Electrical compliance software, explained.
What it is, what CertMate covers, and what to look for when you're choosing one for a New Zealand electrical business.
What is electrical compliance software?
In New Zealand, electrical work that meets the requirements of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations has to be certified: a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for prescribed electrical work, an Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC) for general electrical work, and other supporting documents depending on the job, a Certificate of Verification (CoV), a Record of Inspection (RoI), or an Emergency Lighting PS3 producer statement.
Electrical compliance software is the digital tool electricians use to create, sign, send and store that paperwork, and usually the test sheets and records that sit behind it, instead of paper pads, spreadsheets, and a folder of scanned PDFs. The point isn't just going digital, it's having every certificate, test sheet and record for every job in one searchable place, findable in seconds instead of dug up from wherever it was last filed.
What CertMate is
CertMate is electrical compliance software built for New Zealand electricians, started inside a working New Zealand electrical business. It creates, signs, sends and stores CoCs, ESCs, combined CoC + ESCs, CoVs, RoIs and Emergency Lighting PS3s, alongside full electrical test sheets and HVAC installation and service records, all from a phone, tablet or computer.
Every certificate carries a QR code that councils, clients and electricity retailers can scan to confirm it's genuine. CertMate AI, an optional add-on, handles the slow parts: writing descriptions from voice, filling test sheets from a photo of handwritten results, pointing to the right AS/NZS 3000 clause, and summarising your team's output.
Who it's for
CertMate is built for New Zealand electrical businesses of any size, from a sole trader issuing a handful of certificates a month to larger teams with dedicated office staff. It also covers standalone HVAC companies (installation and service records only, no electrical certificates), and electrical businesses that also do HVAC work get both built into the one account.
NZ certificates CertMate supports
Certificate of Compliance (CoC)
For prescribed electrical work.
Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC)
For general electrical work.
Combined CoC + ESC
One job, both documents together.
Certificate of Verification (CoV)
Verifying existing electrical installations.
Record of Inspection (RoI)
Linked to your Inspector Directory connection.
Emergency Lighting PS3
Producer statement plus test records.
Full electrical test sheets
Alongside certificates, CertMate covers the full electrical test sheets that back them, filled in on site and stored against the same job. CertMate AI's photo-to-test-sheet feature can read handwritten test results from a photo and fill the digital sheet for you, for both standard electrical test sheets and Emergency Lighting.
Emergency Lighting
Emergency lighting is an ongoing compliance item, not a one-off install, tied to a building's BWOF. CertMate covers the PS3 producer statement and the test records behind it, so the ongoing testing history lives in the same place as the original certification. Read the PS3 guide →
HVAC installation and service records
CertMate covers HVAC Installation Test Sheets (commissioning a new heat pump or air conditioning unit) and Service Checklists (maintenance visits), with support for multiple units on the same job. Standalone HVAC companies can run on a dedicated HVAC-only plan, with no certificates, Wiring Rules or electrical calculators included since they don't apply. Electrical companies that also do HVAC work get the same test sheets built into their existing account. See HVAC pricing →
AI-assisted features
CertMate AI is an optional add-on covering four features: voice to description (speak your job description and the AI writes it up), photo to test sheet (snap your handwritten results and the AI fills the digital sheet), NZ Regs Helper (ask a regulation question in plain English and get pointed to the relevant clause), and Company Insight Reports (AI-written summaries of your team's output and trends).
It can be added or removed from your plan at any time, and CertMate AI speeds up the boring parts, it never makes the safety call, that's still yours.
Works on site, offline included
CertMate installs as an app on your phone, tablet or computer and keeps working without a signal, filling in and saving certificates and test sheets works the same offline as it does with a connection. AI features (voice to description, photo scanning, the NZ Regs Helper) need a live connection to run, so those specifically won't work while you're offline. See all features →
Record storage
Your certificates are stored securely against your account for as long as you have an active subscription, retrievable or resendable any time. Existing paper or third-party records can be uploaded as Archived Records directly in your account, at no extra charge, so nothing gets lost when you switch.
Inspector workflow
The Inspector Directory lets you find and link your company to a registered inspection company. Once linked, your RoI certificates are automatically associated with that inspector and they can access the relevant records directly, no separate emailing of PDFs back and forth.
Pricing
One flat price of $18.95+GST per certifying electrician per month, unlimited certificates, admins and non-login apprentices free. CertMate AI is an optional add-on at +$4.95+GST per electrician. An apprentice with their own login is a separate reduced-rate seat at $6.95+GST/mo. Standalone HVAC companies pay a flat $9.95+GST per seat. No setup fee, no contract, 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
See full pricing →Switching to CertMate
Start with the 30-day free trial, no credit card required, and no minimum certificate volume. Bring your existing records across as Archived Records so your history stays in one place. Your CertMate certificates can always be downloaded as PDFs and you are never locked in.
What to look for when choosing
- •Which NZ certificate types it actually covers, CoC, ESC, CoV, RoI, Emergency Lighting PS3, not just the most common one.
- •Whether it covers the test sheets behind the certificates, not just the certificate itself.
- •Whether it works properly on site, including offline, not just at a desk.
- •Whether your existing records can come across, and whether you can always get your own data back out.
- •Whether it connects to the job management platform your team already runs on.
- •Real pricing, per seat, with no setup fee or long contract locking you in before you've tried it.
Questions, answered
What is electrical compliance software?
Electrical compliance software is a digital tool electricians use to create, sign, send and store the paperwork required after electrical work, certificates like a Certificate of Compliance or Electrical Safety Certificate, plus supporting records such as test sheets. It replaces paper forms, spreadsheets and scattered PDF folders with one place to generate, store and retrieve that paperwork.
What certificates and records can I create in CertMate?
CertMate supports Certificates of Compliance (CoC), Electrical Safety Certificates (ESC), combined CoC + ESC, Certificates of Verification (CoV), Records of Inspection (RoI), Emergency Lighting PS3 certificates with Emergency Lighting test records, full electrical test sheets, and HVAC Installation Test Sheets and Service Checklists.
Does CertMate connect to job management software?
Yes. CertMate connects to Fergus and Simpro: find your job, prefill the customer and site address, and push the finished certificate PDF straight back onto the job. Included on every CertMate Electrical plan at no extra cost.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Every account starts with a 30-day free trial and you do not need a credit card to begin.
Can I get my existing records into CertMate, or export them out?
Your CertMate certificates can always be downloaded as PDFs and you are never locked in. To bring existing records in, upload them as Archived Records directly in your account, stored alongside your new ones at no extra charge.
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