If you've ever hired an electrician, had a home survey, or tried to sell a property, you've probably heard the term "Part P." It comes up constantly in UK property transactions, and for good reason — it's the law that governs electrical safety in homes. But what does it actually mean for you as a homeowner?
This guide explains Part P in plain English: what it is, what types of electrical work it applies to, how to check whether your electrician is properly registered, and what can go wrong if you skip it.
What Part P Actually Is
Part P is a section of the Building Regulations for England and Wales, specifically Approved Document P: Electrical Safety — Dwellings. It was introduced on 1 January 2005 and applies to electrical installations in houses, flats, and other dwellings (including shared areas of blocks of flats).
The purpose of Part P is straightforward: to reduce the number of deaths, injuries, and fires caused by faulty electrical work in homes. Before 2005, anyone could carry out any electrical work in a dwelling with no oversight whatsoever. There was no requirement to notify anyone, no inspection, and no certification. The result was a significant number of dangerous installations carried out by unqualified people.
Part P changed this by making certain types of electrical work "notifiable" — meaning the work must either be carried out by a registered electrician (through a competent person scheme) or notified to your local authority building control department before work begins.
What Work Is "Notifiable" Under Part P?
Not all electrical work requires notification. Part P divides work into two categories:
Notifiable Work (Requires Certification)
The following types of electrical work must be either carried out by a registered competent person or notified to building control:
- Installing a new circuit (e.g., adding a dedicated circuit for an EV charger, electric shower, or cooker)
- A complete or partial rewire of any part of the property
- Replacing or upgrading a consumer unit (fuse board)
- Any electrical work in a kitchen, bathroom, or outdoors — these are treated as higher-risk locations because of the proximity to water
- Adding a new socket or light fitting in a kitchen, bathroom, or outdoors (even if you're not adding a new circuit)
Non-Notifiable Work (Minor Electrical Work)
You can carry out the following without notification, as long as it's done safely and complies with BS 7671 (the Wiring Regulations):
- Replacing a socket, switch, or ceiling rose on a like-for-like basis
- Replacing a light fitting
- Adding a socket or fused spur to an existing circuit in a room that isn't a kitchen, bathroom, or outdoors
- Replacing damaged cables on a like-for-like basis
- Re-fixing or replacing consumer unit covers
The kitchen and bathroom rule catches many homeowners out. Adding a single socket outlet in a living room is non-notifiable, but adding that same socket in a kitchen is notifiable. The reason is water: kitchens and bathrooms present a higher risk of electric shock because water is a conductor. Any new electrical work in these rooms must be certified.
Competent Person Schemes: NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, and STROMA
The government doesn't directly certify electricians. Instead, it authorises several third-party organisations to run "competent person schemes." Electricians who join these schemes are assessed, audited, and authorised to self-certify their own work without involving building control. The main schemes are:
- NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) — the largest and oldest scheme, established in 1956. Offers "Approved Contractor" and "Domestic Installer" tiers. Approved Contractors undergo more rigorous assessment.
- NAPIT (National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers) — the second-largest scheme. Widely recognised and respected across the industry.
- ELECSA — now part of the same group as NICEIC but operates as a separate scheme, often favoured by smaller businesses.
- STROMA — primarily associated with building services certification but also covers electrical competent person registration.
All four schemes are government-authorised and legally equivalent. An electrician registered with any one of them can self-certify their work. The key difference is in the level of ongoing assessment — NICEIC Approved Contractors, for example, have their work inspected annually by NICEIC assessors.
What Happens If You Skip Part P?
Doing notifiable electrical work without proper certification creates three serious problems:
1. Problems When Selling Your Home
When you sell a property, your buyer's solicitor will ask for evidence that any electrical work was carried out in compliance with Building Regulations. If you had a kitchen rewired, a consumer unit replaced, or new circuits added without Part P certification, you won't have the paperwork. This can delay or even collapse a sale.
The standard solution is to obtain retrospective building control sign-off, which involves having the work inspected by a building control officer. This typically costs £250–£500 and may require the electrician to return and carry out additional work to bring the installation up to standard. If the original electrician is unavailable, you'll need to hire someone new, which adds further cost.
2. Insurance Issues
Most home insurance policies require that any building work complies with current Building Regulations. If uncertified electrical work causes a fire or injury, your insurer may refuse to pay out. This isn't hypothetical — insurers routinely investigate the cause of electrical fires, and finding uncertified work gives them grounds to deny a claim.
3. Safety Risks
The certification process exists because unqualified electrical work can kill. The testing that a registered electrician carries out after completing notifiable work — dead testing, live testing, insulation resistance tests, earth fault loop impedance tests — is specifically designed to identify faults that aren't visible to the naked eye. Without this testing, a dangerous fault can lurk undetected for years.
How to Check an Electrician Is Part P Registered
Before hiring an electrician for any notifiable work, verify their registration:
- NICEIC: Use the Find a Contractor tool on the NICEIC website. Enter the company name or postcode to see their registration status and tier.
- NAPIT: Use the Find an Installer search on the NAPIT website.
- ELECSA: Search the ELECSA register online.
If an electrician claims to be registered but doesn't appear on the relevant register, ask to see their membership certificate and ID card. Every registered electrician receives these from their scheme. If they can't produce them, don't hire them for notifiable work.
What a Part P Certificate Looks Like
When a registered electrician completes notifiable work, they issue one of the following certificates:
- Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) — issued for new installations, rewires, new circuits, and consumer unit replacements. This is the full certificate, documenting the design, construction, and testing of the installation.
- Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) — issued for smaller jobs like adding a socket to an existing circuit. Less detailed than a full EIC but still important.
Both certificates include test results, details of the work carried out, and confirmation that the installation complies with BS 7671. The electrician's competent person scheme also issues a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate, which is sent to both the homeowner and the local authority. This is the Part P notification.
Keep these certificates. Store them with your property deeds. You'll need them when you sell the property, and they're evidence of compliance with Building Regulations if any dispute arises about the quality of the work.
Scotland: Different Rules, Same Principle
Part P applies to England and Wales only. In Scotland, electrical work in dwellings is governed by the Building (Scotland) Regulations under Scottish Building Standards. The principle is similar — certain types of electrical work require a building warrant and must comply with Scottish technical standards — but the administrative process is different.
In Scotland, a building warrant is typically required for new electrical installations and significant alterations. Electricians registered with SELECT (the trade association for the Scottish electrical industry) or with UK-wide schemes like NICEIC and NAPIT can self-certify their work in Scotland under equivalent arrangements.
If you're in Scotland, check with your local authority building standards department for specific requirements, as they can vary by council area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do my own electrical work?
Yes, for minor work — replacing a socket, changing a light fitting, or adding a spur in a non-special location. You must still comply with BS 7671, even if the work isn't notifiable. For notifiable work, a homeowner can legally do it themselves, but they must notify building control before starting, pay for an inspection (typically £250–£400), and have the completed work tested and signed off. In practice, this usually costs more than hiring a registered electrician who self-certifies, and the homeowner carries all the risk if something is wrong.
Does Part P apply to landlords?
Yes. Landlords in England are additionally required by the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 to have an EICR carried out every 5 years. Part P certification is required for any notifiable work, just as it is for owner-occupiers.
What if I bought a house and the previous owner didn't get Part P certification?
This is common. Your options are to apply for retrospective building control approval (an inspection of the existing work) or to get a full EICR that confirms the installation is safe. Neither is free, but both give you documented evidence of the installation's condition.
How long does Part P certification take?
The electrician issues the certificate on the day the work is completed and tested. The Building Regulations Compliance Certificate from their scheme typically arrives within 2–4 weeks. If you're selling and need the paperwork urgently, ask your electrician to request expedited processing from their scheme.