Help needed with part time electrical bussines / starting property maintenace service

[Doc Hudson]

Thats why i joined the fourm for help, and ,some people on here have been helping, , i just need to know will i be coverd to do pir and where i can get the certificates if im not with a body like nappit ect but im insurredCheers

You haven't actually said what formal qualifications you have or what insurance cover you have. I would think as a minimum you would need an appropriate level of PI insurance, C&G 2391 (as well as the standard installation & 17th edition certificates), also a calibrated meter with interim accuracy checking procedures. Legally you do not need anything to do a PIR as BS7671 are non statutory regulations. But as I said previously if you do make a serious error involving third parties being injured you would need to be able to prove quite comprehensively that you are competent to undertake the inspections you are doing and have suitable cover to prevent you being hung out to dry. Inspection work is general considered to be more skilled and involved requiring a greater understanding of BS7671 than installation work by most approved contractor schemes. Some landlords insurance will stipulate that inspections must be done by and approved contractor.

Doc H.

 

[M107]

Yes you can work full time & then be self employed for a second income.

As said you do need to inform HMRC with in (i think it's) 3 months of traing & depending on your SE income you can (as I do) use your Paye tax code (as in it will change yearly) & pay any SE tax.

Again I would second the use of a good tax accountant, you can do it yourself but you'll save soooooo much greif using somebody who knows what they are doing.

 

[leeward]

Thanks m 107, have you got any links were i can download the certificates i will need if im not useing nappit or niceic ones cheers so im all coverd,

Thanks

 

[M107]

Try the forum download section.

Electrical - Downloads - Talk.electricianforum.co.uk... a forum with a difference.

 

[Sharpend]

Lee, how much experience so you have of the testing and inspecting of existing installations as it is not the same as testing new installs, as it has already been mentioned you can be left out to hang if your report fails to highlight something that later goes on to cause harm to a third party.

I only ask as you seem rather unsure of such basics as locating suitable certificates other than through a scam.

 

[steptoe]

have you priced your PI yet?

mine has took a MASSIVE jump this year, according to the girl on the phone its due to a massive amount of short course guys,

talking about insurance, I renwed my PL at the weekend, rang them up to confirm everything was right as they had changed something I wasnt happy about,

anyway, she also said that if I wanted to reduce the price to take off 3phase as over 80% of their policies for sole trading sparks say they dont need it, or heights over 10m, (a town house is over 10m I would guess)

got talking and she also said most of their policies were now 1st year of trading, 0 years exp and they wont touch them for PI for under 5K, but mine has still shot up massively to try and cover the risks from them.!

 

[leeward]

Thanks step toe, bliMey i thought it would cost a few hundread, my quals are 233o level 2 and 3 17 iee, and part p, im just aBout to do 2391, i was thinking of geting started with it jan 2013 , so i have more experiance

Chees

 

[steptoe]

lee , my PI has doubled this year, and my PL has went up by nearly a tenner,just over

 

[hxsarge]

wanting to do your scotchers by the book?? thats a first, good luck, ive just requested to join elecsa, same as you while working. although ive been told by my company's elecsa man that inspection and testing can be done without a part p scamming company, long as your competent. just get some public liability insurance, cheep as chips.

 

[M107]

have you priced your PI yet?mine has took a MASSIVE jump this year, according to the girl on the phone its due to a massive amount of short course guys,

talking about insurance, I renwed my PL at the weekend, rang them up to confirm everything was right as they had changed something I wasnt happy about,

anyway, she also said that if I wanted to reduce the price to take off 3phase as over 80% of their policies for sole trading sparks say they dont need it, or heights over 10m, (a town house is over 10m I would guess)

got talking and she also said most of their policies were now 1st year of trading, 0 years exp and they wont touch them for PI for under 5K, but mine has still shot up massively to try and cover the risks from them.!

I looked about for a cheaper quote & was told much the same......ended up staying with Insurantz.

Nicey insurance wanted

 

[Sharpend]

I think you'll find that it's professional indemnity insurance that you require for EICR work as this covers you for what you say/advise hence why it costs so much. The liability insurance covers you for any damage/accidents whilst you are in another persons property, etc.

Sorry to say chaps I have just renewed with Napit Insurance for

 

[Apache]

Hahahaha - our Professional Indemnity is a couple of grand a year!

 

[Sharpend]

Hahahaha - our Professional Indemnity is a couple of grand a year!

At that price you must have given some seriously poor advice in the past.

Either that or your advising in some serious places.

 

[Apache]

At that price you must have given some seriously poor advice in the past. Either that or your advising in some serious places.

We all pay the same for the same level of cover.

Just guess more likely to get claims than you lot!

 

[m4tty]

At that price you must have given some seriously poor advice in the past. Either that or your advising in some serious places.

He's a vet mate

 

[Sharpend]

At that price you must have given some seriously poor advice in the past. Either that or your advising in some serious places.

He's a vet mate

Oh dear that looks painful.

Yes and you said it wouldn't bite

 

[M107]

Patch just think how high it could be if you dealt with nothing but race horses.

 

[leeward]

Thanks for all the help im going to have a good think about it , maybe nappit pl pi will be a good idea .

Cheers lee

 

[Doc Hudson]

wanting to do your scotchers by the book?? thats a first, good luck, ive just requested to join elecsa, same as you while working. although ive been told by my company's elecsa man that inspection and testing can be done without a part p scamming company, long as your competent. just get some public liability insurance, cheep as chips.

I think you'll find that it's professional indemnity insurance that you require for EICR work as this covers you for what you say/advise hence why it costs so much. The liability insurance covers you for any damage/accidents whilst you are in another persons property, etc.

Just to mention a point here that posts such as the above highlight and that some occasionally miss. Also for the benefit of those who have not yet taken out any work related insurance. Sometime if skip reading posts 'PL' & 'PI' can get mixed in context.

Public Liability (PL) is insurance in case you injure a third party due to your work, or damage a property you are working at. It is for physical work you have done. Say you leave a floorboard lose and someone falls through it and goes through the downstairs ceiling so they have an injured leg and a lounge ceiling to repair. The homeowner was paying for you to undertake work in accordance with current regulations and Health and safety guidance. They can claim that your work has been negligent.

Professional Indemnity (PI) is insurance in case someone claims you have given poor professional advice or guidance. Such as, you say an electrical installation is satisfactory on your EICR following a periodic inspection of a property. But then a week later a 2.5mm radial starts melting due to lose connections and protection by a 40amp MCB. You did not install anything but your professional experience should have identified the non compliance with current safety standard. So the unskilled property owner, can claim that the advice and guidance they purchased from your was negligent.

Doc H.

 

[leeward]

thanks doc h , so if i just want to issue pir i only need the pi cover and use my own certificates.

cheers lee