Third Party Testing of Domestic Installations

On 6th April 2013 Amendment 2 was a made to Part P of the Building Regulations. The main revision was a statement made on Page 2 which reads:

‘An installer who is not a registered competent person may now use a
registered third party to certify notifiable electrical installation work as
an alternative to using a building control body’

To view the Part P regulations click here: Part P Electrical Regulations

In the past the only people able to register an electrical installation where electricians who were members of the Competent Person scheme through one of the 5 Governing Bodies, or the Local Building Control (BC).

The Local Building Control often did not have the qualified man-power to complete the Inspection & Testing, and therefore sub-contracted the work to an approved company (thus carrying out third party testing long before Amendment 2 came into force)

This change now means that any qualified electrician can carry out work in a Domestic Premises and employ the services of a Registered Electrical Test Engineer or a company who are members of the Competent Person Scheme to Inspect & Test their work and, subject to it being seen to comply fully with BS7671 and the latest Building Regulations, register that job with Building Control.

This is very similar to the systems used in France, Germany, The United States and Australia, where electrical Installations mus tbe ‘signed off’ by an independent test engineer before they can be handed over to the client. In some parts of rural France there is one registered engineer for a province who registers each completed electrical job with the local Mayor’s office at the Town Hall, and in many states of the US the Test Engineer is referred to as the ‘License Holder’.

The average cost of employing the Services of Building Control to carry out the Electrical Testing and register installation work is currently £280.00 + VAT – although this varies depending on the Council the property falls within.

We now offer this 3rd Party Testing service, and will send one of our Registered Test Engineers to complete the required certification on newly installed work and, subject to it complying fully with BS7671 and the latest Building Regulations, enter the installation with Building Control via the Competent Person Register for £140.00+ vat.

Please feel free to call for further details…
0151 342 2985