On most older Sydney homes the overhead service line from the street is fixed to the fascia, a barge board or a bracket through the roof. A roofer cannot safely strip and replace the roof around a live service line, so the supply has to be dealt with first. This guide covers what that involves and who is allowed to do it.
When a re-roof needs a disconnection
- The overhead service line attaches to the fascia, gutter line or roof structure that is being replaced
- A service bracket or riser passes through the roof sheeting or tiles
- Scaffolding or edge protection has to go up within the safe approach distance of the service line
- The roof is being changed from tile to metal, or the roof line is being raised, and the point of attachment has to move
- Solar panels have to come off so the roof underneath can be replaced
If the service line comes in underground, or attaches to a wall well clear of the roof work, a disconnection is often not needed at all. Send us a photo of where the line meets the house and we can usually tell you from that.
Who is allowed to disconnect it
The service line and the point where it attaches to your home are part of the connection to the network. Work on them has to be done by an Accredited Service Provider Level 2, authorised for the network area the property is in. Your roofer cannot do it, and neither can an electrician without Level 2 accreditation. We hold ASP Level 2 accreditation and work in both the Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy areas.
Do not let anyone unbolt a service bracket or tie a live service line back out of the way. It is the unfused side of the supply, so there is nothing in your switchboard that will protect the person touching it.
How the job usually runs
- You or your roofer send photos of the point of attachment, the meter box and the roof, plus the planned start date.
- We confirm whether a full disconnection is needed, or whether the line can be made safe another way.
- On the morning the roof work starts, we disconnect supply and release the service line from the building.
- The roofer does the section of roof around the attachment point.
- We refit or relocate the point of attachment, reconnect, test and energise, then lodge the paperwork with the network.
For a straightforward job you are without power for the hours the roofer needs at that part of the roof, often the same day. Where the roof takes several days, we plan the order with the roofer so the section around the service line is done first and supply goes back on that afternoon.
If the point of attachment has to change
A new roof is often the moment an old attachment stops being compliant. A rotted fascia will not take a service bracket, a raised roof line changes the clearances, and some old brackets were never rated for the load. If the attachment has to move or be upgraded, that is Level 2 work too, and it is far cheaper to do while the roofer and scaffold are already on site than to come back later.
Solar panels on the roof
Panels, rails and roof-top isolators have to come off before the roof is replaced and go back on afterwards. That is electrical work, and for the system to stay compliant it should be done by an accredited solar installer who retests and recommissions it. We remove, store and reinstall systems as part of the same job, which saves you coordinating a third trade.
What affects the cost
- Whether it is a simple disconnect and reconnect, or the attachment point has to be relocated or upgraded
- Single-phase or three-phase supply
- How many visits the roofing program needs
- Whether solar has to be removed and reinstalled, and how many panels
- The condition of the consumer mains and meter box once the old roof is off
Book the disconnection when you book the roofer, not the week before. Call or text us a photo of where the power line meets your house and we will tell you what is needed and what it will cost.