Exactly what install day looks like.
A new electrical panel is one of the bigger things an electrician will do in your home this decade. Here's what to expect, before you book.
Your electrician's job
Eight steps. Typically 2–6 hours. Fully managed.
Pick-up from wholesaler
Your electrician collects your Basis Board from their local trade wholesaler on the morning of install. No shipping, no lead times.
Arrive and prep the site
They set up the work area, protect your floors, and walk you through what's about to happen.
Power off, work begins
Mains power is turned off at the street. Your home is without power for the install window, usually 2–5 hours.
Remove old switchboard and meter
The existing switchboard is removed. If your meter is being replaced too, it comes out now.
Install the Basis Board
The new panel is mounted and every circuit is wired into it. In older homes some cables may need lengthening. This is a normal part of the job, not a surprise.
Power restored
Mains is switched back on and the panel runs its first safety scan. You'll have power again before the electrician leaves.
Safety settings configured
Your electrician configures each circuit's protection settings digitally: AFDD, RCBO sensitivity, Type-B DC, trip curves. Tuned to your home, in software.
Meter installed (if applicable)
If you're getting the Basis Meter, it goes into the supply zone of your panel. About 60 seconds, two screws.
Your job
Three steps in the Home App. About an hour, total.
Most people do steps 1 and 2 while the electrician is still on site, then tag circuits that evening once the kids are down.
Download the Home App
Free on the App Store and Google Play. Installed while the electrician finishes up.
Connect your Panel to Wi-Fi
One-tap pairing from the app. Your panel cross-checks identity with your electrician's commissioning key for security.
Tag your circuits
Walk your home, flick switches, watch the app respond. Name circuits as you find them: kitchen, hot water, spa, garage. This is how your home becomes yours in the app.
Install times
How long it actually takes. Compared to the legacy world.
These are Basis fleet averages, real installs not marketing estimates. Basis is typically 2–3× faster than a legacy like-for-like swap because the panel arrives pre-built and most configuration happens in software.
What we'd rather tell you now
Four things that can go sideways. None of them are surprises if you know.
We hear about these from customers after install. Here they are upfront, so nothing catches you out.
Your home is not a spec sheet.
Two things change how long an install takes: the environment (how old your wiring is, how accessible the cavity is, whether cables need lengthening) and the electrician's familiarity with the product. Basis-certified sparkies are faster than first-timers. Both matter.
The wall around your panel may need touch-up.
The new panel is the same footprint as your old one, but paint lines, old wallpaper edges, and plaster imperfections don't always match up. Most electricians won't quote plastering or painting; those are a separate trade. Factor this in upfront.
Basis is a great product. Your electrician is a separate craft.
We certify every electrician on Basis hardware and software. We can't certify how tidy their finish is. If the finish matters to you, ask to see previous installs before quoting. A good sparky will show you without hesitation.
If your spa shares a circuit with your garage, it'll stay that way.
Basis gives you control over every circuit in your panel, but the wiring behind the wall is already determined by your home. If you want a specific appliance on its own circuit (a spa, an EV charger, a heat pump), your electrician can quote adding one. The Basis Board makes it digital; it doesn't re-cable your house.
Compliance
100% AS/NZS compliant.
Basis meets or exceeds every current New Zealand and Australian electrical standard. The panel is type-tested, certified, and shipped with the documentation your electrician needs for sign-off.
For context: around 60% of switchboards currently installed in New Zealand homes either fall short of current fire egress standards or become non-compliant during installation. Basis was engineered so that can't happen.
Wiring rules. Full compliance. Every install shipped matches the current edition.
Low-voltage switchgear assemblies. Basis Boards are type-tested to this standard.
Fire-proof foam at cable entry. Meets current building code egress standards, a gap in ~60% of boards currently installed in NZ.
Basis constantly self-tests its protection. You get alerted if anything's wrong.