Part P and Electrical Certificates: What Homeowners in England Need to Know

If you have had electrical work done in your home in England, you may have heard the term Part P. It sounds technical, but the idea is simple: some electrical work in homes is serious enough that the law expects it to be done to a recognised standard and recorded. This guide explains what Part P is, which jobs it applies to, who can do the work and which certificates you should be given.

This guide applies to dwellings in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building regulations and different arrangements.

What Part P is

Part P is the section of the Building Regulations that deals with electrical safety in dwellings. It sits within the Building Regulations 2010 and is supported by Approved Document P, which is published on GOV.UK. It applies to electrical installation work in homes and in certain areas around them, such as gardens and outbuildings that are supplied from the house.

The aim is that anyone carrying out electrical installation work in a home should make sure that it is designed and installed to protect people from fire and electric shock. The practical way of doing this is to work to the national wiring standard, BS 7671, and to inspect and test the work.

Which jobs are notifiable

Part P distinguishes between notifiable work, which has to be told to building control or certified through a competent person scheme, and non-notifiable work, which still has to be safe and to comply with BS 7671 but does not need to be notified.

Examples of notifiable work in a home generally include:

• installing a new circuit, such as one for a cooker, shower, EV charger or outbuilding;
• replacing a consumer unit;
• adding to or altering a circuit in a special location such as a room containing a bath or shower, or a swimming pool or sauna.

Examples of work that generally is not notifiable include replacing a damaged socket, switch or ceiling light, or repairing a circuit, as long as it does not involve a new circuit or a special location. Whether a particular job is notifiable can depend on the detail, so ask the electrician, or check Approved Document P or the Planning Portal if you are unsure. The NICEIC also notes that some garden installations are notifiable.

Not being notifiable does not mean that the work can be done carelessly. Whatever the job, it must meet BS 7671.

Who can do the work

There are two ways to make sure notifiable work meets the rules.

Use a registered electrician. Electricians who belong to a competent person scheme are assessed for their ability to carry out electrical work to the regulations, and they can self-certify their work. They notify the work through their scheme, and the paperwork is sent to your local authority. You receive a Building Regulations compliance certificate and an electrical certificate for the work.

Notify building control before work starts. If the person doing the work is not registered, you must make the application to your local authority building control yourself, before work begins. Building control may inspect the work or arrange for it to be tested by a competent person, and they will charge a fee. This route often takes longer and costs more, and it is your responsibility, not the installer's, to make the application.

Our guide to choosing a registered electrician explains how to check that someone is registered.

The certificates you should receive

After electrical work, you should receive at least one of the following.

Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC). This is issued for new installations, new circuits, a consumer unit replacement and major alterations. It records the design, construction, inspection and testing, and it is signed by the people responsible.

Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate. This is issued for smaller jobs that do not include a new circuit, such as adding a socket to an existing circuit or replacing a light fitting in a way that needs testing.

Building Regulations compliance certificate. For notifiable work, this confirms that the work has been notified and complies. If your electrician is registered with a scheme, the scheme notifies the local authority and a certificate is issued, usually within a short time after the job. The competent person schemes aim to do this promptly, and you should ask the electrician how long it will take.

A different document, the Electrical Installation Condition Report, is issued after an inspection of an existing installation rather than after new work. Our EICR guide explains the difference.

Why the paperwork matters

It is easy to file the certificate in a drawer and forget it. However, you may need it:

• when you sell your home, because buyers' solicitors often ask for certificates for replaced consumer units, rewires and other major work;
• if you claim on your insurance after a fire or electrical fault;
• if you let the property, to show the installation has been properly maintained;
• when you ask another electrician to work on the same installation, because the test results tell them what they are dealing with.

If a certificate is missing for older work, there are options. An electrician can inspect and test the installation and issue a report, and building control can sometimes accept it. It is better to arrange this before you sell.

Special locations and gardens

Bathrooms and shower rooms, saunas and swimming pools are classed as special locations because water and electricity are a dangerous combination. Extra rules apply to the equipment and wiring there, and alterations in these places are likely to be notifiable. Gardens and outbuildings also need care, because cables that run outside are exposed to damage and weather. We cover this in our garden and outdoor electrics guide.

EV chargers, showers and cookers

Common home upgrades that involve a new circuit are all likely to be notifiable. This includes an EV charger, an electric shower, an electric hob or oven, and a new feed to a garage or garden room. Our EV charger guide explains how the notification works for charging points and what else has to be checked.

What to do if work was done without notification

If you discover that notifiable work in your home was done without the correct paperwork, do not panic. Speak to a registered electrician about inspecting and testing it, and ask your local authority building control about the options available to you. This is something we are happy to talk through, see our domestic electrical page or call 01253 364101.