Where the time goesFive office jobs AI handles well for sparkies
- Quotes and scopes. AI reads specifications, scope documents and builder emails, lists inclusions and exclusions, spots items the scope doesn't cover, and drafts the quote letter. Counting fittings from drawings is still best done in estimating software, and prices come from your own rates.
- Builder instructions and variations. Site instructions arrive by email, text and in conversation. AI captures each one against the job, drafts the variation the same day, and keeps a register so less work gets done and never billed.
- Progress claims. As a subcontractor you're usually covered by Victoria's security of payment laws. AI can draft each month's claim from job data with the wording the Act requires, and track when the builder's payment schedule is due.
- Solar and battery paperwork. Jobs under Solar Victoria programs come with their own requirements, including installer accreditation and the customer's QR code. AI can run a checklist on every job so missing paperwork is caught before it holds up the rebate.
- Technical questions from your own documents. AI can answer from your procedures, manufacturer instructions and past jobs, pointing to the document it used, so apprentices get an answer without ringing the boss.
Certificates of Electrical SafetyWhat AI can prepare, and what stays with the electrician
In Victoria a Certificate of Electrical Safety is a legal document recording the electrical work done, and Energy Safe says failing to meet the certificate requirements is a criminal offence. Certificates are completed electronically through ESVConnect, and work done for profit is certified under a registered electrical contractor.
Prescribed work, which includes consumer mains, solar and battery systems, high-voltage work and hazardous areas, must also be inspected by a licensed electrical inspector before it's connected. For non-prescribed work, copies go to the customer and Energy Safe within a month of completion.
AI can list which completed jobs need a certificate, pre-fill the details from the job record, chase the electrician for anything missing, and track every deadline. It must never invent a test result. The licensed electrician enters the results, completes the certificate and submits it.
Getting paidSecurity of payment claims, on time and in the right form
Under Victoria's Security of Payment Act, a payment claim must identify the work, state the amount and say it is a payment claim under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002. Since 15 April 2026 you can make one claim a month, served from the last day of the month.
If the builder doesn't give a payment schedule within 10 business days, they become liable for the full amount claimed. That makes on-time, correctly worded claims worth real money. AI can draft them from your job data each month and remind you when a schedule is overdue. This is general information, not legal advice.
A sensible first projectA variations and claims register
Every builder email and site instruction is read into one register against the right job. Variations are drafted the same day for you to approve, and at the end of the month the register becomes a draft payment claim with the required wording.
It's narrow, it uses information you already receive, and it cuts the chance of work slipping through unbilled. Once it's working, the same register can track which jobs still need a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
SystemsWorks with the software electricians already run
Simpro was started in 2002 by an electrical business owner and a software engineering student, and it still sells to electrical contractors, as do AroFlo, Fergus, ServiceM8 and Tradify. AI works with these systems rather than replacing them. If you run Simpro, see using AI with Simpro.
5 questionsQuestions we hear
Can AI fill in a Certificate of Electrical Safety?
It can pre-fill the job details and check for gaps, but the licensed electrician must enter the test results, complete it and submit it through ESVConnect. AI should never generate test results.
Can AI quote from electrical drawings?
Partly. AI is good at reading specifications and scope documents, finding gaps and drafting the quote. Counting symbols on drawings is more reliable in estimating software built for takeoffs. Combine the two, and price from your own rates.
Can AI write our progress claims to builders?
Yes, as drafts. AI can build each month's claim from job data and include the wording the Act requires, so claims go out on time and in the right form. Check each claim before it's served. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can AI answer technical questions about the Wiring Rules?
Use it carefully. AI tools can be wrong on clause-level detail. Point AI at your own procedures and the manufacturer documents you hold, have it show where each answer came from, and check the standard itself for anything that matters.
What does it cost to start using AI in an electrical business?
Workshop AI's Claude for Owners starts at A$1,500 and Claude for Business at A$2,500, both fixed price. Custom builds, such as a variations and claims register connected to your job system, start from A$4,400 a month on a month-to-month retainer, or can be scoped as a fixed-price project. All prices exclude GST.
Working with Workshop AIFixed prices, one real problem first
We start with a free 30-minute chat, in person around Melbourne or by video, then fix one real problem end to end before anything bigger is on the table. No lock-in. All prices in AUD, excluding GST.
| Claude for Owners | A$1,500 | Two one-on-one video sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Claude for Business | A$2,500 | Set up and running within a week |
| Discovery | A$3,600 | Four stages, about a month |
| Custom Builds | From A$4,400 a month | Monthly retainer or fixed-price project |
| Document Standard | A$2,000 as an add-on, A$2,750 on its own | Two weeks |
MoreRelated pages
SourcesWhere these facts come from
Rules and figures on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Rules change, so check the source before relying on them.
- Building and Plumbing Commission: Overview of security of payment
- Solar Victoria: Installer requirements
- Energy Safe: Certificates of Electrical Safety for consumers
- Energy Safe: ESVConnect Certificates of Electrical Safety
- Energy Safe: Prescribed and non-prescribed work
- Building and Plumbing Commission: Making a payment claim under the SOP Act
- Building and Plumbing Commission: Changes to the security of payment scheme
- Building and Plumbing Commission: Responding to a payment claim under the SOP Act
- Simpro: About us