If you are currently a homeowner, or an aspiring one, an electrical certificate of compliance is required when a property is being sold or bought. It is a legal document issued by a qualified and registered person (electrician) that verifies an electrical installation is compliant with the latest SANS 10142-1:2020 standard as stated in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993).
A registered person is someone who is either a master electrician, an installation electrician, or an electrical tester for single phase. A qualified person means that the registered person is qualified to issue an electrical compliance certificate for the type of electrical installation they are qualified for.
The electrical certificate of compliance isn’t only required for property transfers. Every user (homeowner) or lessor (tenant) of an electrical installation is required to have a valid electrical certificate of compliance by law.
If you are selling your property you will also need to get the certificate if you don’t already have one, or if the certificate is older than two years, or if there’s been additions or alterations made to the electrical installation since the issued date of the original certificate.
How Long Is The Certificate Valid For?
An electrical certificate of compliance is valid for the lifetime of the electrical installation, however, if any alterations or additions are made to the electrical installation, a supplementary certificate will be issued to the initial electrical certificate of compliance.
Please note: the certificate does not have an expiry date, but if you are selling your property, the certificate cannot be older than 2 years.
What Does The Certificate Look Like?
An original electrical certificate of compliance document is a yellow, double-sided page that contains the following information:
- Certificate Type (initial certificate or supplementary certificate)
- Pre-printed registration number of the certificate
- Identification information of the electrical installation (mostly physical address)
- Declaration by the registered person
- Declaration by the electrical contractor
- In-depth details of the electrical installation (on the back page)
How Much Does it Cost?
In general, the registered person (electrician) doesn’t charge for the certificate itself, but instead for the inspection, which can range from R1000 for flats and R3000 for houses. The price of the inspection depends on the type and size of the property, as well as the phase of the electrical installation, such as single-phase or three-phase.
The inspection and issuing of the certificate excludes any repair work (if required) due to faults or non-compliance. If the electrical installation (property) passes the inspection, the registered person will issue the certificate usually on the same day.