What Certificate of Conformance's (CoC's) are needed during the transfer process?
Electrical Installations
An Electrical CoC is required by the Deeds Office to process the transfer. The Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993, Electrical Installation Regulations R242 of 2009, Section 7(5) requires the certificate not be older than two years and to be re-issued after every addition or alteration. The electrician must be registered with the Department of Employment and Labour.
Solar Power Installations
Solar Power Installations is covered with the Electrical CoC, a new CoC is required for the Solar Power Installation after installation.
If the system generates and feeds electricity into the national grid, it is classified as a Small Scale Embedded Generation System by the local authorities (municipalities), which requires approval. This process and required documentation differs from municipality to municipality.
Electric Fence Installations
The Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993: Electrical Machinery Regulation R250 of 2011, Section 12(4), requires every Electric Fence to have a valid Electric Fence System (EFS) CoC. The CoC is transferable to the new owner and does not require re-issue unless alterations or replacements are made to components of the system. The issuer of the CoC must be registered with Department of Labour and Employment as an Electric Fence System Installer.
Gas Installations
The Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993, Pressure Equipment Regulation R734 of 2009: Section 17(3) requires a CoC for any gas installation. The CoC must be re-issued upon transfer of ownership. Only a SQACC registered installer may issue such a CoC.
Section 1 of the Pressure Equipment Regulation defines a gas system as "an assembly of tubes, pipes or similar ducts, fittings and valves for the reticulation, circulation and conveyance of a gas, excluding a pressure vessel or transportable gas container connected to the system". This includes gas powered fireplaces, braais, stoves, ovens and hot water systems.
The South African National Standard (SANS) 10087:2024, describes in Table 2 the maximum amount of LPG that can be stored inside a building. For LPG stored outside a building, there are numerous considerations when determining the safety distances, therefor a CoC issued by a competent person is required.
Hot Water Installation
For the plumbing part, SANS 10254:2022 does not require a CoC to be issued, but is well within a consumers rights to request a CoC for any installation and repairs done to a hot water installation.
However, if the water is heated by electricity (geyser), an Electrical Installation Regulations R242 of 2009 CoC is required. If the water is heated by gas, a Pressure Equipment Regulation R734 of 2009 CoC is required. If the water is heated by solar power, SANS 10106:2016 Section 9 requires a CoC to be issued.
Plumbing Installation
The City of Cape Town and the City of Johannesburg require a CoC upon property transfer for plumbing installations. Other local authorities might or might not require a CoC. The plumber issuing the certificate is Plumbing Industry Registration Board (PIRB) registered.
Beetle Certificate
This certificate certifies that a property's wood structure are free of any infestation of wood destroying organisms. It is only required in Kwazulu-Natal, Western Cape and Eastern Cape. Ensure that the CoC is issued by a pest control operator or certified entomologist registered with DALRRD (Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development) under Act 36 of 1947.
Is an Inspection Report a CoC?
No, the Inspection Report is a report on the state of the property. The Inspector will indicate if the relevant CoC's have been examined and that the CoC's are valid in terms of date and scope. Any items found during inspection that the Inspector deems as a possible defect will be indicated to the client.
For the Inspector to legally sign off all the CoC's in the aforementioned section, it will require training, apprenticeship in at least four different industries and registration in at least six different categories at regulating bodies.
What is required for insurance, financial institutions and real estate agents?
Insurance providers may repudiate (reject) a claim if a valid CoC cannot be produced for damage caused by a faulty electrical, solar power, electrical fence, gas, hot water or plumbing installation.
Financial institutions may require certain CoC's before financing a property to mitigate their risk of financial loss due to faulty installations.
Real estate agents may require valid CoC's before accepting a mandate to ensure compliance to the requirements of the Deeds Office, local municipalities and financial institutions.
