Electrical Services
Electrical compliance testing and commissioning
A Certificate of Compliance is the legal confirmation that an electrical installation is safe and built to the wiring code. We inspect, test and certify installations, commission solar PV systems, and give you the documentation to prove it.
- Legal basis
- Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009
- Wiring code
- SANS 10142-1
- Issued with
- A full test report
- For a property transfer
- Not older than two years
What a Certificate of Compliance is
The Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is required by the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009, made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Every user or lessor of an electrical installation must have a valid CoC for it, issued with a test report, and must produce it on request to an inspector, the electricity supplier or an approved inspection authority.
The CoC confirms that the fixed installation, from the point of supply through the distribution boards to the socket outlets, lights and permanently connected equipment, has been inspected and tested against SANS 10142-1, the South African national standard for the wiring of premises. It is signed by a registered person, the qualification people often call a wireman's licence, and installation work itself may only be done by an electrical contractor registered with the Department of Employment and Labour.
For you, the outcome is simple: proof that the installation is safe, a document your insurer, your buyer and your electricity supplier will accept, and a clear record of what was tested and when.
When you need a CoC
A new installation
Every new electrical installation needs a CoC before it is put into use, and supply authorities generally ask for one before they connect a new supply.
Additions and alterations
When an installation is added to or altered, a CoC is required for at least the addition or alteration. Older installations that predate 23 October 1992 need a CoC for the whole installation once any alteration is made.
Selling a property
Regulation 7(5) does not allow a change of ownership if the CoC is older than two years. Sellers usually arrange a fresh inspection as part of the sale.
Solar PV and embedded generation
Adding a solar PV system or battery inverter is an alteration to the installation. Municipalities and Eskom also require a CoC and a commissioning report before they approve a small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) connection.
Insurance
Insurers commonly ask for a valid CoC, particularly after a fire or electrical claim, and an uncertified alteration can complicate a claim.
After a defect is found
If an inspector, an approved inspection authority or the supplier finds a fault, they may require a new CoC, and they may disconnect a circuit that presents immediate danger.
Who may certify what
The regulations recognise three categories of registered person. Each may only certify work within their category.
| Aspect | What they may certify |
|---|---|
| Electrical tester for single phase | Installations supplied by a single-phase supply at the point of control, excluding specialised installations |
| Installation electrician | Any electrical installation, single or three-phase, excluding specialised installations |
| Master installation electrician | Any electrical installation, including specialised installations such as explosive atmospheres, hazardous locations and medical locations |
From site inspection to certificate
- 01Scope and recordsWe confirm what is to be certified (the whole installation, an alteration or a new PV system) and gather any existing certificates, drawings and circuit charts.
- 02Visual inspectionWith the supply on and then isolated where needed, we inspect the distribution boards, wiring, protective devices, earthing, bonding and labelling against SANS 10142-1.
- 03TestingMeasured tests confirm what the eye cannot: that protective conductors are continuous, insulation is sound, faults will clear quickly and earth leakage units trip as they should.
- 04FindingsIf the installation passes, we proceed to certification. If it does not, you receive a clear list of the defects found and what is needed to correct them.
- 05Remedial workCorrections are quoted separately and carried out on your approval.
- 06RetestThe corrected circuits are tested again, so the certificate reflects the installation as it now stands.
- 07Certificate and test reportThe registered person issues the CoC and the completed test report, which together form the record of compliance.
What the inspection and tests cover
Visual inspection
- Distribution boards: condition, covers, blanking plates, secure mounting and access.
- Correct rating of circuit breakers and fuses for the cables they protect, so a cable cannot overheat before its protection trips.
- Cable types, sizing, routing and mechanical protection.
- Earthing arrangement, main earth terminal and bonding of exposed and other metalwork.
- Surge protection where the standard requires it.
- Labelling, circuit charts and warning notices.
- Isolation: every circuit can be safely switched off and identified.
Measured tests
- Continuity of protective (earth) conductors, confirming every earth connection is complete.
- Insulation resistance between conductors and to earth, which reveals damaged or deteriorating insulation.
- Earth loop impedance, or earth electrode resistance where an electrode is used, which shows whether a fault will draw enough current to trip the protection quickly.
- Polarity, confirming switches and protective devices break the live conductor, not the neutral.
- Earth leakage unit trip tests, confirming each unit disconnects at its rated sensitivity within the required time.
- Supply voltage and, on three-phase installations, phase rotation.
Documentation
- The test report, recording each test result.
- The CoC, identifying the installation, the registered person and the electrical contractor.
- Notes of any parts of the installation excluded from the certificate.
Solar PV commissioning
Commissioning a solar PV system adds tests on the DC side, where panels generate voltage whenever there is daylight, and confirms the inverter is set up correctly for the grid. We follow the manufacturers' requirements, international PV testing practice (IEC 62446-1) and the utility's own commissioning requirements.
DC side
- Polarity of every string, checked before any connection to the inverter.
- String open-circuit voltage (Voc), compared with the design value to catch missing or reversed modules.
- String short-circuit or operating current (Isc), confirming each string performs as expected.
- Insulation resistance of the DC circuits.
- Continuity of the earthing and bonding of the array frames and mounting structure.
- DC isolators, fuses and surge protection in place, correctly rated and labelled.
Inverter, battery and grid connection
- Grid settings to NRS 097-2-1, the utility interface standard for small-scale embedded generation.
- Anti-islanding test, confirming the inverter stops exporting when the grid supply is lost, so line workers are not put at risk.
- Export limiting or zero export, where the supply authority requires it.
- Battery settings, backup circuits and changeover tested under load.
- Monitoring set up and confirmed to be reporting.
Handover
- CoC and test report for the installation.
- Commissioning report for the municipality or Eskom SSEG application.
- Single-line diagram, string layout and equipment datasheets.
- Shutdown procedure and labelling explained to the person responsible on site.
Defects we commonly find
Most failed inspections come down to a handful of recurring problems, nearly all of them straightforward to correct.
Missing or faulty earth leakage
Circuits without earth leakage protection where it is required, or units that do not trip when tested.
Earthing and bonding
Missing earth conductors, high earth resistance, or exposed metalwork that has not been bonded.
Protection and cable mismatches
Breakers rated higher than the cable can safely carry, often the result of an upgrade made without resizing the cable.
Unapproved additions
Plugs, lights or equipment added without certification, sometimes with joints left outside an enclosure.
DB condition
Missing covers or blanking plates, loose terminations, overheating, and no circuit chart.
Solar installations
Missing DC isolation or labelling, unprotected DC cabling, and inverters connected without a CoC for the alteration.
Questions about compliance
How long is a CoC valid for a property transfer?
Regulation 7(5) does not allow a change of ownership if the CoC is older than two years. The sale agreement may set its own terms on top of this, so many sellers simply arrange a new inspection when the property goes on the market.
Does a CoC expire if I am not selling?
The regulations do not give it a fixed expiry outside a transfer, but it only covers the installation as it was when tested. Any addition or alteration needs its own CoC.
What happens if the installation fails?
You receive a list of the defects found and what is needed to correct them. Once the remedial work is done, the affected circuits are retested and the CoC is issued.
Does a CoC cover my appliances?
No. It covers the fixed installation up to the point where appliances are connected. Portable appliances are not part of it, and an electric fence needs its own separate certificate.
Does a solar system need its own CoC?
Yes. A PV system is an alteration to the electrical installation and must be certified, and your municipality or Eskom will ask for the CoC as part of the embedded generation application.
Need a CoC or a commissioning inspection?
Tell us about the installation and why you need the certificate. We will confirm the scope and quote the inspection.
Power On!