Discuss HELP signing off work in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

Welcome to ElectriciansForums.net - The American Electrical Advice Forum
Head straight to the main forums to chat by click here:   American Electrical Advice Forum

Reaction score
0
Hi everyone,

Possibly a stupid question, I am looking at changing from a full time job to becoming a self employed electrician. I have my C&G Level 2, Level 3, and my NVQ3 +am2 (gold card).
Apart from the obvious insurances, is there anything else I need to undertake work?
I'm confused as To what I need to sign off my own work. Do I need to be registered with a governing body (NICEIC , NAPIT etc) or can I just fill out a test certificate and give it to them? Or do I have to let the local authorities know? I'm assuming they charge?

TIA
 
You would need to be registered with a scheme if carrying out notifiable works under Part P.

For commercial and industrial scheme membership is not required however a lot of customers will prefer it as this provides some form of insurance.
 
You would need to be registered with a scheme if carrying out notifiable works under Part P.

For commercial and industrial scheme membership is not required however a lot of customers will prefer it as this provides some form of insurance.



So to carry out any minor cert or install cert I have to be registered with a governing body to be legit, I can't just fill out a text cert and give it to them and inform local authorities?
 
You could do it that way but LABC will want lots of money from you so from a business perspective it makes it cheaper to be scheme registered.
 
This appears to be very much personal choice, I chose Elecsa (which is part of the organisation that includes NICEIC) which was very good value for money.
If cost is your primary factor then I would certainly recommend Elecsa as a good place to start
Hope this helps
 
Don't get certification mixed up with notification.

The wiring regs require all work to be certificated after testing.
The building regs require certain work within dwellings to be notified.

You do not have to be in any scheme to issue a BS7671 certificate. Schemes are only to facilitate notification which is separate and additional to the test certificate.
 
Have a read of the part P document.
Electrical safety: Approved Document P - GOV.UK - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-approved-document-p

It is a legal requirement that work carried out in dwellings complies with Bs 7671, and that certain works in dwellings are notified to building control. The only cost effective way of notifying is through one of the schemes.
Most work will require an EIC or MW cert issued to the customer, and you will then notify building control (if required) through your scheme.
The term 'signing off' is often used but is rather misleading.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So does this mean if I done a kitchen install and produced a certicate, all I'd have to do is notify local authorities? No governing body required?
If you go down that route then BC must be notified before work commences and will then relieve you of several hundred pounds to 'sign off' the work. You will still need to issue the appropriate cert to the client.
As already stated, the ONLY cost effective way is through a scheme such as ELECSA/NICEIC/STROMA etc. Failure to comply is breaking the law.
 
ELECSA are good and their technical help especially good. However if you want cheap then STROMA is your future I suggest. You could always move elsewhere at some future point - unless they change the rules.
You'll need to provide evidence of good practice with an example installation you've done. Any of the web pages will give you the list of requirements for certification.
 
Sorry I sound uneducated lol, what do you mean a part p scheme? Do I need to do the part p course even though I'm a gold card electrician ?

No you don't, just pass the assessment of the scheme you join.

You can download part P, and all the approved documents of the building regs, here. It contains the scope of what work is notifiable and what is not.
Approved Documents | Planning Portal - https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200135/approved_documents
 
Sorry I sound uneducated lol, what do you mean a part p scheme? Do I need to do the part p course even though I'm a gold card electrician ?
Part P is just a document, not a course or a qualification. So called part P courses are just a scam to feed off the confusion that surrounds a blinding simple concept.
1. Certain works in dwellings require notification to BC by law, the part P document I gave a link to lists the work requiring notification.
2. You can notify as an individual but it'll empty your wallet, and is not viable if you are a contractor with regular jobs requiring notification.
3. You can join a scheme which will enable you to notify at minimal cost, typically a few pounds a job. You will pay an annual fee to that scheme.
4. Contact the scheme of your choice to discuss entry qualifications they require.

The way around it that you are looking for doesn't exist unless you choose to ignore the law. Many do.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sorry I sound uneducated lol, what do you mean a part p scheme? Do I need to do the part p course even though I'm a gold card electrician ?
basically, new circuits, new CUs, and any work in a bathroom are notifiable under part pee. for minor jobs, no notification is needed. just a cert.
 

Reply to HELP signing off work in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Pushfit Wire Connectors Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc

Electrical Forum

Welcome to the Electrical Forum at ElectriciansForums.net. The friendliest electrical forum online. General electrical questions and answers can be found in the electrical forum.
This website was designed, optimised and is hosted by Untold Media. Operating under the name Untold Media since 2001.
Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock