electrical certificates

[jenny63]

i am writing on behalf of my friend who has moved house and has had most of the house rewired. the trouble is she hasn't had any paperwork for the job. who would I get in touch with to find out to see if this 'electrician' is certified?
the lady is nearly 80 and I think really doesn't know what to do and I am trying to help her
thank you

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do you know who the electrician is? Name, address, trading name etc?

How long ago was the work done?

 

[jenny63]

I know his name, not sure about a company name and address but he is local and I can hopefully get the details from either my friend or the builder who recommended him. the job was done in the spring about april-may time

 

[ban-all-sheds]

First step would be to write to him asking for the EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) and to ask why he hasn't notified the work to Building Control - that should have been done within 30 days, assuming he's registered to self-certify. If he isn't he should have notified before he started.

 

[jenny63]

thank you will pass this info onto my friend

 

[ericmark]

Be careful. I jumped in with both feet with my dad's house and we were told by the building inspector it is the property owner who is responsible for notifying the LABC if the electrician is not a scheme member. So stirring things could cost the lady a lot of money to get retrospective permission for the re-wire and getting inspections done.

I really do wish I had kept my mouth closed. I was lucky because work done for mothers disability there were no charges. I was wiping sweat of brow when I had thought it was going to cost my dad £300 for paperwork.

He said although often builders do notify work on clients behalf, they don't have to. If he had found any errors in the work to date it would be up to my dad to correct then take builder to court after.

 

[jenny63]

thank you for that. I wasn't going to speak to this electrician on her behalf, I was only finding out who she should get in touch with to get the paper work. I know she hasn't spoken to the electrician herself only the builder who brought him in to do the work in the first place. obviously this builder probably doesn't want to get involved, but if I knew who she should get in touch with ie whoever is the equivalent of gas safe but for electricians

 

[ericmark]

Rules are a bit odd. The electrician has to pass paperwork to client within I thought 14 days but BAS says 30 days. However that is the builder. There is nothing to say paperwork has to be passed from builder to home owner. And it has been known for builders to hold onto paper work until their paid.

Read pages on this forum and again and again we hear how home owner has fell out with builder and can't get paper work. I have same with council they came and fitted an electric door bell for my mother which required a new socket. At the time rules allowed any socket marked for a special bit of equipment not to have RCD protection so all that was wrong was no sticker saying door bell only. But my attempts to get the minor works certificate from the county council failed. I don't think the electrician ever wrote out the certificate as he would have to say there was no RCD protection. But I can't ask direct to electric firm and council workers don't seem to have a clue what I want.

However when the stair lift was installed I got all the paperwork and this is exempt from Part P. Again done by council.

When the house is sold the new occupiers have to get an EICR which will highlight any faults and some solicitors will either require insurance or hold back some money until a pass is shown. Which will never happen anyway as BS7671 has upgraded 3 times since 2008 and there is always something which an inspector can fail it on. This is done mainly as once failed they are off the hook for anything missed. Some one else needs to do it once remedial work is completed.

So unless there are faults which you can see, I would not be over worried about lack of paperwork.

 

[JohnW2]

...The electrician has to pass paperwork to client within I thought 14 days but BAS says 30 days. However that is the builder. There is nothing to say paperwork has to be passed from builder to home owner. .....

Approved Document P 2013 (England, not Wales) says:

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Be careful. I jumped in with both feet with my dad's house and we were told by the building inspector it is the property owner who is responsible for notifying the LABC if the electrician is not a scheme member.

He should be sacked.

If he cannot read, and understand, the simple words "the person who carries out the work" then he is not competent to do the job.

He said although often builders do notify work on clients behalf, they don't have to.

They do have to if the client does not.

The wording in the law is clear, unambiguous, and very simple to understand.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You should consider installing the Postimage tool - can do much neater boxes.

 

[ericmark]

...The electrician has to pass paperwork to client within I thought 14 days but BAS says 30 days. However that is the builder. There is nothing to say paperwork has to be passed from builder to home owner. .....

Approved Document P 2013 (England, not Wales) says:
View attachment 84877

Kind Regards, John

An interesting change, English rules don't apply to me so not read them that carefully. So can't use a minor works, which kind of makes sense as in England there is very little which requires registering for which a minor works would do.

What is "The certificate"? Is that the installation certificate or compliance certificate? It could refer to either.

However this is for when a scheme member does the work. In my case it transpired the electrician was not a scheme member. The rules must be very different just reading the logo on side of the van is enough for the owner to know he does not need to register the work.

We don't know if work done by scheme member or not. Where LABC has to be involved there is real saving being a scheme member may as well tick the box and let the LABC issue a completion certificate for whole job.

So the electrician gives the builder the installation certificate who with rest of paper work gives it to the LABC as far as electrician is concerned he has done his bit. However if the builder failed to tick box then there is a problem. As we have seen on this forum that simple mistake can be expensive.

In my case builder had failed to contact LABC at all. And we were told in no uncertain terms although builders often do it and end of the day it was the owners responsibility to ensure it was done. For electric work using a scheme member is considered the same as informing LABC.

I think giving the copy to occupier is good as with rented property you then know all has been done correctly. But last time I read Welsh version it was owner, and person ordering the work.

 

[JohnW2]

An interesting change, English rules don't apply to me so not read them that carefully.

It is not a change. The 2006 version, which still applies in Wales (and hence with which you presumably are familiar), says essentially the same....

What is "The certificate"? Is that the installation certificate or compliance certificate? It could refer to either.

Both the 2006 and 2013 versions say that a "Building Regulations compliance certificate" must be issued to the occupant within 30 days - isn't that clear enough?

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

You should consider installing the Postimage tool - can do much neater boxes.

I have appropriate tools - but I did that in haste.

Kind Regards, John

 

[jenny63]

if she cannot get a certificate from this electrician, who should she complain to and what company would list the names of certified electricians?