Becoming a domestic installer

[RB2020]

Hi,

thank you in advance!

I expect that I may get some criticism, I don’t consider myself an electrician, but I’m willing to learn and gain qualifications.

Long term I want to do the full scope of electrical qualifications so that I can claim to be fully qualified.

short time however I have a time constraint And that will take too long.

my original intention was to find an electrician who is registered with Stroma, who can sign off 3rd party work... work with them from start to finish with me essentially doing all the work, then them inspecting, testing and signing off.

however due to a long period of time between originally contacting one who agreed to help me and actually getting down to doing the work they appear to have changed their mind and aren’t replying to me any more.

to engage the council to do the same thing is going to cost in the region of £750 each house.

so I’m looking for advice on best courses for domestic installer which will enable me to register with a competent persons scheme to sign off and do my own electrical work... not going to be doing work for customers. Just want to do work in properties I own because I would rather put the money towards a course where I’ve made an effort to learn and gained a part qualification to do what I need rather than paying the council for one off sign offs.

thanks

 

[chivers67]

There's no quick solution. Your first port of call is to get BS7671 Wiring Regulations under your belt. The Likes of Trade skills for you do an 18 day course for a couple of grand but just by completing these type courses don't make you competent as such.

https://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/courses/domestic-installer-course

https://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/pages/become-an-electrician

 

[EFLImpudence]

There is actually no such thing as a domestic installer other than a made-up category by NEICEC for people they don't trust for other electrical work.

The whole competent persons scheme is now a sham in England and just something electricians have to do (and pay for) to avoid the Local Authority fees for notifiable work - virtually only replacing consumer units.

Stroma were taken over by NAPIT.

Very few third party certifiers exist.

 

[EFLImpudence]

To clarify my rant:

to engage the council to do the same thing is going to cost in the region of 750 each house.

That is rather high. I think £400 is the highest mentioned and £200 more usual - still a waste, though.

so I’m looking for advice on best courses for domestic installer which will enable me to register with a competent persons scheme to sign off and do my own electrical work... not going to be doing work for customers. Just want to do work in properties I own because I would rather put the money towards a course where I’ve made an effort to learn and gained a part qualification to do what I need rather than paying the council for one off sign offs.

Fair enough.

You only need to register with a CPS to be able to self-certify (which means self-notify) which in England is only -
Replacement Consumer Units
New Circuits
Additions and alterations within the zones of a bathroom etc.


Anyone may (is allowed to) inspect, test and certify (sign off) so you don't need a CPS for that.

The new Private Rented Sector inspections are a bit of an unknown at the moment as no one is actually certain what the wording of the legislation really means.

 

[RB2020]

There's no quick solution. Your first port of call is to get BS7671 Wiring Regulations under your belt. The Likes of Trade skills for you do an 18 day course for a couple of grand but just by completing these type courses don't make you competent as such.

https://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/courses/domestic-installer-course

https://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/pages/become-an-electrician

thanks, I have looked into 18th edition, sparkyninja does his own course I was thinking of taking.

but understand I still need inspection and testing, and part p also which he doesn’t do courses on.

so may need to just do a complete course.

 

[EFLImpudence]

but understand I still need inspection and testing,

It would be wise but not mandatory - although, obviously if you don't know how...

and part p also which he doesn’t do courses on.

Part P is a Building Regulation. There are no courses on it.

That's it; there is no more.

 

[flameport]

so I’m looking for advice

These are the options:
https://www.electricalcareers.co.uk/joining-the-industry/training-routes/
An 18 day course isn't one of them.

 

[Swwils]

So let me clarify, you can try join a CPS and pass without any qualifications?

Then the CPS membership is accepted to self notify?

 

[RB2020]

These are the options:
https://www.electricalcareers.co.uk/joining-the-industry/training-routes/
An 18 day course isn't one of them.

thanks,

Long term I am not intending on using a short course for doing work for potential customers because I agree,

long term want to get into renewables so I will need full qualifications.

But for some personally owned property, need a short term solution I can use to get work signed off.

tried to find an electrician I could work with who had 3rd party sign off, they was interested but time has passed and they don’t seem interested any more, that was my preferred option so I Could leave everything exposed, they could inspect and test it and if happy with it sign it off.

but there is not many 3rd party sign off schemes so not many electricians have it and im unable to find another one.

but rather than pay councils hundreds to sign off I’d rather put it into a qualification I can use to sign off myself even if I have to get an EICR on it after with somebody fully inspecting it for safety and do ongoing work on my own property.

 

[Taylortwocities]

So let me clarify, you can try join a CPS and pass without any qualifications?

Then the CPS membership is accepted to self notify?

To join a CPS you need certain qualifications ( and a number of other things, including a fistful of £££). Look on a CPS web site for their requirements, they differ. Generally you’ll need an NVQ Level 3. There are several routes to this.
Plus pass 18th edition exam.

Once you are in the CPS club, you self notify work that you do VIA the CPS.

 

[RB2020]

It would be wise but not mandatory - although, obviously if you don't know how...


Part P is a Building Regulation. There are no courses on it.

View attachment 226154

That's it; there is no more.

It would be wise but not mandatory - although, obviously if you don't know how...


Part P is a Building Regulation. There are no courses on it.

View attachment 226154

That's it; there is no more.

thanks, yep I know part p is a building regulation, but for some reason the modules listed on the domestic installer course they label as part p.

so I was under the impression that I needed the 3, 18th edition, the part p qualification and inspection and testing to join a CPS.

 

[Deleted member 267285]

Part P is a Building Regulation. There are no courses on it.

It seems that offerings of this “course” is misleading and confusing. JW aka Flameport explained it extremely well on a YouTube video. I must admit, I was drawn to one of these a while back.

 

[flameport]

CPS requirements here: https://www.niceic.com/join-us/part-p-domestic-installer-scheme
having at least 2 years experience is required.

 

[RB2020]

Failing my intention to do a qualification and join a CPs scheme for own personal use.

Anybody have any suggestions on finding an electrician who can sign off 3rd party?

I was lucky to find first one because I posted on a local group and they responded offering to help.

but not had much luck finding somebody else.

not doing it to cut corners, I want it inspected and signed off, if I do it myself even willing to pay for an EICR to check it while everything is exposed so fully want it to be done properly and safe.

just don’t want to pay hundreds to building control for 1 sign off which I could put towards a qualification.

my reasons for wanting to do it myself are not to cut corners, as I’m willing to do it in a supervised manner.

but rather, flexibility as I can do it bit by bit as I go through the house renovating it over next few months with 1 final sign off at the end.

I can also put the money saved into a better installation... like even though not a requirement and the obscene price, fully AFDD it which is a bonus when the property gets rented because tenant will have a safer installation.

I can also do things like steel conduit in the walls which take longer to install making future rewiring easier and safeguard it a bit better against people drilling cables.

as well as adding extra circuits to ready it for future solar inverters, battery storage and ev chargers etc.

with no extra cost other than materials.

whereas if I’m paying somebody, the labour being paid would mean many of these things would not be possible.

at the same time though, not doing it myself in order to leave behind a dangerous installation that lacks paperwork, I will need paperwork because if mortgaged in future lenders solicitor will want it all and fully want a safe installation for whoever lives in the house.

but to reiterate if I do get the qualifications, I won’t be pretending I’m an electrician, won’t be going out to customers doing electrical work in other people’s houses. And in my own, I’m happy to have an EICR before things are covered up to check the safety of the installation.

just don’t have time to get full on qualifications for the purpose I require here and now; it’s either pay council or pay somebody to 3rd party sign off or get qualified to sign off myself.

property needs to be renovated by November.

long term though, I will be doing a full scope of qualifications though because I want to get into renewables and domestic installer will be unsuitable for electrical work in this manner for customers.

just can’t do that before November.

also if I have work done on these rewires signed off, would I be able to use it as evidence for a portfolio on a full qualification?

 

[flameport]

Anybody have any suggestions on finding an electrician who can sign off 3rd party?

Search here: https://search.napit.org.uk/
They are the only scheme which has third party certifiers, the Stroma scheme is part of NAPIT now.
NICEIC / ELECSA do not operate a TPS scheme and never have.

just don’t want to pay hundreds to building control for 1 sign off which I could put towards a qualification.

It's either pay building control, or pay a third party certifier. The end result is the same.