Minor works certificate who can sign

[Ian79]

Hi all - some advice please:

 

As part of a room refurbishment / wider building project, our builders used an electrician (sub-contracted we assumed) to undertake the minor electrical work - addition of a spot light circuit.

 

The electrician issued a minor works certificate (after some prompting!) which seemed appropriate, except it was signed / issued by someone else who has not ever been to the property. We were slightly surprised but thought no more of it.

 

Is this acceptable (legal?)

 

He also persuaded us we needed a new consumer unit (probably true!) and he did that for us outside of the building contract. We didn’t get quotes, but paid him the substantial price he was asking - not cheap - and we didn’t check qualifications / registrations etc., as assumed he was legitimate / above board as he was introduced to us by our builder.

 

He has since (6 weeks+ on) failed to provide any installation certificate or notify building control, though he claims to have done the post installation tests, and that the certificate is now finally in the post (he sent a photo of the envelope!)
 

What certificate should I expect as a minimum? I assume it *must* be signed by him, as he did the tests?

 

 Any thoughts welcome on what we expect / what we should do as next steps?

Many thanks.

 

 

 

[ProDave]

Strictly speaking under wiring regulations you only need to be "competent" to issue electrical certificates.

 

English and Welsh building regulations take that further with part P of the wiring regulations that demand registration with a competent body to self certify work that is notifiable, which the new consumer unit would be.

 

If it was a NEW circuit for the spotlights, that would be outside the scope of a MWC and would be subject to instead an EIC Electrical Installation Certificate, and a new circuit is notifiable work in England and Wales so would require par P sign off so = contractor registered with a competent body.

 

I see you have a NAPIT certificate there.  Is this person actually a member of NAPIT?  if not that is a whole extra set of wrongs if he is claiming to be.

[Ian79]

Update: We finally 8 weeks later got a certificate for our consumer unit!

 

can I just ask advice - does the photo show  the EIC? Is this all that we require from the electrician directly?

If the electrician is qualified / registered to do this does that mean he is automatically qualified / registered to submit the building control notification? He hasn’t done this despite asking - is that as important as the certificate?