DIY Electrical works, LABC costs legal?

[rogerdygas]

I am planning on doing some diy electrical work and upon looking at my local councils charges im shocked at how high this is and if its legal bearing the below in mind.

Monitoring of Electrical Safety Competent Person Self-Certification Schemes
BD 2612
May 2008
Communities and Local Government


Para 4.5 pages 34 & 35

When electrical installation work is carried out by persons who are not qualified to complete the appropriate BS 7671 requirements for inspection, testing, verification and certification, the relevant local authority building control department must decide to what extent it will be necessary to inspect and test the electrical work in order to verify that the work is safe and complies with all the relevant requirements of Building Regulations. Building control bodies may choose to carry out the inspection and testing themselves, or they may engage a competent electrical contractor to carry out the verification work on their behalf. Building control bodies must carry out the necessary inspection and testing at their expense, not at the householders’ expense. In either of the cases mentioned, a BS 7671 Electrical Installation Certificate will not be issued (as these can only be issued by those carrying out the work). After verification of the work the building control body will issue a Building Regulations completion certificate.

Read more: //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=142623&start=15#ixzz2CkQPEj53[/QUOTE]

My council say it costs £113.40 for the building notice charge and they also say "For electrical work not carried out under a Competent Persons Scheme an additional charge of £410 plus VAT is applicable". Is this legal?

link to application form (states clearly £410 charge +vat) http://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/NR/rdon...05V51112Domesticapplicationformfrom131112.pdf

Link to charges http://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/NR/rdon...77301550/0/BuildingControlChargesDomestic.pdf

 

[Click4]

Ouch, here it's only £250 and I thought that was already high.

And they wonder why people prefer not to notify and break the law

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

I am planning on doing some diy electrical work and upon looking at my local councils charges im shocked at how high this is and if its legal bearing the below in mind.

Obviously you will only be changing like for like/replacing damaged or dangerous stuff then! (£600 plus? sheez!!).

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Monitoring of Electrical Safety Competent Person Self-Certification Schemes
BD 2612
May 2008 Communities and Local Government
.
.

Thing changed in 2010 - see //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:diy-electrical-work-and-the-law#labc-issues

My council say it costs £113.40 for the building notice charge and they also say "For electrical work not carried out under a Competent Persons Scheme an additional charge of £410 plus VAT is applicable". Is this legal?

I believe that they are not allowed to make a profit, so you could challenge them on why they charge that, what they do for that amount, etc.

 

[virgilns]

'They' won't be making a profit, but the contracted company performing the tests will be creaming it in!

My LBCO have advised I can DIY and they'll need to get an electrician to test the work at my expense. They pass the charges on, but I'm guessing it's not going to be cheap.

They have also suggested (twice now as I wanted to make sure I heard it right) that I can do my own design and install work, they inspect the design/cabling/routes/sizing etc and I arrange for my own spark to test the install *for them*.

Technically this IS sticking to the law as I see it, but it's very much in favour of a pragmatic solution to the mess the regs are in!

So far I'm surprised to say I like my council VERY much!

 

[Maxatoria]

Probably some guy who works in the BC office has a cousin who runs an electricians business who charges start at £400+ to do an inspection, so if you think theres something dodgy about the pricing ask who their testing company is and see if anyone on the council or the staff is related and then create some agro as any business relationships should be declared on the register of interests which applies to both staff and the councilors

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Probably some guy who works in the BC office has a cousin who runs an electricians business who charges start at £400+ to do an inspection,

Probably?

so if you think theres something dodgy about the pricing ask who their testing company is and see if anyone on the council or the staff is related

Should he ask them for details of any family relationships at the same time?

Or should he go to the electrical contractors and ask who the owner(s) are related to in the council?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Maxatoria will be expecting DNA testing of all electricians and council officials next.

That could turn up a few surprises

 

[ban-all-sheds]

He might get left a type of sample he wasn't expecting.