Builder Problem/Part P Certificate

TheGame21

I've posted some of this before due to the builder problem but now we have another problem to do with issuing Part P Certificates. Long story short, we were fitting a new kitchen, the job was a straightforward one and should have taken 2 weeks however our hired 'family friend' builder downed tools and left the job (we will be taking legal action against him)

As this was right before Christmas, we wanted the work done in time before the holidays. We have a joiner who lives in the same street as us and he along with another person agreed to the work. Moving on, the job took longer then expected and was of dreadful quality , our tiles on the floor are up and down, the electrics were a mess, the tiles on the wall were all over the place and some of the joinery has been woeful. We are fed up to the back teeth with them and yes we have learnt lessons about future work:mad:. We are now in the process of trying to get a Part P certificate for the work however it looks like the two people who did the work are not Part P registered as they got another registered electrician to test the electrics and issue the certificate.

They are making excuses that the previous person doing the kitchen (who did some of the electrics) should be issuing the Part P. We have explained that we will be getting the Part P from him (another problem to chase) for his work however the current builders need to give a Part P for their work. We have already had to get another qualified electrician in to mend a number of things of their work and still there is more to sort.

We raised the Part P during the work and they said it wouldn't be a problem. My understanding is that they did need to get this through Building Control. Can anyone advise please as we are at our wits end and incredibly stressed? This kitchen fiasco has taken over 10 weeks .

TheCyclingProgrammer

What work was done that actually needed notifying to building control under Part P?

What you should really have is an Electrical Installations Certificate or possibly Minor Works Certificate depending on the work that was done, from a registered electrician. If any of the work was notifiable and they were registered under a Part P scheme, then they should have notified building control for you and it is building control that will issue a certificate, which you should have received in the post within a few weeks.

A kitchen is no longer a special location so there should only be notifiable work if a new circuit was installed or your consumer unit was replaced.

TheGame21

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

What work was done that actually needed notifying to building control under Part P?

What you should really have is an Electrical Installations Certificate or possibly Minor Works Certificate depending on the work that was done, from a registered electrician. If any of the work was notifiable and they were registered under a Part P scheme, then they should have notified building control for you and it is building control that will issue a certificate, which you should have received in the post within a few weeks.

A kitchen is no longer a special location so there should only be notifiable work if a new circuit was installed or your consumer unit was replaced.

There was some major wiring work which took place. Also underfloor electrical heating was installed which from looking at the guidance seems be a requirement for a Part P. The builder got an registered electrician to provide as a certificate which outlines the work done. The joiner is not registered under Part P but the new electrician we have got in to check the work states that we should have been given a Part P. He has stated that he has given the certificate already so hasn't notified building control.

TheCyclingProgrammer

I don't think underfloor heating in a kitchen is notifiable work unless it involved the installation of a new circuit. It could be connected to a fused spur off of the existing ring main. What do you mean by "major wiring work"? Did you have a new circuit installed (a cooker circuit perhaps)? If not, then its unlikely any of the work was notifiable.

This is separate from needing to comply with Part P of the building regs (which all domestic electrical work has to) and you should have been issued with one of the certificates I mentioned in my previous post by a registered electrician who did the work certifying it has been done and tested by a registered person in compliance with electrical standards.

TheGame21

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

I don't think underfloor heating in a kitchen is notifiable work unless it involved the installation of a new circuit. It could be connected to a fused spur off of the existing ring main. What do you mean by "major wiring work"? Did you have a new circuit installed (a cooker circuit perhaps)? If not, then its unlikely any of the work was notifiable.

This is separate from needing to comply with Part P of the building regs (which all domestic electrical work has to) and you should have been issued with one of the certificates I mentioned in my previous post by a registered electrician who did the work certifying it has been done and tested by a registered person in compliance with electrical standards.

To be fair I'm not sure of the definition of a new circuit. New sockets have been installed, lighting, plinth heater, the oven was moved, new appliance switches including those for extra appliances,.

We have been issued with an electrical installation certificate, However as I mentioned, another electrician who checked some of the work for us said they should have issued us with a Part P due to the work involved so we are going by his advice. If the work his non notifiable, do building control still have to be informed?

TheCyclingProgrammer

No they don't.

A new circuit would connect back to your consumer unit.

Kitchen work hasn't been notifiable since 2013.

Hoploz

Seems to me, if you've had this many electricians on the job, the work should be safe. They would have spotted if anything unsafe had been done before they got there, they wouldn't have continued their bit if previous work wasn't up to scratch. You've got your installation certificate so you're covered when you sell, if that's of concern.

If it were me, I think I'd be less concerned with the paperwork at this stage, and more concerned with getting the rest of it I'm looking at all day long, like the tiling & joinery or whatever else, ship shape.

TheGame21

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

No they don't.

A new circuit would connect back to your consumer unit.

Kitchen work hasn't been notifiable since 2013.

Thanks, much clearer now. They have installed a new switch in the consumer unit for the underfloor heating. Therefore I assume a Part P would be required for this?

TheGame21

Hoploz wrote: »

Seems to me, if you've had this many electricians on the job, the work should be safe. They would have spotted if anything unsafe had been done before they got there, they wouldn't have continued their bit if previous work wasn't up to scratch. You've got your installation certificate so you're covered when you sell, if that's of concern.

If it were me, I think I'd be less concerned with the paperwork at this stage, and more concerned with getting the rest of it I'm looking at all day long, like the tiling & joinery or whatever else, ship shape.

The problem is that they could do electrics but they are not qualified electricians, they got in a qualified electrician to check the job. The tiles on the floor can't be altered now, we have to live with that:mad:, The guy has said he is not doing any more work on the job, so looks like we will have to make the best of it and not go near him again.

TheGame21

Can anyone assist with my question above?

TheCyclingProgrammer

TheGame21 wrote: »

Thanks, much clearer now. They have installed a new switch in the consumer unit for the underfloor heating. Therefore I assume a Part P would be required for this?

It sounds like they may have installed a new circuit so it's notifiable work.

If the electricians were not Part P scheme registered then you need to notify building control yourself - the work will need to be inspected before a building regs certificate can be supplied.

If the electrician was registered and they've tested and signed off the work and given you an EIC then there's no reason for them not to do a Part P notification. It only costs a few quid.