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In the vast majority of cases, no. We always start by trying to use the conduits already in place.

During the technical visit, we test each conduit with a draw wire : a stiff wire pushed into the tube to check that it is still clear. If the wire goes through, the new cable will too, and we do not touch the wall.

If a conduit is blocked or crushed, we first offer you a solution without chasing (chasing means cutting a groove into the masonry):

• trunking or moulding along the wall;
• running through a suspended ceiling;
• running through the loft, attic or cellar.

We never open a wall without your written agreement. If an opening cannot be avoided, you know where, how many metres and at what price before we start.

No, and nobody can do it in our place. The inspection must be carried out by an independent approved body : Certinergie, Vinçotte, BTV or AIB, for example. An installer is not allowed to inspect their own installation. That is the rule, and above all it protects you: whoever checks has no interest in turning a blind eye.

In practice, you have nothing to organise. We take care of everything else:

• we book the appointment with the body ourselves;
• we prepare the complete file (single-line diagram and position plan);
• we are present on the day of the inspector's visit;
• if any remarks remain, we deal with them.

And you receive just one invoice. The approved body's visit appears as a separate line on our quote, at €165, with no margin on our side. In a building with several homes, the body charges one visit per unit inspected and the quote takes that into account.

Result: two companies work on your site, but you only have one number to call, ours.

Filling: yes, it is included. But let us be precise about the result, because that is where misunderstandings start.

We close the chases with plaster, as well as an electrician can. You get back a closed, sound wall, with no hole or visible cable. That is not the smooth finish of a plasterer though: a slight ridge or small irregularities almost always remain where the chase was.

So we do not guarantee that paint can be applied directly over our filling. In most cases, a skim coat and a light sanding of the area will be needed first. This finishing work is not included in our prices.

That is exactly what our quote says, in black and white: the filling is done on a strictly functional basis, it is not an aesthetic finish and has neither the quality nor the finish of work by a professional specialised in skimming, plastering or painting.

Painting: no, and that is a deliberate choice. We are electricians, not plasterers or painters.

It is not a question of goodwill, it is a question of trade:

• The plasterer achieves a perfectly smooth surface, one you can paint without touch-ups. That takes different tools and a different skill from ours.
• The painter achieves an invisible join, which means redoing the whole wall in the same colour and the same sheen as the first time.
• If we did it anyway, you would get a less attractive result than from a professional, and you would pay more for it, since we would have to subcontract it and add our margin.

So the following are excluded from our prices: skim coat, painting, wallpaper patching, repairs to tiles, stone and decorative plasterwork. Plan for a plasterer or painter after us if you want a flawless wall.

The best way to avoid all this is not to open the wall. That is exactly why we systematically test existing conduits with a draw wire and why we look for a solution without chasing first. Tell us if the finish is a sensitive point for you: we will take it into account in our technical choices, even if it takes us longer.

Dust: we protect the furniture and do a rough clean at the end of the day. Fine cleaning is up to you.

All of this is written in black and white in the quote, in the same place as the other exclusions. Better to read it before the work than discover it afterwards.

Yes, always, for a compliance job as well as for a new installation. It is not a paid option.

• The single-line diagram shows how each circuit leaves the consumer unit: which breaker, which RCD, which cable size.
• The position plan shows where the sockets, light points and switches are in the home.

Both documents are required to pass the inspection. We provide them in two copies and hand them over at the end of the job. Keep them: the next inspector will ask for them again in 25 years, and so will the buyer if you sell.