Electrical Certificate of Compliance (COC) in Auckland

Where do I get an electrical COC?

You get an electrical COC from the electrical worker who did the work, or from their employer if the work was done under the employer's licence. Regulation 68 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 lets a person issue a COC only for work they are authorised to certify, and the person who signs it states that the work was done lawfully and safely (regulation 66).

eCertify does not issue a COC for another electrician's work, because a COC is that electrician's statement about their own work. Anywhere in the Auckland region, eCertify sorts out the gap instead:

• an eCertify inspection and, where the installation is safe, a CoV showing it is safe today;
• repair work done by eCertify, with eCertify's own COC for that work;
• for homeowner wiring disclosed upfront, where eCertify takes the job on, an inspection certified on a COC under NZECP 51.

Electricians needing an independent inspection of mains work or solar PV: see eCertify's record of inspection page for electricians.

What is an electrical certificate of compliance?

An electrical certificate of compliance (COC) is the electrical worker's signed statement that the prescribed electrical work they did was done lawfully and safely. Prescribed electrical work is electrical work a person may do only if authorised (section 74 of the Electricity Act 1992).

Under regulation 66, "lawfully and safely" means the work was done as the regulations require, tested, and left the installation electrically safe. A COC describes the work done (regulation 67), so a COC covers that work, not the whole house.

eCertify's guide to the electrical COC in NZ goes deeper on the regulations.

When do you need a COC?

A COC is needed for all general and high-risk prescribed electrical work (regulation 65(1)). In everyday terms:

• Replacing a fitting like for like, such as a light fitting, is low-risk work (regulation 6A(1)). A COC is optional (regulation 65(2)), but the electrician still issues an electrical safety certificate (ESC) once the work is complete (regulation 74A).
• Adding to or changing the installation, such as a new heat pump circuit or extra lights, is more than replacing a fitting, so it needs a COC.
• High-risk work, including mains work and solar PV or other parallel generation (regulation 6A(2)), must be inspected (regulation 70) and is not complete until the COC and the inspector's record of inspection (ROI) are both issued (regulation 65(4)).
• Power off for more than six months, with no new work since, needs a certificate issued under AS/NZS 3019 before reconnection, not a COC (regulation 74).

No COC? Your options in Auckland

eCertify's advice depends on why the COC is missing.

Your electrician has not given you one

Ask for it in writing. Regulation 74E(2) requires whoever issued the COC, or the employer licence holder, to give a copy to the person who contracted for the work within 20 days of finishing it. The regulation has no exception for an unpaid bill, so a COC cannot lawfully be held back as leverage.

If a written request goes nowhere, any person may complain to the Electrical Workers Registration Board about a registered electrical worker's conduct (section 144 of the Electricity Act 1992). Meanwhile eCertify can inspect the installation and, where it is safe, issue a CoV as current evidence.

The electrician has gone, or the work is old

Try the paperwork trail first. Under regulation 74E, whoever issued a COC must keep a copy for at least 7 years and give the owner or occupier a copy within 10 working days of a request. If the electrician worked under an employer licence, that duty sits with the company, so ask the company even if the electrician has left.

If no COC turns up, eCertify inspects the installation as it stands under AS/NZS 3019, the standard for assessing existing installations, and issues a CoV on the day where it is safe. A CoV does not take the place of a COC: a CoV is current evidence that the installation is safe, not a record of who did the work. Whether an insurer, lender or council accepts a CoV is their call, so send eCertify their letter first.

If something is not safe, eCertify gives you a written report and quotes the fix. Where eCertify does the repair, eCertify issues a COC for that work.

You are buying or insuring a house with no COC

A number of insurers ask for electrical certification before confirming cover, especially on homes built before 1980, and without cover a lender may not approve finance. eCertify's insurance CoV is a full check of the installation and, where it is safe, a CoV on the day. eCertify can arrange access directly with the listing agent, and if issues are found the report stays confidential to you unless you choose to share it.

Selling instead? AS/NZS 3019 recommends an assessment of a home's electrical installation when its occupancy changes, and eCertify's pre-sale CoV puts a current certificate in the vendor pack. eCertify's buying or selling page covers both sides of the move.

You did some of the wiring yourself

eCertify's honest advice is, as a rule, don't. Section 79 of the Electricity Act 1992 lets an owner do a defined list of wiring work in their own home, done and tested to NZECP 51 (regulation 57) and never connected until certified. Under NZECP 51, a licensed electrical inspector checks and tests the work, certifies and livens it, and the details go on a certificate of compliance (NZECP 51, clauses 1.6.3 to 1.6.5).

eCertify does not, as a rule, sign off homeowner wiring, but where the work is disclosed upfront eCertify may be able to help. eCertify's Homeowner Wiring - Inspection and Certification (COC) is NZ$549.90 including GST, because NZECP 51 sets a long list of checks. Please do not book a cheaper inspection to hide homeowner wiring: if eCertify finds it, the visit is charged in full and eCertify will not assist with certification.

How much does a COC cost?

A COC for new work comes from the electrician who did it, and regulation 74E(2) requires them to supply it, so eCertify does not sell a COC on its own. eCertify's fixed prices are for the fix when there is no COC, and each includes callout anywhere in Auckland, testing, and the certificate or a written report.

Repairs are never inside these prices: eCertify quotes repairs, and anything outside these packages, before booking. eCertify's certificate of verification page for Auckland sets out the four CoVs in detail.