Step by Step Guide to Using a Competent Person
You need some electrical work carried out in your home, you are aware of the regulations and want to employ a firm that is an approved Competent Person. What is your next step?
How do you find a Competent Person, or double-check that a firm claiming to be a Competent Person is in fact registered with an approved scheme? What should you expect from the firm and what paperwork should you receive at the end of the job? Finally, what should you do if, later, you are asked for this paperwork as evidence to show that the work was carried out by a Competent Person (for example, when selling your property) and you cannot find the relevant documents?
How do you find a Competent Person, or double-check that a firm claiming to be a Competent Person is in fact registered with an approved scheme? What should you expect from the firm and what paperwork should you receive at the end of the job? Finally, what should you do if, later, you are asked for this paperwork as evidence to show that the work was carried out by a Competent Person (for example, when selling your property) and you cannot find the relevant documents?
Step 1 – Finding a Competent Person
All Competent Persons are registered with a Government-approved Part P self-certification scheme. This website forms part of the self-certification scheme operated by EC Certification and supported by the ECA.
You can use the search facility available on this site that will give you the contact details of Competent Persons with the EC Certification scheme operating in your area.
You can use the search facility available on this site that will give you the contact details of Competent Persons with the EC Certification scheme operating in your area.
Step 2 – Verifying a firm's Competent Person status
However you make initial contact with a firm, you should always check their credentials. For example, ask to see a copy of the firm's registration certificate. This will tell you what scheme the firm is registered with and its registration number. See here for an example registration certificate.
You may wish to visit the website of the particular scheme concerned and, using the firm's registration number, check that the name and details that appear there correspond to the those being used by the person in front of you. To check a firm's registration on our scheme use the search facility.
If you are at all worried, confused or have any misgivings about the work to be carried out, or the firm with which you dealing, contact your local authority Building Control department.
You may wish to visit the website of the particular scheme concerned and, using the firm's registration number, check that the name and details that appear there correspond to the those being used by the person in front of you. To check a firm's registration on our scheme use the search facility.
If you are at all worried, confused or have any misgivings about the work to be carried out, or the firm with which you dealing, contact your local authority Building Control department.
Step 3 – Contract with a Competent Person
Before starting work you should always agree basic terms with the firm. These will cover, for example, a description of what it is you want done, when the work is to be carried out and the price to be charged. Firms registered under this scheme and listed on the site are advised to make use of a simple standard contract. Firms may use their own documentation that may be more detailed and tailored to the services they provide but, whatever form it takes, a signed written contract of the kind indicated here will be invaluable should there be a dispute between you and the firm.
Step 4 – Warranty
A firm that is registered with an approved Competent Person scheme should make you aware of the option of taking out an insurance-backed guarantee for the work. Click here to view the warranty information.
This warranty guarantees that, if all else fails, should the work not comply with the Building Regulations (as it is required to do by law), and should the firm not be prepared or able to rectify the work so that it does comply, the work will be made good at no extra cost to yourself under the terms of the warranty.
This insurance-backed guarantee is entirely optional and you must contact the relevant body to purchase it, if you so desire. The firm is only responsible for making you aware of this option and for providing you with the information necessary to make contact with the relevant body.
This warranty guarantees that, if all else fails, should the work not comply with the Building Regulations (as it is required to do by law), and should the firm not be prepared or able to rectify the work so that it does comply, the work will be made good at no extra cost to yourself under the terms of the warranty.
This insurance-backed guarantee is entirely optional and you must contact the relevant body to purchase it, if you so desire. The firm is only responsible for making you aware of this option and for providing you with the information necessary to make contact with the relevant body.
Step 5 – Completion, certification and notification
On completion of the work, there are a number of important tasks that the firm is responsible for carrying out to ensure that the work is properly documented and your local authority Building Control department has the information it requires. This will ensure that in future years you will be able to demonstrate that the work was properly executed and that, should any further electrical work be necessary, it can be carried out safely.
Step 5a - BS 7671 Installation Certificate
This is a technical document that an approved firm should provide as a matter of course. It is needed in order to comply with the Building Regulations and its principal use is to enable the firm that carries out any future electrical work in your property to do so safely.To give you an indication of the kind of certificate that you will receive, please click the 'Electrical Installation Certificate' link.
You should keep this certificate somewhere safe.
Step 5b - Building Regulations Compliance Certificate
This document simply states that the work carried out by the firm complies with the Building Regulations, click here for a specimen certificate:
This certificate may be requested, for example, by a purchaser's solicitor when you sell your property. Looking further ahead, it may be required as one of the documents that makes-up your 'Home Information Pack'.
The certificate will be posted to you within 30 days of completion of the work.
If a firm has carried out work and the certificate is overdue please ring 0870 609 6093. In order for EC Certification to supply you with the certificate, the firm must provide EC certification with the relevant information concerning the work carried out, address and date. It may be necessary to chase the firm if they are slow in providing this information.
This certificate may be requested, for example, by a purchaser's solicitor when you sell your property. Looking further ahead, it may be required as one of the documents that makes-up your 'Home Information Pack'.
The certificate will be posted to you within 30 days of completion of the work.
If a firm has carried out work and the certificate is overdue please ring 0870 609 6093. In order for EC Certification to supply you with the certificate, the firm must provide EC certification with the relevant information concerning the work carried out, address and date. It may be necessary to chase the firm if they are slow in providing this information.
Step 5c - Notification to your local authority's Building Control department
The firm's scheme provider, i.e. EC Certification, must provide information to the relevant local authority concerning the work carried out. This information is then publicly available, for example, as part of the searches carried out during the sale of a property.
The information required by EC Certification is essentially the same as that provided by the firm in order to produce your Building Regulations Compliance Certificate. Local authorities must have this information within 30 days of the completion of work and, hence, the firm must in turn provide their scheme operators with the required information promptly.
The information required by EC Certification is essentially the same as that provided by the firm in order to produce your Building Regulations Compliance Certificate. Local authorities must have this information within 30 days of the completion of work and, hence, the firm must in turn provide their scheme operators with the required information promptly.
Step 6 – Lost Certificates
If, some time in the past, you had work carried out by a firm that was registered with EC Certification and you discover you have misplaced the Building Regulations Compliance Certificate that was issued to you at the time, you can apply for a replacement certificate. To do so please ring 0870 609 6093.
Step 7 – Queries & Complaints
Should you wish to make a comment or suggestion regarding the operation of the Part P scheme or the service that you have received please contact EC Certification Ltd using the contact details below.
Part P Administration
ECA,
Part P Administration
ECA,
Mansfield Business Centre
Ashfield Avenue,
Mansfield,
NG18 2AE
Phone: 0845 873 87 86
Email: partp@eca.co.uk
It is important to be aware that firms registered with Competent Person schemes, such as the one operated by EC Certification, are required, as a condition of their registration, to carry out work in compliance with the Building Regulations and to provide the information the scheme operator requires in order for it to be able to register the work with the relevant local authority and for a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate to be issued to the customer.