Should Building regs certificate cover electrical work sign off?

ss2020jd

Just checking with those in the know and anyone’s experience - if there is no separate electrical installation certificate but an extension has been signed off by building control, would this be considered acceptable? There is a new fusebox in a different area of the house and I believe rewiring has been done but the only certificate seems to be the building regs completion certificate. 

I was under the impression that it couldn’t have got sign-off unless the Part P electrics had been complied with, and that building control would have inspected this themselves in the absence of any other certificate. I have looked online for any record of a separate electrical certificate and nothing is coming up.

When I sold I had to provide the electrical installation certificate to building control in order for them to issue the completion certificate and as I understand you have to do one or the other (either separate certificate or installation checked by building control) in order to get BC completion certificate. 

This issue is currently holding things up as the vendor and their solicitor have not provided a separate certificate but my solicitor seems to think it is necessary to have one. 

Is there anything I can do to assist in moving things on? Would it be the dreaded indemnity, or would it be worth checking with BC in a general sense to see if they can confirm they don’t give sign-off if the electrics have not been checked/certified. 

Any help appreciated. 

Doozergirl

Building Control won't sign off an extension without an electrical certificate (or their own inspection).   

So the electrics are covered by the entire extension certificate, yes.  It's likely there's another certificate somewhere but the extension will definitely cover it.  

ss2020jd

Thanks @Doozergirl, I always appreciate your knowledgeable and helpful replies! 

That makes sense and what I was hoping would be the case.

JJB3014

Hi, new here but just had this exact issue, except we are the vendors. 

We had the building regs certificate but for our garage conversion (which included moving and replacement of consumer unit) 5 years ago. I misplaced the electrical certificate and the purchasers would not accept the building regs on its own. Unfortunately the council also mislaid their copy. I had to find the original electrician to re-certify, which wasn’t easy as he was subcontracted by the builders. 

The councils view was that the building regs didn’t ‘sign off’ off the electrical work, they only ticked a box to say a certificate was issued. Purchasers solicitors were adamant they needed a certificate. Ultimately it cost me £100 for re certification! 

Doozergirl

JJB3014 said:

Hi, new here but just had this exact issue, except we are the vendors. 

We had the building regs certificate but for our garage conversion (which included moving and replacement of consumer unit) 5 years ago. I misplaced the electrical certificate and the purchasers would not accept the building regs on its own. Unfortunately the council also mislaid their copy. I had to find the original electrician to re-certify, which wasn’t easy as he was subcontracted by the builders. 

The councils view was that the building regs didn’t ‘sign off’ off the electrical work, they only ticked a box to say a certificate was issued. Purchasers solicitors were adamant they needed a certificate. Ultimately it cost me £100 for re certification! 

That's all about their solicitor. Also also a bit of lack of knowledge on the part of yours, and then some strange semantics with building control.  

If the electrician issued a certificate and building control had sight of it, whilst building control haven't signed off the electrics, they have 'signed off' that the have been certified because they categorically will not issue a completion certificate without one.  

If the situation is desperate then NAPIT or NICEIC can be contacted and they will
issue a copy. 

You weren't helped.  

ss2020jd

JJB3014 said:

Hi, new here but just had this exact issue, except we are the vendors. 

We had the building regs certificate but for our garage conversion (which included moving and replacement of consumer unit) 5 years ago. I misplaced the electrical certificate and the purchasers would not accept the building regs on its own. Unfortunately the council also mislaid their copy. I had to find the original electrician to re-certify, which wasn’t easy as he was subcontracted by the builders. 

The councils view was that the building regs didn’t ‘sign off’ off the electrical work, they only ticked a box to say a certificate was issued. Purchasers solicitors were adamant they needed a certificate. Ultimately it cost me £100 for re certification! 

That sounds like a lot of hassle. Presumably they checked online to see if a replacement copy could be ordered? 

We are so close to exchange I wouldn’t expect that to be done but I know as @Doozergirl says it’s down to some solicitors as well. Depending on what you read, it makes it sound like a criminal offence, and it probably would be if building control weren’t involved. The fact that they had seen the certificate I would be happy with but all buyers are different and also the mortgage lenders may have insisted. 

I’m not going to push for it as I don’t want to delay exchange. I will do my own check when I move in and start to make any changes. If I’m not going to sell for a long time then any certificate will be superseded by the latest one or a test report, I would hope. 

Slinky

On a similar tack, does building control signoff also cover the installation of a new gas boiler in a new extension, done at the same time as the build?  We couldn't find ours registered with Corgi, as it was then, so weren't able to provide to our purchaser.

Doozergirl

Slinky said:

On a similar tack, does building control signoff also cover the installation of a new gas boiler in a new extension, done at the same time as the build?  We couldn't find ours registered with Corgi, as it was then, so weren't able to provide to our purchaser.

An extension inevitably involves electrical work, so you can safely assume that if the extension is signed off, the electrics have been.   

An extension doesn't inevitably include gas work, so you can't assume to the same degree.  All work should be registered with Gas Safe (it hasn't been Corgi for a good while!) so if there is no record there, it hasn't been signed off.   

I still think the best offering for a new buyer is a fresh service and a gas safety certificate that is up to date, not an out of date installation cert, but I don't make the rules.