Carrying Out A Periodic Inspection On A Commercial Building In Northern Ireland

[peterl3986]

Sorry lads but have to ask about price again.

I have been asked to carry out a Periodic Inspection on a commercial premises by a client.

They have a 3 phase board with 8 way board and is totally full. So 24 single circuits. They have no 3 phase circuits.

I am going to carry out the work during the evening so as not to effect business. Owner is going to clear up any areas that I will need to work at.

Have never carried out a periodic inspection before and have never priced 1 so any productive help would be appreciated.

I also have my 2394/2395. Just starting out on my own and trying to get experience.

Thanks in advance.

Peter

 

[telectrix]

difficult to price. you could start at £20 per circuit, or estimate time taken and charge your hourly rate. the limits of testing (ie % of outlets teasted ) will have a bearing on the price. a ball park figure IMO would be £400 - £500.

 

[peterl3986]

difficult to price. you could start at £20 per circuit, or estimate time taken and charge your hourly rate. the limits of testing (ie % of outlets teasted ) will have a bearing on the price. a ball park figure IMO would be £400 - £500.

Sorry will be testing 100% as no current periodic test paperwork. But not lifting floorboard or roof spaces. Not sure of total outlets but 2 stories and working on my own so may be a lot of work.

 

[Dan]

If you're totally unsure perhaps just go on a day rate and don't take your time. Can't be more fair than that.

 

[Richard Burns]

You may find that testing a business premises during the evenings on an installation that has never been inspected may prove to be a challenging first inspection.
However that does depend on the age and quality of the installation.

If you have already seen the board and the premises you should have been making an initial overview to yourself of the likely problems; access to accessories, high level lighting, obviously DIY electrical additions or modifications, amount of detail of labelling on the board.

If you have to identify what items are on what circuits then this can significantly increase the time taken.
Faults on circuits also cause delays as you attempt to determine why you are getting poor results.
100% inspection of all accessories may also prove challenging as items (particularly lighting) can be very inaccessible, especially if you do not have access equipment.
The owner clearing everything sounds good but if you have to access a particular circuit it may stretch the length of the building and require more space cleared than you expect.

Remember that you are there to report and not to repair so stick to the program as far as possible and do not agree to provide a satisfactory report for the quoted price!.
Agree in advance the limitations that may need to be applied considering the nature of the installation.
Make sure the owner is aware of the level of work required for a full inspection and test of the fixed wiring of the installation.

Based on the above information and applying it to the installation you have seen may help you to get a better idea of the time it will take.
I would probably agree with Tel's assessment of cost in general for an installation in reasonable state, but the 100% inspection may increase the cost.

 

[peterl3986]

You may find that testing a business premises during the evenings on an installation that has never been inspected may prove to be a challenging first inspection.
However that does depend on the age and quality of the installation.

If you have already seen the board and the premises you should have been making an initial overview to yourself of the likely problems; access to accessories, high level lighting, obviously DIY electrical additions or modifications, amount of detail of labelling on the board.

If you have to identify what items are on what circuits then this can significantly increase the time taken.
Faults on circuits also cause delays as you attempt to determine why you are getting poor results.
100% inspection of all accessories may also prove challenging as items (particularly lighting) can be very inaccessible, especially if you do not have access equipment.
The owner clearing everything sounds good but if you have to access a particular circuit it may stretch the length of the building and require more space cleared than you expect.

Remember that you are there to report and not to repair so stick to the program as far as possible and do not agree to provide a satisfactory report for the quoted price!.
Agree in advance the limitations that may need to be applied considering the nature of the installation.
Make sure the owner is aware of the level of work required for a full inspection and test of the fixed wiring of the installation.

Based on the above information and applying it to the installation you have seen may help you to get a better idea of the time it will take.
I would probably agree with Tel's assessment of cost in general for an installation in reasonable state, but the 100% inspection may increase the cost.

Thank you I know it's a bit of a challenge for my first test but will make it more interesting. Last periodic was 2010 carried out by an English company and doesn't seem to be any documentation left in building. I was hoping to get the building done for him over few evenings but as it is a shop and has a lot of fluorescent lighting and a lot of stock in shop will need moved to access the lighting connections may take me a bit longer.

I have already informed him that I will not be carrying out any repair I will be producing as list for him and I can quote after for repairs.

 

[westward10]

Go for some "easy" circuits first like single point radial outlets like a water heater. This way you will get the lay of the land and feel like you have achieved something quite quickly. Never assume circuit identification is correct, good luck.