Switchboard lead time is one of the first questions on any project timeline, and the honest answer is that the client has more control over it than most people realise. The workshop is only part of the equation. Engineering takes as long or longer, and it cannot start until the right information is in hand.
Quick answer
Smaller commercial switchboards can often be delivered within three weeks when all engineering information is provided at enquiry. Mid-size boards run four to six weeks, and large or complex boards take six weeks or more. Most delay comes from incomplete information at the start, not from the workshop: fault level, loading schedule, and single line diagram are the three items that let engineering begin immediately.
In this article
When a client asks us for switchboard lead time in NZ, they usually want a single number. The honest answer is a range, and the width of that range depends much more on how the enquiry arrives than on how fast the workshop runs. This article explains why, and what you can do to put yourself at the short end of the range.
When a client asks about lead time, they usually mean the gap between placing an order and receiving a board. Within that gap there are two distinct phases: engineering and manufacture.
The engineering phase covers design, drawing production, and drawing approval. For a straightforward commercial board, this might take one to two weeks. For a more complex installation, it can take longer, particularly if the project team needs time to review and approve drawings before manufacture begins.
The manufacturing phase begins only after drawings are approved. It covers fabrication, busbar work, wiring, component installation, routine verification testing to AS/NZS 61439, and any final labelling or compliance documentation. For smaller boards, this can move quickly. Larger or more complex switchboards take more time through the workshop regardless of how efficiently the project is managed.
The combined timeline depends on both phases. A board that takes two weeks to manufacture can still take five or six weeks to deliver if the engineering phase is slow, approvals are delayed, or information is missing at the start.
As a general guide for switchboard lead time on NZ projects through Clive Wilson Switchboards:
These ranges assume straight-forward component availability. If specific switchgear, metering equipment, or protection devices are on extended lead times from suppliers, that can affect the overall timeline regardless of how efficiently everything else is managed.
In practice, the switchboard lead time NZ projects experience most commonly comes down to three things, none of which are related to how fast the workshop runs.
When an enquiry arrives without a fault level, without a loading schedule, or without a clear picture of the installation environment, the engineering phase cannot start. Someone has to go back to the client, wait for the information, and then begin. Every day spent chasing missing details is a day not spent designing the board.
See our detailed guide on what a switchboard specification should include for the full list, and our piece on what fault rating a switchboard needs if fault level is still open on your project.
Once design drawings are produced and sent for approval, the project waits. If a consultant or project manager takes a week to review and approve, that week comes directly out of the available manufacturing window. If comments come back, revisions are made, and a second approval round is needed, another week can disappear before manufacturing has started.
Turning drawings around promptly is one of the highest-leverage things a client can do to protect their delivery date. It costs nothing and requires no additional technical work. It simply requires timely attention.
Changes made after manufacture has begun are expensive in both time and cost. A scope change that would take an hour to incorporate at the design stage can require significant rework once a board is partway through the workshop. In some cases, components already fitted need to be removed or replaced.
The best time to finalise decisions is before drawings are approved. Any change after that point carries a time penalty. Changes after manufacture begins carry a significant one.
A board that takes two weeks to manufacture can still take six weeks to deliver if information is missing at enquiry, approvals are slow, or scope is still moving. The workshop is rarely the bottleneck. The information flow is.
The fastest way to reduce switchboard lead time on any NZ project is to treat the information phase seriously. Three steps make a material difference.
A loading schedule lists every circuit in the board, its connected load, and its design current. Without it, the board cannot be designed. With it, engineering can begin on the day the enquiry is received. If a loading schedule is not yet available, provide whatever information is confirmed at that stage and flag what is still being finalised so the design team has something to work with.
The fault level, or prospective short circuit current (PSCC) at the point of installation, must be established before a switchboard can be specified. This is the network operator or electrical engineer’s responsibility, but confirming it early means it does not become a hold-up later. If fault level is unknown at the time of enquiry, flag it specifically, as it is one of the items that can delay manufacture if it arrives late.
Once design drawings are issued, aim to review and respond within two to three working days where possible. The drawing approval stage is a natural pause in the process, and how long it lasts is entirely within the client’s control. A fast approval gets the board into the manufacturing queue. A slow one pushes it back.
Clive Wilson Switchboards can accommodate urgent requests. If your project has a firm delivery date that is tighter than a standard timeline, contact us to discuss requirements. The ability to accommodate faster timelines depends on current workload and the complexity of the board, but we will always look at what is possible.
The most effective fast-track strategy is not to ask for priority, it is to arrive at enquiry with everything we need. A complete brief with fault level, loading schedule, and a clear picture of the installation environment removes every preventable cause of delay before the project starts. Our in-house consulting and design team can help complete missing information where needed.
Clive Wilson Switchboards manufactures LV switchboards, motor control centres, and distribution boards nationwide from our Invercargill workshop. Recent deliveries span Auckland, Northland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Napier-Hastings, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Queenstown, and regional infrastructure across Southland and the West Coast.
The same three-week-to-six-week-plus range applies across every sector we supply: meat works in Auckland, dairy and food processing in Taranaki, Waikato, and Southland, water and wastewater in Wellington and New Plymouth, aluminium and metals processing in Southland, and commercial and light industrial work in Hamilton and Tauranga.
We build on four proven platforms: Schneider Prisma Plus G (accredited builder), Simotrol, Logstrup, and Quantum. Manufactured under our ISO 9001-certified quality management system, with assemblies designed and verified to AS/NZS 61439. Avetta registered and SiteWise certified for procurement on major infrastructure projects. See our case studies for examples of recent delivered projects.
Switchboard lead time in NZ is not a fixed number. It is a range that depends on the complexity of the board, the completeness of the information at enquiry, and the speed of the approvals process once design drawings are issued.
For smaller commercial boards with full information, three weeks is often achievable. For larger or more complex boards, six weeks or more is normal. The single biggest variable is not the workshop. It is the information flow.
If you send us a loading schedule, a single line diagram, and a confirmed fault level with your enquiry, you have already removed most of the preventable causes of delay. Everything after that is within our control.
Smaller commercial switchboards can often be completed within three weeks when all engineering information is provided upfront. Mid-size commercial boards run four to six weeks. Larger or more complex boards and motor control centres take six weeks or more depending on scope, component availability, and the time required for drawing approvals.
Incomplete information at the enquiry stage is the most common cause. When fault level, loading schedules, or single line diagrams are missing, the engineering phase cannot begin, which pushes out the entire manufacturing timeline. Slow drawing approvals are the second most common delay.
Provide a full loading schedule, a single line diagram, and a confirmed fault level (PSCC) at the point of enquiry. These three items allow the engineering phase to begin immediately and avoid the most common sources of delay. Installation environment details (indoor or outdoor, IP rating, form of segregation) also help.
Engineering time covers design, drawing production, and drawing approval, typically one to two weeks for straightforward boards and longer for complex ones. Manufacturing time begins after drawings are approved and covers fabrication, wiring, component installation, and routine verification testing to AS/NZS 61439. Both phases together make up the total lead time.
Yes. Contact us to discuss your timeline and we will do our best to accommodate your project requirements. The ability to compress the programme depends on current workshop loading and the complexity of the board, but arriving at enquiry with complete information is the single most effective fast-track strategy.
Yes, significantly. Changes made after manufacture has begun require rework, which adds time and cost. Finalising all design decisions and approving drawings promptly is one of the most effective ways to protect your original delivery date.
It can. Component availability varies by supplier, product family, and current stock levels. Specialist metering, protection relays, soft starters, and variable speed drives are the categories most likely to carry extended lead times at any given point in time. Where a long-lead component is critical to the scope, we flag it at quotation stage so the project team can plan around it or consider alternatives.
Reviewed by Chris Wilson, Co-Director, Clive Wilson Switchboards. Registered electrician, 15+ years in LV switchboards. Updated April 2026.
