Building Regulations for Electrical Work (Part P) Explained

Part P is the section of the Building Regulations covering electrical safety in dwellings. The direct answer to what it means practically: certain types of electrical work in your home must either be carried out by an electrician registered with a recognised competent person scheme (who self-certifies the work), or be notified to Building Control for inspection — you can't simply have any electrician do notifiable work with no paper trail.

What counts as notifiable electrical work

• New circuits — such as a new circuit for a kitchen extension or a rewired consumer unit.
• Rewiring a room or the whole house.
• Electrical work in "special locations" — most notably bathrooms, because of the zoned safety rules covered in our bathroom Building Regulations guide.
• A new consumer unit (fuse board) installation.
• Electrics for a new extension or loft conversion — see our guides on extension Building Regulations and loft conversion Building Regulations.

What generally doesn't need separate notification

Simple like-for-like replacements — swapping a socket, switch or light fitting for an equivalent one, in the same location, without altering the circuit — generally don't count as notifiable work. The distinction is broadly between "maintenance/replacement" and "new or altered circuits."

Competent person scheme vs Building Control notification

In practice, most homeowners' electrical work goes through a registered competent person (an electrician registered with a scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or similar), who can self-certify the work complies and notify Building Control on your behalf — this is usually simpler than a separate Building Control application, and it's how the large majority of domestic electrical work is actually handled.

Why this matters beyond compliance

Part P exists because electrical faults are a genuine fire and safety risk, and because incorrect work can be invisible until it fails — you can't visually inspect wiring behind a wall the way you can check a visible defect. Using a properly registered electrician isn't just a compliance box-tick; it's a real safety decision, particularly for higher-risk work like bathroom electrics or a full rewire.

What happens without proper certification

Notifiable electrical work done without proper certification creates the same kind of problem covered in our guide to renovating without approval — difficulty proving compliance, potential issues at sale, and in the worst case, a genuine safety risk if the work wasn't actually done to standard.

What certificate should you end up with?

Depending on the scope of work, you should receive either an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC, for new circuits or significant work) or a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (for smaller additions to an existing circuit). Keep these with your other property paperwork — like Building Regulations completion certificates, they're commonly requested by solicitors during a future sale.

Older properties and existing wiring

Part P doesn't require you to upgrade your entire house's wiring just because you're doing one notifiable job in one room, but if a periodic inspection (an Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR) reveals your consumer unit or wiring is outdated or unsafe, it's worth addressing separately regardless of whether it's strictly triggered by your current renovation — old wiring is a genuine, common cause of house fires in the UK.

Common mistakes

• Assuming any electrician can self-certify. Only those registered with a recognised competent person scheme can — check registration before work starts, not after.
• Not getting an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) or Minor Works Certificate after the work — always ask for the relevant paperwork and keep it, similar to a Building Regulations completion certificate.
• DIY electrical work in bathrooms or on new circuits. Given the safety and legal stakes, this is one area where professional, certified work is genuinely worth the cost.