30 May 2026

Electrical work: what can you do yourself, and when do you call an electrician?

Replacing a switch is learnable, adding a circuit is not. The honest line between DIY and professional work.

Small electrical work is doable for a handy DIYer: hanging a lamp, replacing a broken switch or a loose socket. The iron rule: first switch off the circuit in the meter cupboard, verify with a voltage tester that it is genuinely dead, and never work 'just quickly' with the circuit live. If you hesitate at the first wire — no shame in that — a visit from an electrician (€ 85-175 per point) is cheaper than the risk.

The line sits at everything that touches the installation itself: new circuits or changes in the meter cupboard, renewing or relocating wiring, three-phase power and electrics in bathroom zones. Mistakes there are invisible but a genuine fire risk, the installation standard (NEN 1010) sets requirements a layperson does not know, and with damage caused by unqualified electrical work your insurer may push back — policies differ, check your terms.

A fault is the third case: if the earth-leakage breaker keeps tripping or (part of) the house has no power, the meter-cupboard checks are yours to do — reset the circuit, plug appliances back in one by one. If that does not reveal the cause, fault-tracing (€ 100-300 including diagnosis) is work for the professional: they measure where you can only guess.

Did a previous owner (or a younger you) already tinker with the installation? Then have it inspected once — found defects instantly become a prioritised job list. All guide prices are in the price index.