"Lobster" wrote in message
...
"Joe" wrote in message
...

"ARWadsworth" wrote in message
news

"Joe" wrote in message
...
A friend of mine is having her house rewired and from what I hear it
sounds
like a poor quality job. Am I right in thinking that a test
certificate
should be issued on completion?

Yes. What are your/her particular concerns and have you spoken to the
contractor? Your friend should pay nothing until she gets her
certificate.


The wife was on the phone to the friend this morning and the story is
half
the money has been paid up front and the wiring will be finished this
week, but the floor boards will not be refitted till the week after as
he
has got another job on. I dread to think what will happen if her 4 year
old falls through the holes!

Well, that's not great obviously, but given that you normally have to lift
floorboards for a rewire, there's nothing above to suggest directly that
the
electrical work itself won't be up to scratch! Anything else?

David


With all due respects David, whilst I agree that it is normal to lift the
floorboards, they are usually replaced as soon as possible after testing the
new wiring - and not a week later.

Leaving them up that long is dangerous for the occupants (if even they are
just replaced loosely), smacks of shoddy workmanship and the possibility
that if the sparks asks for full payment BEFORE completion, it may well be
virtually impossible to get him back to finish the job.

My advice as always, NEVER pay up-front if asked - any halfway decent,
bona-fide contractor does the work first and THEN asks for payment - major
works excepted, when monthly valuations on COMPLETED work are ok and the
norm.


Brian G