Part P Electrical Installation Certification

[RickH]

I have over a couple of years (with Building Regs application ) been building a detached Carport & Garage.
The wiring has been in and working as an RCD protected TT circuit from the house with the ccts local earth rod at the garage end.

Having now finished all the work, had an electrician in, to inspect & certify ..... I asked for what the Building Control dept. said they wanted - 'Electrical installation certificate under part P'
He inspected and tested and advised all was fine, (no surprise as had already tested it myself) he completed a significant document and I sent it into Building Control.
It was a 'Domestic Electrical Condition Report' under requirements for Electrical Installations - BS7671 IET Wiring Regulations.

Today Building Control rejected it, as it was stated as Inspection of Wiring carried out by another.

Went back to the Electrician he said this is perfectly normal process, as long as he thoroughly inspects the installation, he can certify it ..... as can happen if an original guy is no longer around (ceased trading, dead etc|).
Building Control totally refuse to accept this - they insist that the original installation electrician must sign it off, not a 3rd party.

The only other option is I pay Building Control £322 and they then inspect & certify ...... I asked what qualification their guy has that my electrician doesn't .... they said it's irrelevant, it's their scheme that is key not the qualifications of who is doing the work.
They also (and this annoyed) said they don't do it themselves, they just put work to an electrical contractor.
This seems like a money-making scheme for the local authority.

I get the same electrician to carry out Landlord inspections and issue Electrical safety certificates, I asked how are those acceptable to you, as that is on properties he did not install ? ..... told that is irrelevant this is not Landlord Scheme.


Anybody found a way around this - or do I just have to pay £322 (having already paid my electrician once)

 

[EFLImpudence]

Having now finished all the work, had an electrician in, to inspect & certify ..... I asked for what the Building Control dept. said they wanted - 'Electrical installation certificate under part P'

EIC, yes - but it's nothing to do with Part P.

He inspected and tested and advised all was fine, (no surprise as had already tested it myself) he completed a significant document and I sent it into Building Control.

Then you could have completed an EIC.

It was a 'Domestic Electrical Condition Report' under requirements for Electrical Installations - BS7671 IET Wiring Regulations.

All the electrician could do as he did not install it.

Today Building Control rejected it, as it was stated as Inspection of Wiring carried out by another.

Exactly.

Went back to the Electrician he said this is perfectly normal process, as long as he thoroughly inspects the installation, he can certify it ..... as can happen if an original guy is no longer around (ceased trading, dead etc|).

Not if Building Control want something else.

Building Control totally refuse to accept this - they insist that the original installation electrician must sign it off, not a 3rd party.

True - unless the third party has supervised throughout.

The only other option is I pay Building Control £322 and they then inspect & certify

Was the electrical work not covered by the planning application?

...... I asked what qualification their guy has that my electrician doesn't .... they said it's irrelevant, it's their scheme that is key not the qualifications of who is doing the work.
They also (and this annoyed) said they don't do it themselves, they just put work to an electrical contractor.
This seems like a money-making scheme for the local authority.

Surely not.

I get the same electrician to carry out Landlord inspections and issue Electrical safety certificates, I asked how are those acceptable to you, as that is on properties he did not install ? ..... told that is irrelevant this is not Landlord Scheme.

It is up to them - unreasonable or not.

Anybody found a way around this - or do I just have to pay £322 (having already paid my electrician once)

An EICR (condition report) is all that is possible after completion of the work so it would appear that they are being unreasonable - but you have not followed the procedure correctly.

 

[RickH]

>as the electrical work not covered by the planning application?
There is no planning, this is under permitted development

>but you have not done it correctly.
What have I not done ? .... not sure what I did wrong.
I am not a registered electrician, so I could not sign it off, I engaged a registered Electrician to inspect and certify, he said himself done this many times, and never had Building Control reject before.
Seems I have paid him for something that is of no use, other than to agree what I did was all correct.
What else can I do to resolve this ? (of anything)


Strangely I could simply nothing and just never get car-port signed off ....

 

[EFLImpudence]

>as the electrical work not covered by the planning application?
There is no planning, this is under permitted development

Ok. Building Notice or whatever.

>but you have not done it correctly.
What have I not done ? .... not sure what I did wrong.

You should have notified the Building Control of the electrical work (as it is notifiable) before the work was started and they would have said what was required.

I am not a registered electrician, so I could not sign it off,

Yes you could have if the BC had deemed you competent.

I engaged a registered Electrician to inspect and certify, he said himself done this many times, and never had Building Control reject before.

Ok.

Seems I have paid him for something that is of no use, other than to agree what I did was all correct.

Yes, but he has not been able to inspect all of your work - for instance are all the cables buried in an acceptable manner.

What else can I do to resolve this ? (of anything)

You can only do what The BC want.

Strangely I could simply nothing and just never get car-port signed off ....

I am afraid that is correct - but too late now.

 

[RickH]

The fact that Building control advise I can do nothing, ignore it and simply never sign it off ... that is to me absurd ... but that is an option.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The fact that Building control advise I can do nothing,

They say you can pay them money to do again that which you have already done.

Ask them why they do not trust your electrician and how they know one they chose would be better.

ignore it and simply never sign it off ... that is to me absurd ... but that is an option.

That's life.

Them's the rules; it's not supposed to make sense.

 

[RickH]

Ask them why they do not trust your electrician and how they know one they chose would be better.

I did that - they said irrelevant, their scheme means they engage a guy to do the work, that is what is key not individual qualifications.
I did counter with ... ' I thought the electrical installation safety, was what was key' .... not prepared to discuss.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Well - from what you say they are being unreasonable but unfortunately they are in charge.

 

[RickH]

 

[thomp1983]

If your happy to dig in then ask whoever it is you've been dealing with what there complaints procedure is and who to direct it too and go through the formal process of arguing with the council, eventually it'll arrive on someone's desk that has some common sense

 

[JohnW2]

You should have notified the Building Control of the electrical work (as it is notifiable) before the work was started and they would have said what was required.

Will he not (implicitly or explicitly) been part of his application to LABC for the project as a whole?

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Will he not (implicitly or explicitly) been part of his application to LABC for the project as a whole?

He says not.

 

[winston1]

Note the OP is in Jersey Marine which is in Wales. It is much stricter there than in England.

 

[flameport]

I have over a couple of years (with Building Regs application ) been building a detached Carport & Garage.

Any proposed electrical work should have been included with that original application.
The fee charged would have been based on what was stated at the time.

 

[JohnW2]

He says not.

I must have missed that - where we we told that?

Kind Regards, John