How much does an electrical switchboard cost?
It is the question we hear most — and it deserves an honest answer: it depends. A custom switchboard can cost as much as a household appliance or as much as a car, because every board is built for a specific project. But "it depends" is no answer at all unless we say on what — so here is exactly what determines the price, and how to get a firm number quickly.
Why there is no price list
A custom board is not an off-the-shelf product: it is sized to your project’s single-line diagram. Two boards with the same enclosure size can have very different prices inside. Comparing switchboard prices without comparing what is inside is comparing different projects.
The 5 factors that weigh most on the price
- Current and size — a 100 A sub-board and a 2500 A QGBT are different worlds in busbars, protections and structure;
- Gear — the number of outgoing circuits and the ranges and brands chosen (breakers, contactors, drives) are usually the biggest share of the cost;
- Enclosure — dimensions, material and the ingress-protection (IP) rating demanded by the environment where the board will live;
- Functions — control and signalling, energy metering, power-factor correction, automation: each function adds gear and wiring;
- Testing and documentation — testing to IEC 61439, the test report and CE marking are part of a properly built board. Be wary of quotes where this part is missing.
“Identical” gear that is not identical
One factor misleads a lot of people: apparently similar equipment can have very different technical characteristics — and very different prices. A “63 A” breaker can exist with a breaking capacity of 6 kA or 50 kA; a residual-current device can be type AC, A or B; a contactor is sized by its utilisation category, not just its current. These differences are invisible in a product photo, but they determine whether the board withstands the real conditions of your network — and they weigh heavily on the bill.
This is also why two quotes “for the same board” can be far apart: often they are not quoting the same gear. When comparing proposals, compare the technical characteristics — not just the rated currents and the number of outgoing circuits.
How to get a firm quote, fast
To turn your question into a number, we need one of these starting points:
- The project’s single-line diagram (ideal); or
- The specification; or
- Failing those, a list of outgoing circuits (how many, what currents) and where the board will be installed.
Where you can save (and where you never should)
With one of those, we size the gear and return a technical and commercial proposal — scope, gear, lead time and price — refined with you before any manufacturing.
You can optimise: gear ranges suited to real use, standard enclosure sizes, grouping a project’s boards into one production run. You never cut: protections, testing and certification — a switchboard is safety equipment, and cheap there always ends up expensive.
Frequently asked questions
Does a small board have a minimum cost?
Yes — even a simple board involves sizing, assembly, wiring and testing. That is why a custom board, however small, always has a manufacturing cost base.
How long does a quote take?
With the single-line diagram or specification in hand, we return the proposal quickly — with a firm manufacturing lead time included.
What makes the price climb fastest?
The number of outgoing circuits and the gear range. That is where a technical conversation with the panel builder pays off most: matching the gear to the board’s real use avoids overpaying without cutting safety.