This could prove interesting !

[Evans Electric]

Cutting to the chase to put you in the picture .

A neighbour further up the road is having a extension to the side & rear of his house   .

Before a builder was appointed neighbour got me to sort out moving fuseboards  and dealing with a new supply because the electric's wall was coming out .  This I did with a temporary sub-main to old Wylex. etc.  

Builder starts job, has his own electrician .   Builder announces that he's not doing a new board  or sorting old fuseboard , now hanging from ceiling  in everyone's way.  

Builder also announces  he's not installing smoke detectors or fans .  

I warn neighbour that LBC won't sign off the job without fans , smoke detectors etc.

Neighbour gets me in to install new C/U ,  smoke detectors  and some outside lights and a garage supply .     This obviously pee's off the builder  who asks for the final payment , although he's not finished.  Neighbour refuses until all is finished.   ( Shower & toilet not even fitted out yet)  

Builder's electrics are complete ...but ... electrician has gone on holiday back to Africa  and our other guys don't do fuseboards  , can I connect their wiring ...  he has the cert  as it was all tested before he left .    ( Without power  Eh !  Hmmm)     My work is certed & notified  but I think it will be interesting to see the builder's cert.   

My question is :    Should his downlights be firerated   ( they're not)   The structure is an single  extension  with a sloping roof at rear of property , no rooms above .   The reason I don't know this is that I ALWAYS fit fire rated  in every case , to save any argument.     The ceiling , I would say , is 1/2 hour fire rated  ,  (Well obviously not now )   

 

[Andy™]

they only need fire rated if going between fire compartments. the fact the ceiling is be a fire barrier because its made from plasterboard is irrelevant

if its a normal 2 story house then its all 1 fire compartment usually, so no need or fire rated

whole thing sounds awkward. how convenient his 'electrician' has gone. id like to see the cert too, maybe its a bit of bog roll with a few numbers scribbled on it?

 

[Evans Electric]

If it exists at all Andy  !     I could see where all this was going and warned the neighbour to not part with any more money  until it's signed off .   

Builder actually said electrician was  on holiday two weeks ago  when the smoke detector situation was raised.   Then he magically appeared  and 2nd fixed  the kitchen . 

I'd say that there will be no certificate.

I suppose its actually fraud   to  not inform the client that it cannot be signed off. 

 

[ProDave]

Issue a 3 signature version of the EIC for the builders work, with you signing the I&t bit only, and give it to the builder to sign the design and erection sections.

 

[Sharpend]

Personally I'd have a quiet word with neighbour and tell him that you are going to take a back seat and let the builder complete the works as per their contract. When it's all done and dusted then you can go and do an EICR for peace of mind for neighbour. This way anything that crops up can be helpful for neighbour to negotiate final payment to builder. 

 

[Andy™]

id be telling the builder than he wont be getting paid what Deke's charged for the smoke detectors etc

 

[Murdoch]

Sounds lke the normal mess where a "dodgy" builder takes advantage of Joe Public .....

I was in one of these last Friday ..... looking at the under floor heating where the builder laid the mat and electrics and the tiler laid the tiles - both are blaming each other.  My tests concluded that the matt is damaged. The heating controller is in the wall just above the skirting board

 The electrics are a shambles, no RCD protection on any of the changed circuits (about 5 circuits have been changed).

It sounds like the builder has had all his money, the jobis not complete, the BCO hasn't made their final inspection, said builder is demanding extra money to complete the work ....... and clear all the junk from the front garden...

Who do people like this turn to? 

One thing for sure is that the customer is telling all their friends NOT to use this builder.

 

[ProDave]

Sounds like the DIY UFH mat I was asked to connect. They bought a mat that was too large and left a coiled up length of heating mat under the bath........

And yes it was all tiled.

 

[Murdoch]

Sounds like the DIY UFH mat I was asked to connect. They bought a mat that was too large and left a coiled up length of heating mat under the bath........

And yes it was all tiled.

No "spare" under the bath - the bath has legs and the floor beneath it is open to see.

Its the classic of nobody testing the matt at any stage

 

[Sharpend]

Sounds like the DIY UFH mat I was asked to connect. They bought a mat that was too large and left a coiled up length of heating mat under the bath........

O you silly pair, that is the new modern method of keeping a gentle heat in the bath!! 

Really though, this is where it really pee's me off when people spurt such rubbish as electrics is easy, if only they'd been born with a second brain cell then they might actually stop to think about what they are saying/doing. 

What at did you do with it Dave? Disconnect ?  

 

[Evans Electric]

id be telling the builder than he wont be getting paid what Deke's charged for the smoke detectors etc

I've told neighbour that Andy ,  but , in spite of what I'd advised him,   this builder hasn't submitted a detailed quote   ,  I've not seen it but I know the sort , its open ended so theres no details in writing .    I know it just says "Electrics included" .

He wants to charge extra for decorating  apparently ,    its all a cock -up  really ,   Heating guys moved boiler,  etc  had asked client for half the money , which he paid them ....then builder complained that he should have been paid  for what they did  .

You're right Andy ,  he  should hold the smoke detector money  back .  I'll put that to him .   The other work is extra .

And I 'd guess the builder could successfully claim that he didn't allow to fit new C/U   seeing as theres nothing in writing .    

 

[Andy™]

'electrics included' would mean anything necessary for the electrics, including a new CU if required

 

[Evans Electric]

I agree  mate  but if its not in writing the builder is on a winner every time .    I've seen it all before .  One job the builder put up the shell  with the roof on  and all drainage sorted, ....then  announced  that  plumbing , electrics, plastering , sanitary fittings etc were all extras .     The customer told them to do one .    Again it wasn't written and the customer assumed it was all in. 

The latest is , the customer  ( rightly or wrongly )  assumed it would be painted internally ...." AH well that  would be an extra  £££££s   "   Nothing in writing see.    Still asking for his final payment  ,  still fretting over who will be fitting the kitchen  although he knew from the start it wasn't himself.  :C

Turned up the other day as I was doing the garage supply and asked me to connect his spark's circuits in the board .   I asked if he had tested them  (  Remember he told client he has the cert !!!)         he says he doesn't know  but he's away in Africa for 4 weeks  and I'm in the brown stuff.    ( Oh theres neighbour thinking  the builder has the electrics cert)  

Because the neighbour is a good guy and he's been shat on enough by this merchant banker , I'll do an EICR  tomorrow , 3 circuits,  jot down the results  and connect them  so neighbour has some light at least .     They've had no kitchen sink for  about 7 weeks .     I'll hold back on the EICR to see what occurs at final hand over  & with  LBC  who will have to OK  the EICR  as I can't see  the wandering African returning TBH .   I saw the first fix  before plastering .