Part P regs???

[diybristol]

Im building an extension soon, and just wondering what this situation is with part P ?

I have a relative who is an electrician but not part P, what is the best way round this rather than use someone who is going to charge the earth?

 

[Adam_151]

You just need to inform the building control of your local council before work commences, they will then be able to advise you of how to comply with their systems they have in place for this (or should have in place, I think it is a bit disorganised at the moment), then if your electrician friend can do the wiring for you, he should be able to be able to do the work in a way that will leave the council no grounds of complaint (to the 16th edition, to the letter, any deviations from this, it then becomes up to the desgresion (spelling) of the inspector, who could have well have just found out his wife has left him and his kids deal drugs...)

EDIT: or if you want to just extend existing rings for the sockets, and the existing lighting circuit for the lights, and the extension does not include a kitchen or bathroom, then you can cut out part p completely

 

[diybristol]

Do you think the building inspector would ask to see part p certification as they don't seem to ask about Corgi stuff?

 

[andy]

Do you think the building inspector would ask to see part p certification as they don't seem to ask about Corgi stuff?

he's the bloke who would write the cert. if you already had 1, i.e from a part P registered sparky, then there is no need for him to come

 

[HDRW]

You just need to inform the building control of your local council before work commences, they will then be able to advise you of how to comply with their systems they have in place for this (or should have in place, I think it is a bit disorganised at the moment)

I contacted my local council to find out how they are dealing with this. You can't talk to the Building Control people without an appointment, so I had to deal with the receptionists. They said that I have to submit a Building Notice, and the fees are based on the cost of works (minimum of £50 plus VAT for up to £1000's worth of work)... of course the forms they have are all to do with building extensions and such, and have nothing to indicate what you need to tell them when all you're doing is electrics!

then if your electrician friend can do the wiring for you, he should be able to be able to do the work in a way that will leave the council no grounds of complaint (to the 16th edition, to the letter, any deviations from this, it then becomes up to the desgresion (spelling) of the inspector, who could have well have just found out his wife has left him and his kids deal drugs...)

Now this is the part that confuses me: is this inspector a qualified elestrical inspector, who can do things like Earth Loop Impedance tests? If not, how does he satisfy himself that my wiring is as good as it should be?

Cheers,

Howard

 

[diybristol]

Hi Howard, yes I agree how would they know?

There is a lot of bull going about, there is no way a building control officer would know the difference.

i.e. with Gas has anyone here ever been asked for a corgi certificate saying the work was done by a corgi plumber?

the only issue could come with insurance if you had an electrical fire they would want to know who did it etc.

That would be a different story!

 

[HDRW]

Hi Howard, yes I agree how would they know?

There is a lot of bull going about, there is no way a building control officer would know the difference.

i.e. with Gas has anyone here ever been asked for a corgi certificate saying the work was done by a corgi plumber?

Well when I had my gas tumble-dryer plumbed in about ten years ago (by a CORGI installer sent by Comet, or whoever it was I bought it from) they did the work, but never supplied a certificate of any sort. So when I come to sell the house I can't prove it wasn't done by some cowboy...

Cheers,

Howard

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Come on BAS, a question on part P, i'm waiting with baited breath !!

 

[plugwash]

the real question is will part poo be enforced or will it just join the list of mostly ignored building regs

and i think only time will tell on that.

 

[confidentincompetent]

our building control bloke says hes not qualified to test electical work but will require a certificate (part P) before he will grant a completion certificate for the building work!
nite all

 

[towman]

BC will probably subcontract the Electrical Test/Compliance part - that's what my local department is doing - and hence why not getting a Part P sparky works out more expensive (if one wants to comply to the letter of the Law/Regulation/Reccommendations/Not take any chances!)
When I checked it was going to be an extra £200 on top of the job !

 

[ban-all-sheds]

i'm waiting with baited breath !!

Take the maggots out of your mouth - can't be very nice....

 

[ban-all-sheds]

BC will probably subcontract the Electrical Test/Compliance part - that's what my local department is doing - and hence why not getting a Part P sparky works out more expensive (if one wants to comply to the letter of the Law/Regulation/Reccommendations/Not take any chances!)
When I checked it was going to be an extra £200 on top of the job !

I read this on the IEE site about some of the stuff that was said at a seminar where there were speakers from the Kings Lynn Buildong Control dept

"What was mentioned at the seminar by building control, is that they do not want to be going round checking peoples electrical work. They also said that when they get an enquiry, they do every thing they can to get the person to call in a Part P approved contractor. One other thing that they are going to do, is steadily increase the fee for getting Building Control in, to put off DIYer's and force electricians to get registered. "

 

[HDRW]

I read this on the IEE site about some of the stuff that was said at a seminar where there were speakers from the Kings Lynn Buildong Control dept

"What was mentioned at the seminar by building control, is that they do not want to be going round checking peoples electrical work. They also said that when they get an enquiry, they do every thing they can to get the person to call in a Part P approved contractor. One other thing that they are going to do, is steadily increase the fee for getting Building Control in, to put off DIYer's and force electricians to get registered. "

They they are breaking the law! First it is their job to do this (ask the ODPM!) so they can't decide not to do it, and secondly the charges for dealing with building notices are not allowed to be decided like this - they can only cover the cost of the approval process.

I wouldn't mind getting myself qualified and registered, but the process is horrendous (once I had all the technical knowledge, it doesn't seem possible to join a Competent Persons scheme because it looks like you have to be part of a company, already a practicing sparky!)

There also doesn't seem to be a way to get DIY (or non-registered sparks') work checked / certified by a Competent Person - they have to do the work. They really didn't think it through, did they?

Cheers,

Howard

 

[ban-all-sheds]

They they are breaking the law! First it is their job to do this (ask the ODPM!) so they can't decide not to do it, and secondly the charges for dealing with building notices are not allowed to be decided like this - they can only cover the cost of the approval process.

My current spare-time project is to try and assemble a single document version of the Building Regs (i.e. start with the first one, turn it into a Word doc, then go through and apply all the subsequent amending SIs) - I would dearly love to see the whole thing, and understand what it says about LABC's duties. I feel that you ought to be right, but who knows what they can actually do and remain within the letter, if not the spirit, of the law. I've not had time yet to properly read The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 1998 ( http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1998/19983129.htm )

I wouldn't mind getting myself qualified and registered, but the process is horrendous (once I had all the technical knowledge, it doesn't seem possible to join a Competent Persons scheme because it looks like you have to be part of a company, already a practicing sparky!)

NAPIT's "Just8" scheme (see http://www.electricaltimes.co.uk/news/article.asp?articleid=4094) is probably the least onerous in financial terms.

There also doesn't seem to be a way to get DIY (or non-registered sparks') work checked / certified by a Competent Person - they have to do the work. They really didn't think it through, did they?

I think they did, but probably not to the level of the costs of alternative routes, particularly for small jobs. Firstly, there is nothing in Part P which requires non-registered work to be inspected or tested by a Competent Person. The whole point of the Competent Person idea is self-certification, and it does not apply to work done by someone else.
Secondly, if a LABC dept decide that they do not have the expertise to inspect & test themselves, then I guess they can sub it to someone else whose expertise they accept. There is no reason why the person they sub it to has to be a member of a Competent Person scheme, but I know that some LABCs are using that criterium as a way of satisfying themselves about the competence of the person they have subbed to.
All this of course hinges on whether they are allowed to insist on non-LABC inspection. I know that there are people/firms who are Approved Inspectors with regard to the previous "building" type stuff covered by Building Regulations, and that LABCs can (must??) accept inspections carried out by them if that's what applicants choose to do, but what I don't (yet) know are the following:

1) Can they insist on 3rd party inspections?
2) Are they only allowed to accept 3rd party inspections if the person doing them is an Approved Inspector as per the requirements of The Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations?