Plans for rewire.

[securespark]

I have been told by my BCO that he wants to see plans for my rewire, ie cable runs, socket positions, joist drilling plans etc....

Anything in the approved part p doc. that insists on the same?

I can't find it!

 

[RF Lighting]

I've told you I sort you out a hooky certificate for £50

 

[just askin]

Each individual BCO seems to make it up as they go along, their role is to make sure your work is compliant with your application after you have done it, what he is doing is trying to create a half way house between a full planning application and BCO inspection which does not actually exist.

unfortunately, as has been stated here before you don't get the chance to pick and choose BCO's so the easiest way will be to bite the bullet give him a quick sketch of wiring runs and joist drillings and keep him happy.

You should'nt need to, but, if you don't he will be all over you on the inspection stage like a rash

 

[davy_owen_88]

I don't think it's a Part P requirement as such, but more standard practice regarding building regs as a whole.

You can either give full plans and get them approved, or you can have the extra inspections - I'm assuming if you get your plans approved he won't expect you to stop after first fix for him nose around?

 

[securespark]

Yes!! He wants plans &&&&&&& to be able to inspect along the way too, but not too many visits (see below).

He even said I cannot do the work in stages (I can only do the work eves & weekends) as his fee structure does not allow for multiple visits....

PIA I can tell you.

 

[Pensdown]

Did you ask your employer if you could do the work as an un-paid sub-contractor under their self certification scheme?

 

[securespark]

Yeah, still working on that one, thanks. Not sorted it out yet.

The BCO told me that he could not take my word for it that I was qualified. When I offered to meet him with my certs, he said even then they could be counterfeits, copies etc.... Give me strength!!!

I asked him how he verified the qualifications of someone who wanted a job in his department: he didn't have a answer for that one.

 

[Adam_151]

He even said I cannot do the work in stages (I can only do the work eves & weekends) as his fee structure does not allow for multiple visits....

PIA I can tell you.

AFAIK, once you have notified, its up to them to decide what inspections they need to make and if their fee structure doesn't allow it, he can either not bother or be out of pocket!

Could wave the carrot of that you know you are perfectly competant and will fax them an EIC at the end, and if they want to just file it, then thats ok by you

Do you have any mates who are registered? its bending the rules a little, but....

 

[just askin]

An Over zealous BCO I am afraid, here is a quote from the ODP regarding Part P inspection:-

Local authority charges for Part P work
Local authorities should ensure that charges for checking full plans applications or building notices and carrying out inspections of building work, including that relating to Part P, are pre-fixed in their charges scheme as required by the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 1998. Authorities do not have powers to reassess a fixed charge, which they have levied for a particular application or notice, during the course of the work.

No where in any of this does it say that you are restricted to a minimum number of visits against that fixed charge, the role of the BCO is to be happy that the job is correct, if he needs 2 or 10 inspections to achieve this then so be it, as I said in my earlier post they all interpret the rules differently.

Normally I would not challenge them, but in your case you seem to have a particularly difficult one I would go and talk to him or his boss at the office and try to come to a compronise.

 

[securespark]

The really frustrating thing is I am registered under my employer, but not personally. As I explained to the guy, I have been in the business 20 years & have C & G qualif's, but this appears to count for little.

As the guy quoted from the Approved PP doc,

"Where installers are qualified to carry out I&T........, they should do so. A copy should then be sent to the BC body. They will take this cert into account in deciding what further action (if any) needs to be taken.........

BC bodies may ask for evidence that installers are qualified in this case."

As mentioned previously, the guy I've been speaking to has shown me his determination to ascertain my qualifications. Also, he omitted the "(if any)" when he quoted the paragraph to me, implying there would be further action.

I have told him I believe he is deliberately obstructing me by working outside his remit, and that I wish to make a complaint. I genuinely believe he is being heavy handed. Originally when I spoke to him, he said that Stockport, along with all the Manchester councils, decided there were only two categories: registered installers & DIY, omitting the in-between category. He then told me that his main mantra is the bit in the approved document highlighted in green, and anything else in the document was "just advisory - only one method of compliance". In other words, these councils have "cherry-picked" what they want from the document & chosen to ignore what they don't like.

This I accused him of. He did not deny it.

I am, as you might have guessed by now, very annoyed.

 

[Adam_151]

You could also just do it anyway and file the EIC in a drawer, as long as you keep quiet for 6 months you've got away with it, and if questions are asked at house sale time you have the EIC to make the buyer feel at ease and there might be a bit of paperwork for indemnity cover for the issue, which is what generally happens when planning permission and building regs issues are thrown up

 

[Pensdown]

He even said I cannot do the work in stages (I can only do the work eves & weekends) as his fee structure does not allow for multiple visits....

PIA I can tell you.

Do you have any mates who are registered? its bending the rules a little, but....

Thankfully it's not bending any rules.

Just say for example that I wanted to do a rewire in your part of the country. I could send a sparks up from Kent or I could employ you as a sub-contractor. Of course I would have to ensure that you were competent to carry out the works because my company would be taking responsibility for the job.

The NIC don't care who's done the works as long as it's done right. I don't have NIC registration per sparks, I have 2 NIC vetted quality supervisors who take overall responsibility for the works done by the rest of them.

So I would be more than happy to employ SS as an unpaid subby and certify his work as he's probably better at wiring houses than most of the sparks I employ

 

[Chri5]

I'd knock up a floor plan, mark services, make up a circuit schematic- all things I'd do for a rewire anyway and give the bod a copy.

Re: Schedule of routes and joist cuts / holes- Building regs refers to new builds and I was always informed that re-wires were allowed to use existing holes. Reason being that adding further holes to joists ends up make the joist weaker due to correct placement of holes adding to the weakness of the joist- swiss cheese comes to mind

ie. Old holes + new holes = weakness, old holes maybe in incorrect position per recent regs, but one or two holes is better than 3 or 4 on a joist.