Certificate of Verification (CoV) in NZ: for an existing installation, not new work

If you are selling a house, buying a tenanted property, or the power has been off for a while, you may have come across the term "Certificate of Verification" and wondered how it is different from the certificates issued when work is first done.

A Certificate of Verification (CoV) confirms that an existing electrical installation is still safe for continued use. It is verification, not certification of new work: nothing has necessarily been built or altered, the installation is simply being checked as it stands today. eCertify, Auckland's dedicated certification and inspection specialist, issues CoVs for exactly this situation.

CoV vs COC: the distinction that causes most of the confusion

A Certificate of Compliance (COC) is issued after new or altered electrical work, by the person who did it, confirming that work complies with the regulations (regulation 65). See our Certificate of Compliance guide for the full picture. A CoV does the opposite job: it looks at an installation that already exists, with no new work necessarily involved, and confirms it is still fit for continued use. If nobody has touched your wiring and you just need to know it is still safe, a CoV is almost always the right document, not a COC.

When you actually need a CoV

The clearest legal trigger is reconnection after a long disconnection. If a low-voltage installation has been disconnected or isolated from supply for more than 6 months, the person reconnecting or restoring supply must sight a CoV, issued no earlier than 6 months before the reconnection date, before doing so (regulation 74). Reconnecting without one is an offence.

Outside that trigger, a CoV is also the usual document for:

• Selling a house. A pre-sale CoV gives a buyer, or their solicitor, current confirmation that the wiring is safe, separate from a general building inspection. If you are working through the whole sale timeline, see our guide to selling or buying a house.
• No documentation on hand. If nobody has the original COC and you cannot confirm the work was ever certified, a CoV establishes the installation's current safety instead of chasing paperwork that may not exist.
• A previous installer who will not certify. If the person who did the original work cannot be reached or will not issue anything, verification of the existing installation is the practical path forward.
• Homeowner wiring eCertify is willing to accept. As a rule, eCertify does not sign off undisclosed homeowner wiring, but where it is disclosed and verification is the right call, it is priced separately and higher, reflecting the extra care involved.

Who can issue a CoV

A CoV has to be given by a person authorised to certify mains work, following verification carried out in accordance with AS/NZS 3019 (regulation 74). That standard sets out how the verification itself is done; the certificate is the record that it was.

A CoV is not time-limited in the sense of expiring on a fixed date, but it is only ever a statement about the installation on the day it was checked. An old CoV is weak evidence of current safety, which is part of why the 6-month reconnection trigger exists in the first place.

What does a CoV cost through eCertify?

eCertify's fixed CoV prices, all-inclusive of callout, testing and the certificate or remedial report, are:

• Pre-sale CoV (vendors): NZ$249.90 including GST.
• Power restoration CoV: NZ$269.90 including GST.
• Homeowner wiring CoV: NZ$549.90 including GST, reflecting the extra verification work on wiring eCertify did not originally sign off.

Anything outside those three situations is assessed and quoted upfront before booking. eCertify serves the Auckland region only.

In short

A Certificate of Verification confirms an existing electrical installation is still safe for continued use, which is a different job from certifying new work with a COC. eCertify, Auckland's dedicated certification and inspection specialist, issues CoVs most often for pre-sale checks, reconnections after six months or more off supply, and installations with no usable paperwork on file. The fixed prices are NZ$249.90 including GST for a pre-sale CoV and NZ$269.90 including GST for a power restoration CoV, both inclusive of callout and testing, with homeowner wiring CoVs priced at NZ$549.90 including GST to reflect the extra work involved.

Selling, reconnecting after time off supply, or missing paperwork on an existing installation? eCertify issues Certificates of Verification on a fixed, all-inclusive price. Auckland region only.

Frequently asked questions

Is a CoV the same as a Certificate of Compliance?

No. A COC certifies new or altered work at the time it was done. A CoV verifies that an existing installation, with no new work necessarily involved, is still safe today.

Do I need a CoV to sell my house in Auckland?

A pre-sale CoV is eCertify's standard product for vendors and gives a buyer current confirmation of safety, separate from a general building inspection.

What triggers the legal requirement for a CoV?

Reconnecting or restoring supply to a low-voltage installation that has been disconnected or isolated for more than 6 months (regulation 74). The CoV has to have been issued no earlier than 6 months before that reconnection date.

Who is allowed to issue a CoV?

A person authorised to certify mains work, following verification done in accordance with AS/NZS 3019 (regulation 74).

Does a CoV expire?

Not on a fixed date, but it only describes the installation on the day it was checked. An old CoV is weak evidence that an installation is still safe now.

I do not have the original COC for my wiring. Can I still sell my house?

Yes. A CoV verifies the installation as it stands today, which is the usual path when original paperwork cannot be found.

Will eCertify issue a CoV on homeowner wiring?

As a rule, eCertify does not sign off undisclosed homeowner wiring. Where disclosed homeowner wiring is accepted for verification, it is priced at NZ$549.90 including GST.