What is an Electrical Safety Inspection?
An electrical safety inspection in South Africa is a thorough examination of your entire electrical installation against the requirements of SANS 10142-1, the national standard that governs the wiring of premises. When the inspection passes, you get an Electrical Certificate of Compliance, commonly known as a COC. When it does not pass, you get a list of defects that need fixing before a certificate can be issued.
This is not some optional nice-to-have. South African law requires a valid COC in specific situations, and there are good reasons for that. Every year, faulty electrical installations cause house fires, electrocutions, and property damage that could have been prevented by a proper inspection. I have been doing these inspections across Pretoria and Gauteng for years, and I can tell you that the number of properties with serious defects would surprise most people.
When you legally need a COC
- When selling a property, the seller must provide a valid COC to the buyer before transfer
- When a new electrical installation is completed, the installing electrician must issue a COC
- After major alterations or additions to an existing electrical installation
- When a property changes use, for example, residential to commercial
- When requested by your insurance company (increasingly common after claims)
If you are selling your home, you can read more about the specific COC requirements for selling a house. For now, let us get into exactly what the inspector is going to look at when they walk through your front door.
The Complete Inspection Checklist
Here is exactly what a registered electrician checks during an electrical safety inspection under SANS 10142-1. These are the same items we work through on every COC inspection.
DB Board Inspection
The distribution board is the heart of your electrical installation. This is where the inspector spends a significant chunk of their time, because most serious defects either originate here or show up here. Here is what we check:
- Main switch, must be present, accessible, correctly rated, and able to isolate the entire installation
- Earth leakage protection, every circuit must be protected by a 30mA earth leakage unit (RCD). Split board configurations are preferred
- Circuit breakers, correctly rated for each circuit (lighting typically 10A, plugs 16A or 20A, geyser 20A). No oversized breakers
- Labelling, every breaker must be clearly labelled to indicate which circuit it controls. This sounds minor but it fails inspections constantly
- Surge protection, a Class II surge arrestor should be fitted. Not strictly mandatory for a COC pass in all cases, but strongly recommended and increasingly expected
- Physical condition, no signs of overheating, melting, loose connections, or corrosion. The board enclosure must be intact with a proper cover
- Cable termination, all cables entering the board must be properly secured, stripped to the correct length, and terminated neatly. No loose strands, no exposed copper
Wiring Inspection
The wiring is the nervous system of the installation. We cannot see most of it, it is buried in walls and ceilings, but we test it thoroughly and check every accessible point.
- Cable sizing, conductors must be appropriately sized for the load and breaker protecting them. 1.5mm for lighting, 2.5mm for plug circuits is standard
- Insulation resistance testing, we test the insulation resistance of every circuit using a megger. This detects deteriorating insulation before it becomes a fault
- Connection quality, all connections in accessible junction boxes and at points of use must be tight and properly made. Loose connections cause fires
- Junction boxes, must be accessible (not plastered over or hidden behind cupboards), properly closed, and with correct cable entries
- Cable protection, cables must be adequately protected where they pass through walls, under floors, or in exposed locations. No cables lying loose in roof spaces without proper support
Earth Bonding
Earthing is your safety net. If a live conductor touches a metal surface that should not be live, the earthing system is what clears the fault and trips the breaker before someone gets a shock. We take this section seriously because inadequate earthing is genuinely dangerous.
- Earth electrode (earth rod), must be present, in good condition, and provide an earth resistance within acceptable limits (typically under 10 ohms for residential)
- Bonding conductors, all metallic services entering the building (water pipes, structural steel) must be bonded to the main earthing terminal
- Earth continuity, we test that every earth conductor in the installation provides a continuous, low-resistance path back to the main earth bar
- Earth conductor sizing, the earth conductor must be correctly sized relative to the live conductors it accompanies
Socket Outlets and Switches
Every single socket outlet and switch in the property gets inspected. Yes, all of them. Here is what we are looking at:
- Physical condition, no cracks, no scorch marks, no loose faceplates. Damaged sockets get flagged immediately
- Safety shutters, all socket outlets must have safety shutters (the spring-loaded covers inside the pin holes). Non-shuttered sockets fail the inspection
- Correct wiring polarity, live, neutral, and earth must be connected to the correct terminals. Reversed polarity is a common defect in older installations
- Earth continuity at each point, every socket must have a working earth connection. We test this with instruments, not just a visual check
- Outdoor sockets, must be weatherproof rated and properly protected
Lighting Circuits
- Isolation, each lighting circuit must be capable of being isolated from the DB board
- Fitting condition, light fittings must be in good condition, properly secured, and correctly wired
- Outdoor IP ratings, exterior light fittings must have the correct ingress protection (IP) rating for their location. A standard indoor fitting on an outside wall is a fail
- Bathroom zones, fittings in bathrooms must comply with zone requirements. Not every fitting is suitable for use near a shower or bath
- Cable connections at fittings, properly terminated, no exposed copper, correct connector blocks used
Geyser Compliance
Geysers are one of the biggest sources of COC failures in South Africa. The requirements are specific and a lot of older installations do not meet them. Here is what needs to be right:
- Dedicated isolator switch, the geyser must have its own double-pole isolator switch within sight of the geyser, accessible without a ladder
- Drip tray, a drip tray must be installed under the geyser with a drain pipe leading to a visible point outside the building
- Vacuum breaker, must be fitted on the cold water inlet to prevent the geyser from imploding if mains water pressure drops
- Thermostat and temperature/pressure relief valve, must be present and functional. The T&P valve prevents the geyser from becoming a pressure bomb
- Correct cable sizing and protection, the supply cable to the geyser must be correctly sized (usually 2.5mm minimum) and properly protected
- Earth bonding, the geyser casing and associated pipework must be bonded to the earth system
Pool and Spa Equipment
If you have a pool or spa, the electrical installation around it gets extra scrutiny. Water and electricity in close proximity demands higher standards.
- Earth bonding, all metallic parts within the pool zone (pump housing, handrails, pool light niches) must be bonded together and connected to the earth system
- IP ratings, all electrical equipment in the pool zone must have the correct ingress protection rating for its location
- RCD protection, pool circuits must be protected by a 30mA RCD (earth leakage). No exceptions
- Isolator switch, pool pump and associated equipment must have a dedicated isolator switch
- Cable routing, cables must not run through the pool zone unless they serve equipment within that zone
Common Failures
After hundreds of inspections across Pretoria and Gauteng, the same defects come up over and over. Here are the top 10 issues that cause properties to fail an electrical safety inspection, along with typical costs to fix them. These are real-world prices as of 2026, your actual cost may vary depending on the specifics of your installation.
| Issue | Typical Fix Cost |
|---|---|
| No earth leakage (RCD) protection or outdated unit | R800 - R2,500 |
| Missing or non-functional geyser isolator switch | R600 - R1,200 |
| No drip tray under geyser | R500 - R1,500 |
| Non-shuttered socket outlets (old 2-pin or 3-pin without shutters) | R150 - R350 per socket |
| Reversed polarity at socket outlets | R200 - R500 per point |
| Missing or inaccessible junction box covers | R100 - R400 per box |
| DB board not labelled or incorrectly labelled | R200 - R500 |
| Inadequate earthing or failed earth resistance test | R800 - R3,000 |
| Exposed or unprotected wiring (roof space, garage) | R300 - R1,500 |
| Outdoor fittings without correct IP rating | R250 - R800 per fitting |
Prices are estimates based on typical residential installations in Pretoria/Gauteng as of 2026. Complex installations or properties with multiple defects may cost more. For a detailed cost breakdown, see our guide on electrical COC costs in Pretoria.
Most of these defects are straightforward to fix for a qualified electrician. The problem is when a property has ten or fifteen of them stacked up, which is common in homes that have not been inspected in decades. That is when the bill adds up, and it is exactly why I recommend not waiting until the week before you need to sign transfer documents.
How to Prepare for an Inspection
You cannot fix electrical defects yourself, that is the electrician's job. But there is plenty you can do before the inspection to make the process smoother, faster, and potentially cheaper. Here is what I tell every homeowner before we arrive:
Clear Access to the DB Board
Move any furniture, boxes, or clutter away from the DB board. We need full, unrestricted access to open the cover, inspect the components, and test every circuit. If the DB board is behind a locked cupboard, have the key ready.
Provide Access to the Geyser
If the geyser is in the ceiling, make sure the access hatch is clear and we can get a ladder up there. If it is in a cupboard, empty the cupboard. We need to inspect the geyser, its isolator, drip tray, and all associated plumbing fittings.
Unlock All Areas
Every room, every outbuilding, the garage, the pool pump room, we need access to all of them. If there is a locked cottage, a gate motor housing, or a borehole pump enclosure, have those open and ready. We cannot inspect what we cannot reach.
Remove Furniture from Walls
We need to reach every socket outlet and switch. If heavy furniture is blocking plug points, try to pull it forward enough for us to access and test each point. This saves time and keeps your bill down.
Make a List of Known Issues
If you know that one socket does not work, or the outside light trips the breaker when it rains, or the garage has dodgy wiring from a previous owner, tell us upfront. It helps us prioritise and gives us a head start on the fault finding.
Have Previous COC Documents Ready
If you have a previous COC or any electrical certificates from prior work, have them available. They give us useful context about what has been done before and what the installation looked like at its last inspection.
What Happens if You Fail?
First, do not panic. Failing an electrical safety inspection is extremely common, especially on older properties. It does not mean your house is about to burn down, it means there are defects that do not comply with the current SANS 10142-1 standard and need to be corrected.
Here is how the process works after a failed inspection:
You Receive a Detailed Defect Report
The inspector provides a written report listing every defect found. Each item will reference the relevant clause of SANS 10142-1. This is not a vague "your wiring is bad", it is specific. Missing earth bond on geyser pipework. Reversed polarity at socket in bedroom 2. No safety shutters on socket outlets in lounge. That level of detail.
Repairs Are Carried Out
A registered electrician (which can be the same one who did the inspection, or a different one, your choice) carries out the repairs listed in the defect report. All repairs must be done by a registered person. Your neighbour who is "good with electrical" does not qualify.
Re-Inspection
Once the repairs are complete, the inspector returns to verify that all defects have been corrected. This re-inspection is typically quicker than the original because they are only checking the items that were flagged. Some electricians include one re-inspection in their original quote; others charge separately.
COC Issued
When everything passes, the inspector issues the Electrical Certificate of Compliance. This document is valid for the current state of the installation, there is no fixed expiry date, but any subsequent alterations or additions will require a new COC for the affected work.
Timeframes to keep in mind
If you are selling a property, do not leave the COC inspection until the last minute. Budget at least 2 to 4 weeks for the entire process, initial inspection, repairs, and re-inspection. Properties with extensive defects can take longer, especially if parts need to be ordered or a DB board upgrade is required. I have seen property transfers delayed by weeks because the seller assumed a COC would be a rubber stamp exercise. It rarely is.
DIY vs Professional, What Can You Actually Check Yourself?
Let me be straight with you: there is no DIY substitute for a proper inspection by a registered electrician. You cannot issue yourself a COC, and you should not be working on your own electrical installation. That said, there are things you can visually check to get an idea of what to expect before the electrician arrives.
You Can Check These
- Are all your socket outlets the shuttered type? (Push a pen into a single hole, if it goes in, they are not shuttered)
- Is every breaker in the DB board labelled?
- Do all your light switches and sockets look physically intact, no cracks, scorch marks, or loose faceplates?
- Does the geyser have a visible isolator switch nearby?
- Is there a drip tray under the geyser?
- Are outdoor lights and sockets clearly weatherproof units?
- Is the DB board accessible and not blocked by furniture or stored items?
Leave These to a Professional
- Testing insulation resistance on circuits (requires a megger)
- Measuring earth resistance (requires specialised equipment)
- Checking polarity at socket outlets (requires a socket tester or multimeter)
- Testing earth leakage trip times (requires an RCD tester)
- Verifying cable sizing inside walls and the DB board
- Any work that involves opening the DB board cover
- Anything that requires touching live components or wiring
A word on illegal electrical work
In South Africa, it is illegal for an unregistered person to do electrical work on a fixed installation. That means you cannot legally replace a socket outlet, add a light fitting, or do any wiring work yourself, even in your own home. The law exists because faulty electrical work kills people. If you have had work done by an unregistered person in the past, flag it with the inspector. It is better to deal with it properly now than to have a serious incident later. If you need a qualified electrician in Pretoria, we can help.
Book Your Electrical Safety Inspection
Whether you are selling a property, buying one, or simply want to know that your home is electrically safe, a proper inspection is the only way to be sure. At INC Unlimited, we carry out thorough electrical safety inspections and COC inspections across Pretoria, Centurion, Midrand, and the greater Gauteng region.
We do not cut corners. Every circuit gets tested, every point gets checked, and you get a detailed report, whether the news is good or not so good. If defects are found, we provide a clear, itemised quote for the repair work and can usually schedule the fixes within days.
Stop guessing about the state of your electrical installation. Contact us to book your inspection, or call 072 681 4615 to speak to someone directly. The sooner you know what needs fixing, the sooner you can sort it out, and the less it is likely to cost you.
Know What to Expect, Then Get It Done
Now you know exactly what the inspector checks and why. You know the common failures, the typical costs, and what you can do ahead of time to make the process smoother.
If you are in Pretoria or anywhere in Gauteng and need an inspection done properly, INC Unlimited is here. We have done hundreds of these. We will tell you the truth about the state of your installation, no unnecessary upselling, just an honest assessment.
Save our number, 072 681 4615, and get in touch when you are ready. Your electrical installation is either safe or it is not. Let us find out which one it is.
Written by Andre
Registered Electrician & Founder of INC Unlimited Pty. Ltd
With over 30 years of experience in the electrical trade across Pretoria and Gauteng, Andre and the INC Unlimited team have completed over 500 COC inspections, installations, and electrical projects. SANS 10142 compliant. Based in Equestria, Pretoria.