A building inspection looks at the structure. It does not test the electrical installation. eCertify does, and gives you it in writing before you commit.
An eCertify pre-purchase electrical inspection is NZ$249.90 including GST, all inclusive.
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A standard building inspection covers the structure and the weathertightness. The roof, the cladding, the framing where visible, moisture readings, the subfloor, the joinery. That is genuinely valuable and you should still get one.
What it does not do is test the electrical installation. Most building inspectors are not registered electricians, cannot legally carry out electrical testing, and their reports say so. The wiring section is usually a visual note and a recommendation to get an electrician in.
That recommendation is the gap eCertify fills. A pre-purchase electrical inspection tests the installation and tells you its actual condition, with readings, before you are committed to buying it.
On the electrical side, the findings eCertify sees most often in Auckland are a switchboard with no RCD protection, missing or inadequate earthing, undocumented work added by someone who was not an electrician, deteriorated rubber or cloth-insulated cable, and unsafe alterations in the roof space or under the floor.
None of those are visible from the living room. All of them cost money to put right.
Work that has been done and never certified. A legally required certificate that does not exist means nobody qualified has ever signed off that work, and you have no record of who did it or to what standard.
eCertify's view is straightforward: undocumented electrical work is the finding most likely to cost a buyer real money after settlement, because the cost of putting it right is unknown until it is opened up.
A pre-settlement inspection is your chance to confirm the property is in the condition you agreed to buy, and that anything the vendor agreed to fix has been fixed.
On the electrical side, check that every light and outlet still works, that the switchboard looks the same as it did at the building inspection, that any agreed remedial work has actually happened, and that you have been given the certificate for it. Test the RCD button on the switchboard if there is one.
If work was done between your offer and settlement, ask for the certificate. eCertify can tell you whether the one you have been handed is the right document for the work that was carried out.
If you have had electrical work done and cannot produce the paperwork, it surfaces during the buyer's due diligence, at the worst possible moment. A pre-sale Certificate of Verification, a CoV, confirms the installation has been inspected and tested and is safe to connect.
An eCertify pre-sale CoV is NZ$249.90 including GST, all inclusive. An eCertify pre-purchase electrical inspection is also NZ$249.90 including GST. Both cover the callout, the testing and your written report or certificate.
Often, yes, and for a different reason. New builds and recent renovations should come with an Electrical Safety Certificate, an ESC, for the work carried out. If the vendor cannot produce it, that is worth resolving before settlement rather than after.
eCertify can tell you which certificate should exist for the work that was done, which is usually the question people are actually asking.
eCertify inspections are carried out by registered, fully qualified electricians and EWRB-registered electrical inspectors. Your report goes to you and only you. If you are the buyer, eCertify does not share your report with the vendor or the agent without your say-so.
Hours: on-site Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm. Enquiries any time.
Tell eCertify about the property and whether you are buying or selling. We will confirm which inspection you need and what it costs before anything is booked.
787 Riddell Road, St Heliers, Auckland 1071
09 302 0884office@ecertify.co.nzFind us on Google MapsGet in touch any time. On-site work runs Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm.
Our team are fully accredited and qualified electrical professionals.
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