Building inspectors duties?

[jimmymac]

Hi everybody, somethings been puzzling me, today i went across the road to a neighbours house cos he said he was having a problem with a socket not working. The socket in question is in his new extention which was completed around four months ago and the socket never worked in the first place. Upon inspection i found that there is no power at the socket but the breaker is fine. The cable dis-appears into the wall and through to below the new extention, i couldn't go any further because this would mean lifting floor boards and he has layed laminate flooring and he didn't want me to go to all that trouble as he said the outlet doesn't get used anyway.

What i can't understand is, if he informed the building inspector that signed the whole job off, as he says that he did, then surely the inspector has duty to do something about it?? (how can the circuit have been tested if there is a break somewhere?)

It is my understanding that the building inspector has a check list to work to and one of the items on the list is that everything functions properly??

 

[micknew]

It is the duty of the inspector to see that electrical certificates have been provided certifying that the installation has been tested.
Also that a Part P cert has been issued.

 

[Des 56]

I cant see a building inspector going to such detailed inspection that he checks the function of a socket
He would generally rely on the installing electrician to issue an installation certificate where function of accessories is part of the inspection schedule that he must issue
If a building notice has been paid because the electrician may not have been self certifying then the installer still has to issue a certificate even though the testing and inspection is to be carried out by somebody on behalf of the labc

Self certifying electricians issue certificates and do the notification and it is far easier procedure for clients because they are the installers and they are the ones responsible and should be contacted

Was your installer registered or no?

 

[mackers]

who wired it and did they issue a cert to your neighbour? would of thought its the sparks fault not building inspector?

 

[nickjohn]

All a building control office is interested in is having a piece of paper to put in the file. They will not get involved in the electrical installation as they are not qualified to do that.
It could be the electrician has not submitted the final paperwork, building control round our way don't start chasing for it for about six months after an extension is completed..
Has the customer received their building control certificate yet, this will only be given to the customer when all paperwork is received by building control..

 

[nickjohn]

Hi everybody, somethings been puzzling me, today i went across the road to a neighbours house cos he said he was having a problem with a socket not working. The socket in question is in his new extention which was completed around four months ago and the socket never worked in the first place. Upon inspection i found that there is no power at the socket but the breaker is fine. The cable dis-appears into the wall and through to below the new extention, i couldn't go any further because this would mean lifting floor boards and he has layed laminate flooring and he didn't want me to go to all that trouble as he said the outlet doesn't get used anyway.

What i can't understand is, if he informed the building inspector that signed the whole job off, as he says that he did, then surely the inspector has duty to do something about it?? (how can the circuit have been tested if there is a break somewhere?)

It is my understanding that the building inspector has a check list to work to and one of the items on the list is that everything functions properly??

Guess it serves the neighbour right for not getting you in to do the work for him in the first place..

 

[jimmymac]

The certificates would be issued by the electrician to the 'person ordering the work' which would be the builder in this case. My neighbour said he didn't get any paperwork besides an invoice from the builder. The inspector wasn't there to do the inspection & testing he was just there to sign it off so the installer must have been registered. Surely the inspector would have needed to see the relevent part P certs but my neighbour said he didn't ask for any documentation. Also there is what looks like a new NICEIC sticker on the C/U

 

[micknew]

Obviously it was a job done by an unqualified person, a DIYer.

 

[jimmymac]

It was the old " i didn't know you were a sparky....do me a favour, have a look at this socket for us"....after he's already paid someone for the job but he wants me to sort it out for a tenner

 

[nickjohn]

Unfortunately for your neighbour the responsibility for getting the right building control permissions / certs etc lies with the customer not the builder so if the electrical work has not been done correctly he will have to satisfy building control that the first fix work complies and the testing is ok, if this means uncovering walls / floors etc then so be it..

 

[dingledong]

get him to get in touch with whoever did the work in the first place . se if it is really an niceic company and get in touch with them

 

[i=p/u]

Does he have to be niceic company??

 

[jimmymac]

I'm not gonna go any further into it because to be quite honest it's not my problem, if the building control do get on his back then i might get some work out of it but i'm not gonna start chasing round for him. He reckons that it's all been signed off now so if that is the case then he'll have to live with it or put his hand in his pocket again. Maybe there will be a backlash when the people at the building control office realise that the file isn't complete but until then........thanks for the input guys

 

[Spudnik]

The building inspectors role is to enforce compliance with the various regulations.

Nothing more, nothing less, however, some do think that they know everything and insist on things that no one else would worry about.

Saying that, its their call and if they want it, its gotta be done.

 

[jimmymac]

Blessed with a pen and click board sent directly from god