Inspection and sign off?

Good morning spark heads,
I have an issue that I really need help with asap and I'm looking for someone local to me (Worthing West Sussex) to help but of course I'd like to hear from any of you with your thoughts.

I've recently finished a flat refurbishment. Nothing big with really only a few sockets added a towel rail and the cooker repositioned. My electrician did this for me fitted a new consumer unit, bonded and earthed everything and did a good job too.

So strangely nearly 5 weeks later I'm still chasing for the certificate sign off and he is stalling. Not taking my calls and just texting me so he doesn't have to get involved in a conversation and actually explain anything to me. He still hasn't said why it's taking so long. He told me finally last night that he can't sign off his own work anymore and that he is waiting on someone else. I'll get the cert this or next week or I can have my money back. I've told him to send my money back so I should get that this morning.

Something don't sound right here but aside from what ever issues he is having I have a buyer for this flat who has been waiting for 2 months so I need someone to inspect his work, test it and sign it off as safe. I know it's dodgy ground to sign off someone else's work but surely someone can test and say yes all safe. I'm not looking for the work to be guaranteed.

Can anyone offer any insight as to my best way forward and would anyone local be able to help. Obviously I'm paying but I need to keep my costs down. This is my first refurb so I'm not made of money and I can't have this sale go wrong. I'll use this person going forward as I need a good reliable team around me if I'm going to progress in this refurb business in the Worthing area.

Any help or advice greatly appreciated, many thanks
Stuart

And by the way this week would be great but I know I may be being too greedy on that.
Cheers

Any person be it DIY or an electrician should complete either a minor works certificate or an installation certificate when they have completed a job.

However the certificate requires readings to be entered which unless the person has test equipment it would be hard for them to enter the readings.

The BS 7671 wiring regulations which required this are not law but can be used in a court of law. In England from your description of the work the LABC will not need informing and so the electrician would not need to be a scheme member to be able to register the work cheaply as it would not require registering.

If he has done work in a bathroom, or installed a new circuit, or changed a consumer unit then Part P would require the LABC to be informed there are three ways either direct before work starts, use a third party inspector again before work starts or be a scheme member.

You can get an electrical installation condition report from any electrician but if required for the LABC then likely they will stipulate who you can use. These are often used where paper work is lacking for example the electrician dies.

Personally I would be worried if an electrician would not issue a minor works or installation certificate I would wonder why he does not want to put his name against the work done. Only reason is either not done correct or worried about the tax man. So if an invoice has been issued the tax man is not the problem so one must assume not done to standard. The forms are a free down load from IET web site so there is no cost involved.

I had the same with my mothers house no minor works issued. I know why there was no RCD protection on the socket fitted so it did not comply so the firm did not want a record of the non compliant work.

ericmark said:

If he has done work in a bathroom, or installed a new circuit, or changed a consumer unit then Part P would require the LABC to be informed ....

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stuman said:

... My electrician did this for me fitted a new consumer unit ....

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Kind Regards, John

ericmark - thank you for your response. No invoice he did it outside of his employer so probably not bothered about the tax man and also the money has just hit my account so he has refunded me for all the work. I've been chasing him pretty hard so he probably just wants me off his back aswell as not being able to get sign off and he must have lost on the parts as I do have a nice new cu.

When it went pear shaped last night I instantly worried about the work and if there were problems with it but he has done lot's of work locally for people I know including my brother. I guess he could be going through some sort of personal crisis.

Thanks for the info again; what have you done to resolve your mothers issue? I'm still in the position of asking - "What shall I do?"

Anyone?
cheers

Thanks John - so given that my electrician is no more for want of a better phrase, how do I get someone to ok my work?
Thanks

stuman said:

Thanks John - so given that my electrician is no more for want of a better phrase, how do I get someone to ok my work?Thanks

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As eric was implying, you probably have a bigger problem than that. The work undertaken was clearly 'notifiable' (to your local LABC) and your buyer's solicitor will want to see the LABC's 'completion certificate' (or equivalent). If you've been given no certificates, that rather suggests that the work was probably not notified.

Getting another electrician to undertake inspection/testing and providing a certificate (and 'EICR') indicating that the installation is 'safe' would not be a problem (although it would obviously cost money), but that would not help you as regards the notification issue. I would think that all you can do is to speak to LABC, find out from them whether the work has been notified to them and, if not, get their suggestions as to how the matter can be resolved/rectified.

Kind Regards, John

Thanks John, ok I'll try and contact the LABC on this. so a local electrician should be ok with signing off safe for a fee? I'll try a few now.
Cheers

stuman said:

Thanks John, ok I'll try and contact the LABC on this. so a local electrician should be ok with signing off safe for a fee? I'll try a few now. Cheers

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As I said, an electrician would inspect and test for a fee, and provide a report, but that wouldn't constitute 'signing off' the work as far as notification to LABC is concerned. I suggest that you don't even think about anything like that until you've spoken to LABC and found out how they want to proceed, since you otherwise might just waste money.

Kind Regards, John

stuman said:

Thanks John, ok I'll try and contact the LABC on this. so a local electrician should be ok with signing off safe for a fee? I'll try a few now.
Cheers

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Just to be clear - there is a difference between what JohnW2 is stating a new electrician might provide and what the LABC might require.
Under normal circumstances for this type of work I would register the work with my scheme and they would inform the LABC that the work has been completed to the required standard. You would receive an Electrical Installation Certificate and in due course a Building Regulation notice of Compliance from my Scheme.
However, in your circumstances, the LABC will more than likely require you to complete a BR notice application, pay their fee and they may, given the circumstances, allow you to get an electrician in who will issues an Electrical Installation Condition Report - a copy of that goes to the LABC and they issue you with a BR compliance notice.
The LABC could cost you over £250 - add another £100 for the EICR.

Ok thanks for your advice, the LABC is my next call!
Cheers all.

riveralt said:

Just to be clear - there is a difference between what JohnW2 is stating a new electrician might provide and what the LABC might require.

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Very true, but I'm not sure why you felt it needed clarifying How does what you've written differ from:...

JohnW2 said:

Getting another electrician to undertake inspection/testing and providing a certificate (and 'EICR') indicating that the installation is 'safe' would not be a problem (although it would obviously cost money), but that would not help you as regards the notification issue.

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... and ...

JohnW2 said:

As I said, an electrician would inspect and test for a fee, and provide a report, but that wouldn't constitute 'signing off' the work as far as notification to LABC is concerned.

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Kind Regards, John

stuman said:

No invoice

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If you are going into the property refurbishment business, invoices for work you have done are essential, or you'll not be able to account for what you spent when it comes to declaring the profit you made.

he did it outside of his employer

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That may explain why he cannot self-certify Building Regulations compliance, but in no way does it explain why he couldn't have issued an EIC. The only reasons for that would be that either he does not have the ability to test, in which case he should not be doing work like that, or he knows he's done a bad job, in which case he should not be doing work like that.

When it went pear shaped last night I instantly worried about the work and if there were problems with it but he has done lot's of work locally for people I know including my brother.

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Did he give them certificates?

"What shall I do?"

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What you are doing - getting in touch with Building Control, telling them that the electrician has done a bunk and you will not be getting an EIC from him, and asking them what they want you to do now so that they will issue a Building Regulations certificate.

stuman said:

I need a good reliable team around me if I'm going to progress in this refurb business in the Worthing area.

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And another thing you should do is to stop using cash-in-hand tradesmen who don't give invoices, or who aren't VAT registered when they should be, etc, because they are cheap....

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Duplicate removed.
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Why have you just posted a slightly truncated version of your previous post - is this perhaps due to another quirk of the new forum software?

Kind Regards, John