Part P inspection fees.

[Bradder5]

I wish to install an electric shower at home. I am aware this falls under the notifialbe work as listed in the approved document part P.

I am having a few issues with my local authority building control as regards to fees.

As I plan to do this work myself, they wish to charge me £35 + vat for the building notice. This is fair enough. They then wish to charge a further £170 for the inspection of the work.

I have questioned them about this but keep being fobbed of with take it or leave it type attitude.

My bone on contention is that section 1.26 on page 11 of the approved document makes it clear that the building control body is to bear the cost of any testing and not the householder.

Has anyone else had any dealings with their Building Control over testing fees for DIY work?

 

[JackTheCat]

Listen mate, just get the shower installed and dont get BC involved.
Honestly, i just dont know what you people are taking sometimes.

 

[RF Lighting]

Listen mate, just get the shower installed and dont get BC involved.
Honestly, i just dont know what you people are taking sometimes.

Maybe Mr bradder5 wants to do the job properly, legally and safely. How can you advise someone to not do the job properly?

The testing by LABC may* find a fault with the installation that would have gone unnoticed until someone gets seriously hurt.






*Not suggesting that there will be a fault, but you never know

 

[JackTheCat]

I know what your saying but the world is full of "what ifs"
If its just a shower circuit use a certified contractor, at least then the suit in the middle wont get their pound of.

RF Lighting
In other words would you advise this man to pay an extra £200 for the shower?

 

[Spark123]

RF Lighting
In other words would you advise this man to pay an extra £200 for the shower?

Yup, on another note would it be good advice to say it is OK to break the Law? If the extra £200 keeps him legal then so be it, if he wants to avoid this cost and break the law it is his own decision which he will have to make, not one for anyone else to make for him.

 

[JackTheCat]

I give up, it must be the part of the country that i live in.
Next time i wanna add a socket i will make sure i have a spare £300 or so knocking about.

I havent got a problem with this guy paying out if he wants to, if you look at my reply my grievance is the people he wants to pay it to.

and if you look at his post you will see that he is getting messed around by BC anyway, instead of him telling them where to go, all you 2 can come on here and say, "yes better off pay it"

 

[Spark123]

Yes, I did read his post and your reply. My viewpoint which I hope is consistent across the board is I will tell anyone how to do the job correctly and safely, I will also tell them if there is a legal impact associated with the work they wish to carry out which in this case he already knew. Wether or not they wish to take on board this advice and notify is entirely his own decision, not mine to make for them. Just because he is being messed about by LABC does not justify breaking the law, nor does it entitle anyone to make the decision of breaking the law for him.

 

[Bradder5]

Thanks for your replies guys.
Let me clarify it a bit further.... I have no intention of paying an extortionate amount of money to BC, but rather get a certified leccie to do the install if I have to. Yes, I could quite easy put the shower in , and no one would be any the wiser. However, for peace of mind, I would rather get it done by the book, as I plan to rent the property out at some stage.
Part P was not about outlawing DIY installations, but making sure they are safe.
My problem is that the approved document clearly states that all costs associated in inspection and testing work done by a DIYer is to be at the BC's expense not the householders.
This was also reiterated in a circular from Anne Hemming of ODPM to all councils dated 30/3/06 http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1165013 see section C7 on page 19

 

[JackTheCat]

Bradder5
I am so glad that you have got common sense and saved yourself £200 in the process.
You will get used to the guys on here giving advice like that, its sort of a broken record thing, im convinced half of them are building inspectors.

 

[cucumber]

I am having a few issues with my local authority building control as regards to fees.

As I plan to do this work myself, they wish to charge me £35 + vat for the building notice. This is fair enough. They then wish to charge a further £170 for the inspection of the work.

I have questioned them about this but keep being fobbed of with take it or leave it type attitude.

My bone on contention is that section 1.26 on page 11 of the approved document makes it clear that the building control body is to bear the cost of any testing and not the householder.

I don't think you're being fobbed off
Most councils charge a fee for a building notice and a fee for inspection. Yours charging appx £200 for a notice and inspection doesn't sound too unreasonable.

I think you have got the part in the ODPM circular slightly wrong. BC are only allowed to only charge their normal inspection fee which I think is what they're doing. They will have to hire a qualified electrician (at their expense) to do the actual testing.


If checking over your work is just for a peace of your own mind then why not install it yourself and pay an electrician for periodic inspection report. This would look at your shower as well as the rest of the installation too (handy if you'll be renting the place out).

 

[Bradder5]

This is my gripe. I have no problem paying the £35 for the building notice application. Its the fee they ask for the inspection and testing after that is the problem. Section 1.26 of the approved document clearly states its the BC who must bear the cost of this.

 

[salem2000]

Slap a copy of this on their desk and tell them to read Page 11

Click Here

If they still won't test and inspect, ask for the reason in writing as you wish to take legal advice.

Salem.

 

[Pensdown]

My bone on contention is that section 1.26 on page 11 of the approved document makes it clear that the building control body is to bear the cost of any testing and not the householder.

Although you are correct in your interpretation, do you really think your LABC department will make themselves out of pocket? Of course not. If they incur costs meeting the requirements of PP they will have to pass them on somehow.

What they are saying is the cost for an electrical submission is 35+170. You pay them and they "bear the cost of testing" even though you have indirectly paid for it.

 

[Bradder5]

But that is not what they are saying.
They list the inspection costs seperatly and have a scale of costs depending on the number of circuits there is to inspect etc.

http://www.dudley.gov.uk/environment--planning/building-control/fees-for-plan-submissions

The list also says I can have my work checked independantly by a third party (section5 spaning pages 5 and 6). This is also against part P. see 1.28 and 1.29 on page 12 of the approved document.

 

[Adam_151]

Don't suppose you happen to know a tame sparky, or some other person who owns the required test kit and knows how to use it? that you could get to sign the Inspect&Test of a three part EIC, (you sign for design and construction)

Then £35 is cheap... Mine want £75 for the same 'we don't test anything' service

Actually, before you look into that, ask the council who they'll accept EICs from, mine will take them from anyone who can do and cert their work competantly (so no specific quals. needed here), so I expect they have a quite look at work and cert and take cert off to be filed, I would guess that an EIC filled in by incompetant people would be quite easy to spot. But all are different, so ask them