Depends what the rules are in Scotland but you (and I) always used to be able to there.
In England electrical work isn't covered by the building regs until next year, and with the current arrangements the answer appears to be no. Insanity strikes again.
Not after 1st January 2005 for Part P Building Regs you can't.
Steve Dawson
All these regulations and controls! Bah humbug! But? Necessary and/or required by a) Government 'safety' legislation b) Financial institutions to protect/insure their lending c) Municipal and other 'plannining' authorities to protect the visual, ecological/environmental and social values? Also I guess by homeowners themselves to conserve/protect their "Property Values". Because we live in a highly organised and regulated society which wants these values preserved? And, yes, I've avoided several offers to become a slum landlord; invest your money in deteriorating downtown buildings, do nothing to maintain the property and then sell out at a profit. As do it your selfers and self home repairers we subscribe to proper standards? And I sure wouldn't want someone tanning hides or boiling up up old bones to make glue next door to me, would I? So maybe we are lucky even in this undemocratic society? Horrible examples elsewhere; fireworks 'factories' in people's homes! A multi storey school with a combustible roof and limited exits! Extra storeys added onto buildings that then collapse! Unethical contract work which results in omitted insulation and other short-cuts etc. in an extremely cold climate. Pay-offs to even get work done at all? Not only in the UK press (Sussex, 2003, I think?), I've seen really weird construction to hardly any standards at all, in some cases by people who have come from countries where it is not the practice to have standards. Or if there are any too easy to not follow or bribe one's way out of obeying them. We had one chap here (Newfoundland, Canada.) who tried it three separate times in different communities and then screamed ."Discrimination" (he was from some country between Europe and the Middle east IIRC) when stopped! What he was building in our town was not only an eyesore but patently unsafe with no plumbing except a sewage bucket thrown out the back! One of his 'erections' (Oops sorry about that!) was a discarded, dilapidated 'Portable School Classroom' perched on some iron girders against a bank of not very good quality infill not properly compacted, banked or reinforced! What's left btw has since shown some signs of becoming muddy and sliding. A lot of improvement since immediately after W.W.II when people lived in chicken houses and old buses? But housing is unecessarily far too expensive IMO. But now I'm 'A Homeowner' and worried about my "Property Values"!!!!! :-) The 'overregulation' has been creeping in and increasing here over the last
40+ years and is maybe inevitable and well intentioned? Standard houses now tend to be bigger, more expensive and fitted with more features. For example at one time (rarley now) if one was building a "shack" or "summer cabin" out in the wilderness here, one could pretty well do anything at all; including using tarred felt or birch bark etc. But today one must build said "Summer Residence" on a crown land approved lot, which must have road access, must build within a certain time period of receiving the lease, must build to a certain minimum size and eventually one can obtain a grant for the land. These summer residences can now command a price similar to a house; saw one recently that had a double garage, outdoor hot tub/spa etc. And of course the companies that provide loans and mortgages for theses insist that all electrical, building and gas appliance standards are met. Money talks you see! The days when we built both our homes and lived in them for four or five years while finishing around us; to avoid any mortgage at all, 'pay as you go', seem to be a thing of the past. Must sign off and go and put back that wiring for the bathroom and hall electric heaters that I had to move while rebuilding the bathroom. this spring. I know where everything is cos. I wired it myself in 1970! Have fun!HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.