How Much Does Surge Protection Cost in Cairns?

The short answer: at Reefline, whole-home surge protection is a fixed price based on your electricity supply.

• Single-phase homes: from $499
• Three-phase: $999

That covers the surge protection device, fitting it in your switchboard and certifying the work. Most homes are single-phase.

Why it’s priced by phase

The size of the device depends on your supply, not how big the house is. A three-phase supply has three live conductors to protect instead of one, which is why the unit and the fitting cost more. That makes a fixed price possible before anyone visits, which is how the 30-second check can hand you a price straight away.

What’s included

• A surge protection device sized for your supply
• Fitting at your main switchboard, usually in under an hour
• Testing and a certificate on completion
• The paperwork, so it’s on record for your insurer

What’s not included

If the switchboard itself needs work before an SPD can be fitted safely, that’s quoted separately and only done with your approval. Examples include a full board with no spare space, damaged wiring, or an old board with ceramic fuses and no safety switches. In those cases it often makes sense to sort the board out and fit the SPD in the same visit.

What affects the price

• Your phase — the biggest factor, as above.
• Space in the board — the device needs room to be fitted properly.
• The condition of the board — modern boards are quick. Older boards can take longer.
• Asbestos — some older boards are mounted on asbestos-cement backing, which can’t be drilled or cut like normal material and changes how the job is done.

Put it next to the cost of replacing things

A single-phase SPD is $499. Typical replacement costs for the gear it protects are roughly:

Appliance	Typical replacement cost
Air conditioner	$1,200 – $3,500
Fridge	$800 – $2,800
Computer or laptop	$600 – $2,500
Oven	$600 – $2,200
TV	$400 – $1,500
EV charger	$1,200 – $3,000

Losing one air con or one fridge to a surge costs about as much as the protection for the whole house. Those are general retail ranges, not a promise about what a surge will damage, but it shows why the numbers stack up.

Is it worth it?

It depends how much you have plugged in and wired in, and how you feel about storm season. Homes with solar, an EV charger, several air conditioners, or a lot of connected gear have the most to lose. If you’d rather see the numbers for your own home, the free check adds up what’s at risk and shows your fixed price.