Is a job completion certificate legally required?

No — unlike a Minor Works Certificate or EIC, a job completion certificate is not required by BS 7671 or Part P. It is a commercial document that protects you in disputes, chargebacks and warranty claims. Most experienced sole traders issue one on every job, whether or not a regulatory certificate also applies.

How long should I keep electrical job completion certificates?

At least six years, to cover the limitation period for contract claims under section 5 of the Limitation Act 1980 in England and Wales (five years in Scotland). For deeds the period is twelve years. Digital storage with backup is the easiest way to meet this requirement.

Can I use a job completion certificate instead of a Minor Works Certificate?

No. If the work involves an addition or alteration to an existing circuit you must issue a Minor Works Certificate under BS 7671. The job completion certificate is a separate commercial document — useful alongside the Minor Works, not instead of it.

Does a customer signature on the completion certificate protect me from chargebacks?

Yes — significantly. When a customer disputes a card payment, the processor asks for evidence the service was delivered. A signed completion certificate with a clear scope and dated countersignature is the single strongest piece of evidence. Without it, you're relying on your word against theirs, and chargeback decisions usually favour the customer.

What must be on an electrician's job completion certificate?

Business name and scheme number, customer name and site address, work dates, specific scope (not vague), materials used (manufacturer and model), items outside scope or not completed, warranty period, customer signature and date, your signature. Specificity of scope is the single most important element in dispute protection.

Electrician Job Completion Certificate Template UK (Free Download)

Q: What warranty should I offer on electrical work?

Standard practice is 12 months on labour for faulty workmanship and manufacturer's warranty on parts. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.49 you cannot exclude liability for failing to perform with reasonable care and skill — any such clause is void. You can lawfully exclude wear and tear, third-party damage, and modifications after handover.

When to use a job completion certificate

Use a job completion certificate for any electrical job where formal regulatory certification (Minor Works Certificate, EIC, EICR) isn't required or isn't the primary document. Good examples include:

•Fault finding and repairs — you've diagnosed and fixed the fault, but no new work was installed
•Maintenance jobs — PAT testing, visual inspections, cleaning distribution boards
•Customer-requested work with no regulatory change (e.g. repositioning a TV aerial point)
•Jobs where you want a signed record in addition to the regulatory certificate

What to include

A good job completion certificate covers all of the following:

•Your business name, address, and certification scheme membership number
•Customer name and site address
•Date work was carried out (and start date if multi-day)
•Description of all work completed — specific, not vague
•Materials used: manufacturer names, model numbers, quantities
•Any items outside scope or not completed, with reasons
•Your standard warranty period (typically 12 months on parts and labour)
•Customer signature confirming work was completed to their satisfaction
•Your signature and the date

How it protects you in disputes

The most common dispute electricians face: a customer calls three months later claiming something you installed is faulty, and expects it fixed for free. A signed job completion certificate tells a clear story — the customer accepted the work on a specific date, under stated warranty terms.

It also protects you if a customer initiates a chargeback on a card payment. Card companies ask for evidence the service was delivered. A signed completion certificate, dated and countersigned by the customer, is exactly the evidence required.

Warranty terms on the certificate

State your warranty period explicitly on every certificate. Standard practice is 12 months on labour and the manufacturer's warranty on parts. Make clear that the warranty covers faulty workmanship, not fair wear and tear or damage caused by others.

A clean statement like 'Labour warranty: 12 months from date above. Parts warranty: per manufacturer terms. Warranty is void if installation is modified or damaged by a third party' covers you without requiring a solicitor.

How it differs from EIC, MW and EICR

A job completion certificate is not the same as a BS 7671 certificate, and it doesn't replace one. They serve different purposes:

•Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) — issued when you install a new circuit. Regulatory under BS 7671:2018 Amendment 2:2022.
•Minor Works Certificate (MW) — issued when you alter or add to an existing circuit without creating a new one. Regulatory under BS 7671.
•Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — issued when you inspect an existing installation. Legally required every 5 years for rented property under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020.
•Job completion certificate — a commercial record of the work. Not replacing any of the above, but useful for warranty, dispute, and chargeback protection.

Evidence in Consumer Rights Act disputes

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 section 49, services must be performed with reasonable care and skill. If a customer claims six months later that the work was sub-standard, the first evidence a court looks for is: what was the scope, and did the customer accept the work?

A signed job completion certificate with a clear scope statement ('reposition kitchen ring main socket and test for correct polarity and continuity') and the customer's signature dated the day of completion is decisive evidence. A verbal handover and a text saying 'thanks mate' is not.

The certificate shifts the burden. Without one, you're defending a Section 49 claim against any allegation the customer invents. With one, they have to show specifically what fell below reasonable care — and do it inside the 6-year limitation period under the Limitation Act 1980.

Chargebacks — the rule Visa and Mastercard apply

If a customer paid by card and later disputes, their bank may initiate a chargeback under Visa/Mastercard dispute rules (typically reason code 'services not as described' or 'services not provided'). The card processor freezes the funds and asks you for evidence within 7-14 days.

What wins a chargeback: a signed completion certificate, dated, naming the customer, with a clear scope. Photos of the completed work. Email trail of the quote and acceptance. What loses it: nothing, or a thin paper trail. Card processors have to choose between the customer's story and yours; the one with documentation wins.

Warranty law — what you can and can't exclude

Under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you cannot exclude liability for failing to perform services with reasonable care and skill — any clause attempting to do so is void. You can, however, lawfully define what your warranty covers and excludes, provided the exclusion is 'fair' under the Act (Schedule 2 fairness test).

What you can exclude: wear and tear, damage by third parties, modifications after handover, misuse, environmental damage. What you cannot: defects from faulty workmanship, failure to perform to reasonable care standards, non-compliance with BS 7671. 'Parts per manufacturer warranty, labour 12 months for faulty workmanship only' is a clean, enforceable position.

The 6-year limitation period

Section 5 of the Limitation Act 1980 gives customers 6 years to bring a contract claim in England and Wales (5 years in Scotland under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973). For deeds the period extends to 12 years.

This means keep every job completion certificate for at least 6 years. Digital storage with backup is cheap and easy — a shoebox of paper pads is not. If a customer turns up in year 5 claiming the consumer unit you fitted is faulty, you need to be able to pull up what you did, when, and on what basis. The certificate is that proof.

Keep a digital copy of everything

If you're ever investigated by a trade body, your insurer needs records, or a customer escalates a complaint, having organised digital records resolves it quickly. A filing system of PDFs by customer or date is fine. The important thing is having them.

TradeDoc AI generates job completion certificates from your job details and stores every document in a searchable vault. You can pull up any certificate by customer name or date from your phone — useful when a customer rings and you need to check what was done and when.