Electrical compliance: what does it actually mean?
The subject comes up with every house sale, in many renovation projects, and as soon as an old consumer unit starts showing its age. Ensuring that your electrical installation is compliant matters when selling, renting, or renovating a property in Belgium. At Fixtures & Fittings Services - Benelux, we assist you throughout the process: preparing for the official inspection, fixing the reported infractions, and repairing the walls once the electrical work is done.
When is a compliance check required?
According to the General Regulations on Electrical Installations (RGIE/AREI), an official inspection is required in several situations:
- Sale of a property: for homes with installations dating before October 1, 1981, a compliance certificate must be provided to the buyer during the sale.
- Major renovations: any significant modification or extension of the electrical panel requires a new inspection.
- Professional workspaces: commercial and office spaces are subject to specific periodic checks depending on the region and the nature of the business.
- Rentals: while rules vary by region, landlords must guarantee that the installation is safe and presents no risk of electric shock or fire.
The end-to-end process
- Initial control: an approved control organism (such as Vinçotte, BTV, or SGS) inspects the installation and issues a report. Fixtures & Fittings Services - Benelux does not perform this certification.
- Infraction report: if the installation is non-compliant, the report lists the exact infractions (missing grounding, uninsulated wires...). The buyer or owner is given a legal timeframe to regularize the situation: 12 months for recent installations, up to 18 months for older ones, in the case of a sale.
- Intervention & regularization: we perform the necessary corrections, coordinate with a specialized electrician for complex panel upgrades, and orient you to the right solutions.
- Wall repairs & finishes: electrical work often requires opening walls (chasing). We close these chases, apply plaster, and repaint the walls so the room looks flawless again.
- New control: the approved organism returns to verify the corrections and issues the final compliance certificate.
Common faults and what they imply
| Common fault noted in report | Cause & implication | What we do to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Missing grounding (mise à la terre) | Lack of a grounding rod or unconnected outlets. High risk of electric shock. | We route new grounding wires, which may involve wall chasing and subsequent plastering. |
| Absence of differential switches | No protection against current leaks, especially in wet rooms (bathrooms). | We coordinate the upgrade of the electrical panel to include the required 30mA and 300mA switches. |
| No electrical diagrams | The position plan and single-line diagram are missing. | We help trace the circuits and coordinate the drafting of the required official documents. |
| Unsafe or exposed wiring | Cables are not properly enclosed in conduits or junction boxes. | We secure the wiring inside compliant conduits and patch the surrounding masonry. |
Frequently asked questions
Are you the ones who issue the compliance certificate?
Do you open and close the walls for new cables?
What happens if the house I am buying has a non-compliant report?
What happens next with Fixtures & Fittings Services - Benelux
Fixtures & Fittings Services - Benelux takes care of the restoration that comes with this work: filling chases, repairing opened walls, repairs and finishing, in Brussels and Brabant. For a need that does not fit a category, our other work and repair requests page explains how to describe it simply.
A few photos of the areas concerned are enough for a first opinion. Call +32 472 88 08 66 or send your photos via WhatsApp.
