DIY Electrical Work - Questions

[AGanga]

I`m a bit ahead of my self here i think but anyway i would like some fair answers. Here are the facts :

I bought a flat and i want to refurbish it. I want to rewire the whole flat and change the consumer unit. I`m a DIY`er and i did work in the building game as a dry-liner for 20 years. Not holding any certificates related to electrical works. Not really a good time from the financial point of view to get a spark to do it so i will attempt this my self. I did all my research about how to do this and i`m confident i can do it. I intend to refurbish the flat and then sell on for a bit of profit, i hope.

Question: Can i do all the works and have a qualified electrician to check and issue a certificate ?

All the wiring will be left in plain eye sight to be inspected first and then plastered over.

 

[deadshort]

Hi, in theory, yes you can get an electrician to sign off your work but, you are under their instruction and superrvision.

If you are asking them to take responsibility you have to agree with their terms and standards. You are infact, a labourer.

DS

 

[sparkwright]

I hate the idea of someone buying a flat, then intending to refurbish it without allowing any money to re-wire it.

I hate the idea of the next buyer buying what he believes to be a newly refurbished flat, which has been rewired by a DIYer.

I hate the idea of the next buyer having to re-do the electrics of his newly redecorated flat.

I hate the idea of you making a quick profit when someone has a DIY electrical installation.

I like the idea of an electrician supervising you doing the first fix, then making ALL the connections himself.

 

[deadshort]

YOU HAVE ISSUES MATE! unless you - paint, do joinery, and fit a B+Q kitchens and your mate will fit the boller? and you have the money to do exactly what the op has done .

DS

 

[ericmark]

Although the Part P now allows third party inspection as far as I can tell non of the scheme providers have taken it up.

So you can mate for the electrician i.e. cut all the slots and plaster up after but you have to find an electrician willing to do it. My son did it once and said never again as it cost him so much time visiting the job when it was not ready for him and he ended up doing most of it himself. This it would seem is a common complaint so most electricians are simply not interested in that type of job.

So the next is the LABC route. This can be split into two, one where you inspect and test and they either accept your qualifications or do spot checks to see it is correct. Or they appoint some one to do the inspection and testing. With the latter the test results go to the LABC and are not passed to you so although you have a completion certificate you don't necessary have the installation certificate. Also you are charged for each inspection so any errors you pay for another inspection once corrected.

The LABC could inspect themselves but rarely do if they inspect then you don't pay any extra but in the main they only verify results where the installer is also testing.

The LABC varies county to county and Liverpool were very helpful Flintshire were not. Liverpool did not ask to see qualifications Flintshire were very hot on it.

Time is another problem. Not sure exactly the maximum but often 2 weeks between you telling LABC you have finished a task and it's ready for inspection to them saying it's been inspected you can start next phase. Access is another problem the number of times when my son was a sole trader he asked me to visit a site as they required an electrician on site when something was done. Be it a LABC inspector or the DNO connecting up the supply.

In theroy it can be done as a DIY in practice it's a different story. Get a firm of electricians in and start to finish two days where site is flooded with labour but DIY it can take two months or longer and if you add up the man hours likely 10 times what the firm will use with the 2 day job.