Can I get a qualified sparky to sign off on my installation?

[damo8604]

Evening all

My younger brother is a qualified sparky in the army, unfortunately he isn't registered with any civil agency and as such can't sign off any work he has done.

I've asked him to wire up my workshop, (when it's built) which he has agreed to do however, he says he can't do the final connection to the main board and his work will have to be checked by a registered person who would then notify the building regs notice people? who would in turn issue me a compliance certificate?

Is this correct? and does any folk on here know of a sparky local to me who would be willing to undertake this kind of work?

TIA
Damian

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi Damian
Yes, I think he is correct, but it should not be too big a problem. I did the same on my workshop build. Ray and I did the wiring and I go a local sparky to test, make the hook-up and sign it off. It cost me about £300, IIRC, and that included a bit of hardware.

S

 

[Dee J]

You could consult your local building control. Many now have systems in place for third party sign-off. If you go any other route, make sure the electrician is involved from the outset - after all you'll probably be asking them to sign the design and construction parts of the cert as well as the testing.

 

[DiscoStu]

Where are you based Damo? I know quite a few sparks. All I would say is that you'll probably be paying a premium to get them to do it as they obviously won't be getting any of the work out of it.

 

[damo8604]

Based on the Surrey/Hants border......

I would have thought that paying a Sparky to come and test and inspect would be preferable to actually doing all the grunt work after all, a few hundred quid for a couple of hours work without getting hands dirty would be a good days work in my book.

I know I can contact BC directly but I still think it's a bit cheaper to get a registered third party to sign off (provided they charge around the £300 mark as they did with Steve)

 

[siggy_7]

Part P regulations changed last year, now something called a "Third Party Certification Scheme" is in operation. Before you start work, you need to locate a suitably qualified and registered electrician, explain to them what you want to do and ask them to provide this service. Alternatively, you need to notify Building Control and liaise with them how to get the work signed off.

My experience with electricians is split. A lot of them, if you clearly have some common sense and basic knowledge about you, will be only too happy to do testing and certification work - whizzing a tester around the circuits and casting an eye over someone else's work is much easier than the physical hard work of pulling wires, chasing through walls etc. Others take a less enlightened view.