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A father, a son, a 4WD ute, and a long list of mates and neighbours who’ve been calling us first since 2011. This is the story of why we started — and why we’re still going.
Daryl Hartwell did 18 years as a sparky for someone else before he started Hartwell Electrical in 2011 — from a workbench in the garage of his Sebastopol home.
The honest reason: he kept doing jobs the way he thought they should be done, and his bosses kept telling him it was too slow. Eventually it was easier to start his own thing than keep arguing about whether to spend an extra ten minutes labelling a switchboard properly.
Fourteen years later, the workshop is still in the garage. Cooper joined as an apprentice in 2021 and is now into his fourth year — A-grade licence coming through in early 2027. There are two utes instead of one. The phone now goes through a proper booking system. Everything else has stayed the same.
About 70% of our work comes through word-of-mouth. The other 30% finds us on Google. We’re happy with that split.
We stay small on purpose. Every job goes through one of the two Hartwells — no subcontractors you’ve never met, no jobs handed to apprentices without supervision.
Founder · A-Grade Electrician
Started his apprenticeship in 1993 with a Bendigo firm. Spent eight years on commercial construction (shopping centres, schools, council buildings) before going domestic. Founded Hartwell Electrical in 2011.
Apprentice · Fourth Year
Daryl’s son. Started his apprenticeship in 2021 after finishing Year 12 at Mount Clear College. Mostly handles smaller domestic jobs — power points, lights, smoke alarms, tag & test rounds.
A short version of how Hartwell Electrical got to where it is — one job, one ute, one extra set of hands at a time.
Daryl quits his job, registers the business, and starts taking calls from a garage workbench. First three months of work are entirely friends and former neighbours.
A café fitout in Sturt Street. Six months of weekend visits from the council inspector. We learn everything we need to know about heritage building wiring rules.
Demand has caught up. A second van means Daryl can split jobs, but he still does every quote in person.
Daryl gets formally accredited on the Tesla Wall Connector and Schneider EVlink lines. The first install is in Lake Wendouree — a Model 3 long-range. Eighty-seven installs since.
Cooper starts his apprenticeship the week after finishing Year 12. The first job they work together is a switchboard upgrade in Buninyong. He drops a circuit breaker into the wall cavity. It takes 40 minutes to get out.
A smoke alarm replacement in Sebastopol. We’ve kept a running list since day one. Mostly because Daryl is a list person.
Two utes, two trade-qualified electricians (almost), one bookkeeper (Daryl’s wife Janine, two days a week). Booked out about three weeks ahead. Open to new work — that’s why this site exists.
Not a brand framework. Not values on a poster in the workshop. Just three things we’ve held to since 2011 — because not holding to them is how trades businesses end up with bad reviews.
If we can’t quote a job upfront, we’ll quote a worst case. You should never be surprised by a number on an invoice. If a job blows out, we tell you before the next billable hour starts.
If you leave a voicemail before 4pm, you get a call back before 5pm. If you call after hours, you get a text within the hour saying when we’ll ring you back. Either way you hear from a person.
Drop sheets down. Tools off the floor before we leave the room. Vacuumed and wiped down when we’re done. We treat your home better than our own ute, which is a low bar but a real one.
A small slice of every invoice goes to four local causes. Not because it makes a marketing story — because the towns we work in are the same ones our kids are growing up in.
Major jersey sponsor. Under 12s & Under 14s, 2024–2026 seasons.
Quarterly contributor to the local emergency hardship fund.
Mentor for first-year electrical apprentices, twice a term.
Free safety-switch installs for at-risk family housing, four homes a year.
If we can’t, we’ll point you to someone who can. Easy as that. Phone’s always answered by a person.