Regulations on new work

[aflemi]

For several years I have done my own simple domestic electrics (still alive obviously). I recently replaced two bathroom lights with 6 downlights including a higher spec shower one all using new 1.5mm cabling.
Now I am concerned re building regs, if I come to sell the house,how do I stand on this? Will a surveyor pick up on it? Can I get a sparky to certify the work and any idea how much he would charge(probably as much as to do it in first place.......) ??
Thanks in advance.

 

[Cremeegg]

By not notifying the works to your local council you have contravenened the Building Regs. But who is going to tell them?

IMHO most surveyors dont pick up on electrics but you will have to answer some questions through the HIPS process and probably many others through you buyers solicitors.

Few reputable sparks will certify another persons work - in that they cant see what you've done - beware any that will.

To cover yourself get a PIR done on your whole installation by a suitable qualified sparks.

 

[Lectrician]

For several years I have done my own simple domestic electrics (still alive obviously). I recently replaced two bathroom lights with 6 downlights including a higher spec shower one all using new 1.5mm cabling.
Now I am concerned re building regs, if I come to sell the house,how do I stand on this? Will a surveyor pick up on it? Can I get a sparky to certify the work and any idea how much he would charge(probably as much as to do it in first place.......) ??
Thanks in advance.

Umm.

I am not trying to be nasty - I really am not!

This is what gets to me. Your are still here, and thats great. But that doesn't mean the work you have done is to the current BS requirements, and more importantly, safe.

It is highly unlikely to be picked up. I have recently moved house, as have a couple of my relations, and the process sucks.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Now I am concerned re building regs, if I come to sell the house,how do I stand on this? Will a surveyor pick up on it?

I very much doubt it.

But your buyer's solicitor will, because AIUI a standard question now asked, along with "Have you ever been in dispute with any neighbours?", and "Have you buried your first wife under the patio?" is whether you've had any notifiable work done.

At which point you need to consider carefully the relative merits of lying, and creating a liability, or owning up and probably having to stump up for a PIR. Another thing I very much doubt is that Building Control will prosecute you for failing to notify.

Can I get a sparky to certify the work

No.

 

[aflemi]

Thanks for responses, appreciate your views as skilled tradesmen and I thought I might draw some barbed comments. I would stress that I wouldn't touch any electrical work if I wasn't 100pc sure it was safe and I totally understood what I was doing, anything not, I would always call in an electrician. Any idea what a PIR would cost for me complying?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Getting a PIR done will not put you into a position of compliance with the Building Regulations - nothing will, it's too late for that now....

 

[THRIPSTER]

I suspect this might be a wind up. However, if I have read correctly, you have wired an upgraded shower in 1.5mm? If that is the case then I suggest that you obtain some jacket spuds ready to throw on the house when it goes up in flames.

 

[BS3036]

if I have read correctly...

I don't think you did. It's the special shower light wired in 1.5.

I remember reading that there's a time limit on building control prosecutions.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It is, or possibly used to be, 6 months from when the offence was committed.

They were trying to get that changed to 6 months from when the offence was discovered, on the grounds that Building Regs offences may go undiscovered for some time.

Don't know if they did.

 

[THRIPSTER]

Thanks 3036 - a case of not reading correctly.

 

[aflemi]

Tx 3036, yes it is the upgraded showerlight I was referring to. So what you are saying re prosecution is that the only way to avoid the possibility is to have the work totally re-done and certified by a registered electrician?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Or by re-doing it yourself, this time notifying them in advance.

But I wouldn't lose any sleep over the risk of being prosecuted...

 

[ebee]

The way I understand it (and I might be wrong) is that you can have it regularised after the event ( a sort of mitigating your error type thingy) , it costs a bit more but apparently is not VATable so the prices are similar.

Tin hat on now

Apparently 83% of the public are aware of Part P.
MMmm I wonder if that means 83% ish are not?

 

[Pensdown]

The way I understand it (and I might be wrong) is that you can have it regularised after the event ( a sort of mitigating your error type thingy) , it costs a bit more but apparently is not VATable so the prices are similar.

You can do that ebee (no tin hat required ), it's a bit like applying for retrospective planning permission but it's very risky. If the works don't meet the current building regs they will need to be put right/done again before BC will sign them off. This may turn out to be very expensive.

As time moves on I don't know how far BC will take non compliance with Part P because prosecutions aside, without their sign off for other notifiable building works they can list the property/extension as "not fit for habitation". So if during the sellers survey the lender smells a rat who knows what the knock-on implications maybe.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Devil's Advocat

Assume that the work has been done to BS7671 (2001/2004) and not notified but then the naughty DIYer decides to subsequently notify.

Would he (now) have to bring his 16th edition work up to meet 17th edition requirements ??