converting a stable and the associated electrics

[cliff1010]

Hi can someone offer advice, we should hear shortly if we have planning permission to convert our stable block into a granny annexe. I would like to do as much as possible with the build and now want to know how much I am allowed to do with the electrics.

I believe I need this all signed off by an electrician but am i allowed to do the work and get the final check completed by an electrician or is that a definite no no. if i am allowed to do anything can someone explain to me what that is. Or point me in the direction of where i can find out.

Thanks
Cliff

 

[ricicle]

You need to get a registered electrician on board before any work commences and let him decide what you can and can't do. Most of it I'm afraid will be donkey work (chases, boards, fixing metal boxes etc)[/u]

 

[cliff1010]

Thanks for the reply, yes i should have been clearer thats what i meant e.g putting sockets in ( but not wiring them , lights etc )

it makes sense to get someone on board thansk for the advice.

Cliff

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I would like to do as much as possible with the build and now want to know how much I am allowed to do with the electrics.

You are allowed to do as much as you like, as long as you are competent.

I believe I need this all signed off by an electrician but am i allowed to do the work and get the final check completed by an electrician or is that a definite no no.

That's not how it works if you are doing the work and hoping to get an electrician along at the end to "sign it off" and pretend that he did it.


Different councils have different policies for how they handle electrical work done by DIYers - you'll need to find out what your council does. It's possible that they will arrange for an electrician to do a couple of intermediate inspections and then a final test (at your expense, of course).


//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:part-p


But you will have to know what you're doing, and it's a racing certainty that it involves more than you think it does.

• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/1.1.htm[/list]I suggest you get stuck into the last link right away - it won't give you design ideas, and unfortunately it doesn't refer to the current edition of the Wiring Regulations, but it's free, and will still give you a good grounding which you can augment with more up to date publications.

 

[JohnW2]

Different councils have different policies for how they handle electrical work done by DIYers - you'll need to find out what your council does. It's possible that they will arrange for an electrician to do a couple of intermediate inspections and then a final test (at your expense, of course).

I'm a little confused. I thought that they were not allowed to do that (charge for I&T over and above the notification charge) - even if they didn't have in-house competence and therefore had to commission an 'outside' electrician to do it? ..or did I dream that?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you dreamt it you've been asleep since The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 came into force 2½ years ago....

 

[JohnW2]

If you dreamt it you've been asleep since The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 came into force 2½ years ago....

I see - thanks!

Do you think there is any scope for interpretation as regards the circumstances in which a LA can reasonably be expected to "consider it necessary to engage .... a consultant to provide specialist advice and services"? I have in mind the fact that one could try arguing that a local authority with responsibility for building control should have adequate in-house expertise to deal with bog-standard electrical installations (i.e. part of their 'bread and butter', hardly an unusual 'specialist' situation).

Having said all that, it presumably should not have all that much impact on the total cost to the householder - I don't suppose that LAs are too modest in determining the hourly rate of in-house personnel, perhaps not much lower than that of external consultants. What they obviously can't reasonably do is determine a fee based on use of the time of an in-house inspector and then add to that the cost of using a consultant to do the job!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have in mind the fact that one could try arguing that a local authority with responsibility for building control should have adequate in-house expertise to deal with bog-standard electrical installations (i.e. part of their 'bread and butter', hardly an unusual 'specialist' situation).

You could try.

Hope springs eternal, and all that.

 

[JohnW2]

You could try. Hope springs eternal, and all that.

Indeed. Mind you,as I said, unless they were trying to get away with 'double charging' (in which case one surely could "have 'em"), it probably would not make a lot of difference to the total cost.

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

If you dreamt it you've been asleep since The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 came into force 2½ years ago....

I think Ban could have been a little less rude, but originally, there was no scope for the LABC to charge extra. Then the rules were changed.

 

[JohnW2]

I think Ban could have been a little less rude, but originally, there was no scope for the LABC to charge extra. Then the rules were changed.

There is, of course, frequently some scope for BAS to be less rude, but thanks for reassuring me that it wasn't totally a dream.

As I've been writing to BAS, it might well not make all that much difference, since it's an "either/or" - they can't "charge extra" for a contracted electrician and also charge for the time of an in-house inspector to do the same work.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

A comment with a wink

I think Ban could have been a little less rude

 

[cliff1010]

Thanks everyone for the comments I will if the planning is aproved speak to the council and then decide.

Cliff

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is your development not one now temporarily exempt from needing PP?

 

[cliff1010]

The council officer who came around to photograph it mentioned this to my son ( who was the only one in, he is 21 but didnt take any notes ).
It would only be exempt if we had no serivces.

Water , gas , electric and drains.

I take it if we leave that lot out it's still a stable.