Part P Advice

[Peter Hemmings]

I am putting in an en-suite with a vent fan into a bedroom where I am making a 1 metre wide partition along one wall. Will be moving the two single sockets (for bedside radio/lights) into the new stud partition, the old cables were left long enough to just move the sockets when it was re-wired 8 years ago. I will also need to wire in a new light and an extractor. Am I now forbidden to do any of this work or is it possible to do it and get it certified? If this is so, will it be difficult to get someone and would the cost be prohibitive?

I had to apply for Building Regs (due to the ventilation and drainage) and they have sent me a lot of papers including "Part P"!

Thanks

[james]

I can't understand what all the panic is about. Unless you advertise the fact you have done something - who is going to know? People make such a fuss. If it is in your own home are you that bothered and who would ever be there to take everything apart and stick you in prison! You need to apply a bit of common sense sometimes. Just do it. if you haven't the first clue about electrical work then use the Yellow Pages and get an electrician.

[dcbwhaley]

If you are 105% confident that you can do the job safely set your calendar back two years and go ahead and do it. I doubt if you will get a dawn raid by the local building inspector to check your wiring.

But if you are not so confident then do yourself a favour and get a qualified electrician to do it.

Dave

[john2]

Can't you split the job in two: (i) install the wiring while its still a bedroom, no need for inspection (ii) install the partition.

john2

[Roger Mills]

I agree in principle, but it may be a bit more complicated than this. Since the overall job is subject to building regs, the BCO is likely to want to see the electrical certificate before issuing the completion notice. This was certainly the case when we converted part of a garage into a bathroom.

In my view, Part P is handled very badly - and probably illegally - by many Building Control departments. My understanding is that getting the electrical work inspected should be covered by the fee paid for building regs approval. However, my local BC department is not geared up to do electrical inspections and insists that it is done by a third party - inevitably at additional expense for DIY-ers. I'm not sure how they get away with this.

[dom]

All it requires is a Building Notice to your local council Building Control dept, same as you did for the ventilation and drainage.

Part P doesn't forbid anything (although many people will tell you otherwise) - it just makes a lot of electrical work "controlled work", meaning you must notify the council building control dept OR be part P approved and exempt from notifying the council.

[John Rumm]

I would be inclined to direct them to page 11, section 1.26 of

[Peter Hemmings]

Does anyone know if any authorities carry out the tests?

I have not asked mine yet!

Thanks

[Christian McArdle]

The en-suite will be required to have lighting and the extractor fan, so wouldn't pass inspection without electrics.

Christian.

[Staffbull]

local BCO came today and said fine for doing the wiring myself but I would have to pay for testing.

Guess who i'll be phoning tomorrow !!!! politeley of course

[Andrew Mawson]

party -

Odd but that link is coming up with a blank page for me - am I paranoid or has left hook Prescott pulled the page???

AWEM

[Ed Sirett]

I've so far only had dealings with the LB Islington on this matter. Their policy is that they will test and certify the electrics, as part of the overall inspection process. If the electrics and all other works are OK then they will issue a completion certificate. You will not, however, be issued with a "Test and Inspect" report or any other paperwork for the electrics.

[Ed Sirett]

And, as of this year, the ventilator and waste pipes are now within the scope of building control.

[Dave Liquorice]

I get asked what to do with it as it is a .pdf. I can save it to disc (4.8 Megish) but my ancient OS/2 Adobe Acrobat reader can't make sense of it and refuses to show anything.

[PeTe33]

You ought to try the following

's plenty of free versions, it's a teensy weensy application that fires up instantly unlike Adopy bloatware rubbish.

[Guy King]

The message from "Dave Liquorice" contains these words:

Well, for what it's worth it says

1.26 The building control body may choose to carry out the inspection and testing itself, or to contract out some or all of the work to a specialist body which will then carry out the work on its behalf. Building control bodies will carry out the necessary inspection and testing at their expense, not at the housholders' expense.

I've a sneaky feeling that they'll say "Ah, it says "Building control bodies will carry out the necessary inspection and testing at their expense, not at the housholders' expense." but we're not carrying it out, our subcontractor is and they're charging you, not us.

[Bob Eager]

I think you've missed the point. Unless there's an OS/2 version in there that I've missed.

[Bob Eager]

Works fine and can be read/displayed using OS/2 GhostScript/GSView. Just tried it.

[John Rumm]

Section 1.26 Approved Document P 2006 edition reads:

"The building control body may choose to carry out the inspection and testing itself, or to contract out some or all of the work on its behalf. Building control bodies will carry out the necessary inspection and testing at their expense, not at the householders' expense."

[chris French]

In message , Guy King writes

If they subcontract it out, that is their responsibility, not the householders.