Notifiable electrical work

[Cowboylecky]

I consider myself a reasonably competent DIYer, and have some City & Guilds qualifications in electrics (Part P (2393), 18th edition Regs (2382), and Inspection & Testing (2391-52)).
I am a property landlord and do my own electrics on my own properties. I would like to undertake notifiable work, namely replacing consumer units and installing new circuits, and feel competent to do so.

My understanding of the Part P regs is that there are 3 ways to comply with building regulations:
1. Be registered with a trade body and self certify.
2. Have the work inspected and certified by an electrician registered with the Third Party Certification Scheme.
3. Notify Building Control directly for them to inspect and certify.

None of these 3 options work for me:

1. I will only be doing work on my own properties and will never do enough work to justify the cost of registering with a trade body.
2. I've never found an electrician who is a member of the TPC. Is there a register?
3. Building Control don't want to know.

I'm fully in favour of maintaining high standards in electrics, and preventing diyers with no knowledge from doing electrical work.
But the point I'm making is that despite the information on the gov.uk website, and also from some training establishments, options 2 and 3 don't work.

 

[JohnW2]

My understanding of the Part P regs is that there are 3 ways to comply with building regulations:
1. Be registered with a trade body and self certify.
2. Have the work inspected and certified by an electrician registered with the Third Party Certification Scheme.
3. Notify Building Control directly for them to inspect and certify.

It's the Building Regs, per se, rather than 'Part P' (which is just one sentence therein) but, yes, those are the three options.

None of these 3 options work for me:
1. I will only be doing work on my own properties and will never do enough work to justify the cost of registering with a trade body.
2. I've never found an electrician who is a member of the TPC. Is there a register?
3. Building Control don't want to know.

I can understand (1) and, as for (2), you have discovered the problem. There apparently are a few prepared/able to do 3rd-party certification but, even if you could find one, if they did it conscientiously (involving a lot of 'supervision') it might well not cost a lot less than would getting them to do the work and then 'self-certifying' (really 'self-notifying') it.

I don't understand (3). Anyone can notify electrical (or any other notifiable) work to LABC and, as far as I am aware, they are then obliged to accept that notification and 'deal with it' as appropriate. However, the notification fees of some LAs are so high as to render the approach non-cost-effective, other than for the largest of jobs (e.g. complete re-wires).

That's how I understand it, anyway. Others may have other ideas.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

Your option (3) LABC I have also had problems with, I used them for one job, in Wales so fee fixed £100 plus vat for first £2000 worth of work, however the law changed, allowing English LABC to set their own rates, and in Wales they can also charge for third party inspectors on top of the £100.

So to use the LABC you have to convince them you have the skill to inspect and test, other wise they charge for third party inspectors, I had C&G 2391, and all the test instruments all in calibration, but we had a real problem getting the inspector to accept we had the skill to inspect and test.

It ended up with my son (who also has his 2391 and at that time was insured to do electrical work) to say to the LABC inspector, "OK seems we must have a third party inspector, but he clearly must be higher qualified then us, or it would just cause an argument if he fails anything, and my dad has a degree." only then did he back down and allow us to do the whole job.

But son had done work in Cheshire and Liverpool without a problem, only Flintshire caused a problem. I think it was the DIY label, had we been doing it for Joe down the road I think the LABC inspector would have just accepted we had the skill, it was because it was for a family member.

So if you did electrical work for another landlord likely no problem, it is the doing of the work for yourself. And getting the LABC to accept your signature.

To be frank I can see the problem, the LABC inspector often does not have the skill, so can't inspect electrics, and he is worried you as the landlord may cut corners. But if the LABC tell you in writing they do not want to inspect, your home free, as with any health and safety thing must be in writing, the inspector doing my extension authorised it to be longer to miss the drain, they can do things like that. It is the insisting that an electrician on their list does an EICR before they issue the completion certificate which is the problem. Can't be commissioned by you, the guy doing the EICR has to be commissioned by the LABC, and billed to you, so often costs more to get the completion certificate than to do the work.

Best of it, some 5 years latter came to sell the house, and could not lay my hands on the paperwork, so applied to council for replacements, told it would take 4 months, and cost the time it took them to find them, it seems only way to get council to produce them would be a court order, it is clearly no more than a tax.

But you have no option, you pay the LABC their extortionately rates, or you use a scheme member, and every one is the same.

 

[flameport]

Third Party Certification Scheme.

Those that provide that service can be found here: https://search.napit.org.uk/
select the options 'electrical', 'domestic' and 'tpc'

 

[Taylortwocities]

Note that the regime for TPC is similar to raising a building notice with LABC.

The TPC electrician will want to approve the work BEFORE IT STARTS.
He/she may need to inspect the work at certain stages and will be responsible for testing and notification.

There is NO scope for you to install new circuits & consumer units and then expecting the TPC electrician to “sign it off” retrospectively.

Fir most registered electricians the TPC scheme is a right PITA. That’s why not many electricians have taken it up.