Electrical Certificate of Compliance Cape Town
An Electrical Certificate of Compliance (COC), with its test report, records compliance of the electrical installation it covers. For a change of ownership, Regulation 7(5) of the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009 requires the certificate to be no older than two years. Additions or alterations also need certification for the work carried out. Whether you’re an estate agent managing a tight transfer deadline or a homeowner preparing your property for sale, Inspecto has been providing electrical certificates of compliance across Cape Town and surrounds since 1995.
How much does an electrical COC cost in Cape Town? Use our inspection pricing calculator to see the current electrical inspection fee, including VAT, for your property type. If you need other inspections at the same property, the calculator shows applicable bundle savings. Repairs needed for compliance are quoted separately and are not included in the inspection fee.
What Does an Electrical Compliance Inspection Cover?
Our registered inspectors assess every part of your fixed electrical installation, including:
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Main distribution board and sub-distribution boards — correct breaker ratings, proper labelling, safe condition
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Socket outlets and light switches — correct installation and safe operation
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Wiring — condition, compatibility with circuit breakers, and safety throughout
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Isolators — required for fixed appliances: stove, hot water cylinder (HWC), gate motor, door motor, fans
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Earthing — all metal parts of the installation must be properly earthed
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Bonding — HWC pipes, TV antennae, and satellite dishes must be bonded where required
How long is an electrical COC valid?
An electrical COC does not automatically expire after two years. The two-year limit applies when ownership changes. Later additions or alterations need certification for that work, and the installation must still be maintained safely. An older certificate does not establish its present condition. Check the certificate, test report and any subsequent work before relying on it for a sale. See Regulations 2 and 7 of the Electrical Installation Regulations.
Common Reasons Properties Fail an Electrical Inspection
- Earthing — one of the most common faults; all metal parts of the installation must be properly earthed
- Renovations — work done by unregistered contractors frequently introduces non-compliant wiring or connections
- New work connected to older installations — mixing modern and legacy wiring without proper compliance is a frequent failure point
- Downlights — open or loose connections in downlight fittings are extremely common, particularly where many fittings are installed
- Fixed appliances without isolators — stoves, geysers, gate motors, and other fixed appliances must each have a dedicated isolator
- Incorrectly rated circuit breakers — breakers must be correctly sized for the circuit they protect; oversized breakers are a common compliance failure
- Light fittings in illegal zones — bathroom and pool area lighting must comply with strict zone requirements; non-compliant fittings are a frequent fault
- Alternative supplies — solar, generators, and inverters not correctly integrated into the main installation
- Garden and exterior lighting — often installed informally without compliance
- Wendy house or outbuilding supplies — frequently wired without proper isolation or protection
Why Book Your Electrical Inspection Early?
The sooner you book, the more options you have. An early electrical compliance inspection gives you time to weigh up repair costs, consider alternatives like removal versus rectification, and avoid the pressure of a looming transfer deadline. Defects discovered on the eve of transfer often result in rushed and expensive decisions. We serve the entire Cape Town metro — Northern Suburbs, Southern Suburbs, Atlantic Seaboard, Helderberg, and Winelands.
Why Choose Inspecto?
Inspecto has been at the centre of Cape Town’s property transfer industry since 1995 — decades of electrical compliance inspections, thousands of certificates, and a reputation built on reliability. Our inspectors are fully registered under the OHS Act. Estate agents and conveyancing attorneys across Cape Town book with us repeatedly because we get it right, we communicate clearly, and we don’t hold up transfers.
Inspecto is a registered member of the Electrical Contractors Association of South Africa (ECASA)
Book Your Electrical Inspection
To book your electrical compliance inspection:
Fill in our online form
Call us on 021 551 4185
We cover the full Cape Town metro including the Northern Suburbs (Bellville, Durbanville, Brackenfell), Southern Suburbs (Claremont, Rondebosch, Constantia), Atlantic Seaboard (Sea Point, Green Point, Camps Bay), Helderberg (Somerset West, Strand), and the Winelands (Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek).
Also need your Water, Gas, Electric Fence or Beetle CoC?
Inspecto provides Electrical, Water, Gas, Beetle and Electric Fence compliance inspections. Which certificates you need depends on the property, its installations and the sale agreement. View all compliance inspections →
Also commonly required: Water CoC Cape Town | Beetle Inspection Cape Town
Video answers
Watch short Electrical COC explanation videos
Short answers to common seller and agent questions about electrical certificates, solar, fixed appliances and transfer risk.
For the full set of short compliance videos, visit the Inspecto video guide library.
Inspecto does not issue solar or alternative-supply certificates in-house; we refer this work to NPH Electrical. Selling a property with solar or batteries? Read our solar compliance and property transfer guide.