Two documents, two jobs
The invoice is the money side. It says what work was done, what was supplied, when, and what it cost.
The certificate is the electrical side. It is a record that relates to the electrical work done on that job, issued by the business that did it. It is a separate document from the invoice, and it is worth keeping separately too.
Both come from P4 at the end of the job. If you are a landlord or a property manager, say where the paperwork should go when you book, so it doesn't sit in a tenant's inbox.
Who can do the work in the first place
Electrical work in Queensland must be done by a licensed electrician, and DIY electrical work is illegal. That covers small jobs too, such as replacing a power point or a light switch.
P4's electrical contractor licence is 88710, and Jamie's electrical licence is 155780. You can check a Queensland electrical licence on the Electrical Safety Office's licence search. It is worth doing for any electrician before work starts, not just P4.
Why keep the paperwork
The paperwork tells the story of the electrical work in a house: who did it and when. That matters more often than people expect.
- If something goes wrong later. The invoice and certificate show who did the work and when, which is the first thing anyone will ask.
- For warranty. P4 gives a 12 months workmanship warranty, plus the manufacturer's warranty on products. The invoice shows the date the work was done and what was supplied.
- When you sell. A buyer or their agent may ask what electrical work has been done on the house. Having the paperwork in one place makes that an easy answer.
- For rentals. Rental homes need safety switches on power point circuits within 90 days after a tenancy starts (ESO frequently asked questions). The paperwork from the job shows when the work was done.
- For the next electrician. Knowing what was changed, and when, saves time on the next job.
Our services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law.
Where to keep it
Keep the invoice and the certificate together, with the appliance manuals and anything else to do with the house. If they arrive by email, save them to a folder rather than leaving them in the inbox. If they are on paper, a scan or a phone photo is a sensible backup.
Note the job on the folder or file name: the date, and a few words such as "kitchen renovation" or "switchboard upgrade". In five years nobody remembers which job was which.
What the certificate does not cover
The certificate relates to the electrical work done on that job. It is not an inspection report on the whole house. If you'd like a property looked over as a whole, that is a separate job: ask Jamie about an electrical safety audit.
Questions to ask before work starts
Before agreeing to any electrical work, it is reasonable to ask:
- What is the business's electrical contractor licence number?
- What paperwork will I get when the job is finished?
- Who should the paperwork be sent to?
With P4 the answer to the second question is an invoice and a certificate for the electrical work. Every job is quoted before it starts, and there is no price list on this site.
If paperwork from earlier work is missing
Plenty of houses have electrical work with no paperwork behind it. If you are unsure who did earlier work, or whether they were licensed, there may be no easy way to find out now. If something from that work is causing problems, such as a tripping safety switch or a power point that has stopped, have a licensed electrician look at that specific problem. See home maintenance and repairs and licences and insurance.
