s not a post-installation compliance item.

AS/NZS 5033 installation records

Your installation must comply with AS/NZS 5033:2021 (the solar PV installation standard). Documentation of compliance — string sizing calculations, labelling records, installation photos — should be retained even though they don’t form part of the CCEW submission.

AS/NZS 5139 for battery

Battery installations require compliance with AS/NZS 5139:2019. The battery clearance compliance, ventilation assessment, and commissioning records should be documented and retained alongside the CCEW.

See our solar compliance checklist and AS/NZS 5139 guide for the complete compliance picture.

Building CCEW Compliance Into Your Job Workflow

The most reliable way to ensure every job gets a CCEW issued correctly and on time is to build it into your job completion workflow — not rely on memory.

In ServiceM8, set up:

  • A mandatory job completion checklist item: “CCEW issued — reference number recorded”
  • A follow-up task created automatically when a NSW job is marked complete, due within 14 days, for CCEW confirmation
  • A notes field for the CCEW certificate number and issue date, stored against the job record

For businesses working across both NSW and VIC (or other states), your job management system should prompt the appropriate certificate type based on the job’s state — CES for VIC, CCEW for NSW, CoTC for QLD.

Common CCEW Mistakes to Avoid

1. Missing the 28-day deadline Set reminders immediately when a job is completed. Don’t batch CCEW issuance once a month — issue within 48 hours of each job.

2. Insufficient work description “Solar installation” is not adequate. Include all equipment details: panel count, panel brand/model, inverter brand/model, system size in kW, connection type.

3. Wrong contractor name Use the exact business name as it appears on your Fair Trading contractor licence — not a trading name or abbreviation.

4. Confusing CCEW with network notification These are separate obligations. Issuing the CCEW does not notify the DNSP — do both.

5. Not providing a copy to the property owner The property owner is entitled to a copy. Failure to provide it is a Fair Trading compliance failure.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Fair Trading penalties: NSW Fair Trading can issue penalty infringement notices for CCEW failures and refer serious cases for prosecution.

Licence risk: Repeated or serious non-compliance can result in contractor licence suspension or conditions.

Insurance exposure: Work performed without a CCEW may create issues with professional indemnity insurance coverage in the event of an incident.

Property owner disputes: A homeowner attempting to sell or refinance a property may discover no CCEW on record for an electrical installation — creating a dispute with the installing contractor.

This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Requirements are subject to legislative change — always verify current obligations with NSW Fair Trading (fairtrading.nsw.gov.au) and SafeWork NSW.

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