Part P: which electrical work is notifiable in England

This guide covers England. Wales has its own version of the rules on which work must be notified, and they are different. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building regulations. Everything below was checked against the legislation as in force on 30 September 2026.

What Part P requires

Part P is one of the requirements in Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010. Requirement P1 says reasonable provision must be made in the design and installation of electrical installations to protect people who operate, maintain or alter them from fire or injury.

It applies to low and extra-low voltage installations in or attached to a dwelling, in the common parts of a building with one or more dwellings (but not power supplies to lifts), and in outbuildings, gardens and land that take their electricity from a dwelling. Approved Document P gives sheds, detached garages, garden lighting and pond pumps as examples.

All electrical work in a dwelling has to meet P1. Only some of it has to be notified.

Which work is notifiable

In England, regulation 12(6A) lists three kinds of notifiable electrical work:

1. installing a new circuit
2. replacing a consumer unit
3. any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location

Regulation 12(9) defines a special location as either of these:

• in a room with a bath or shower, the space around the bath tap or shower head. It runs from the finished floor up to 2.25 metres (or up to the shower head if that is fixed higher), and out 0.6 metres from the edge of the bath or shower tray. Where there is no tray, it runs out 1.2 metres from the centre of the shower head.
• a room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater.

Everything else is not notifiable. Approved Document P (paragraph 2.7) puts it as additions and alterations outside special locations, plus replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere. Kitchens are not special locations in England.

Common jobs

Non-notifiable work still has to meet Part P. Approved Document P (paragraph 3.13) says it should be inspected, tested and certificated to BS 7671 like notifiable work, and local authorities can take enforcement action if they find it unsafe and non-compliant.

Which certificate to issue

The IET's published model forms for BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 say:

• The EIC is for a new installation, for additions or alterations that introduce one or more new circuits, and for replacing a consumer unit or distribution board. It can also cover several additions or alterations that do not add new circuits, in place of several Minor Works certificates.
• The Minor Works certificate is only for work that does not add a new circuit, such as adding sockets or lighting points to an existing circuit, or replacing accessories and light fittings. It is not for replacing consumer units.
• The EICR reports on the condition of an existing installation. It is not for new work and not for replacing a consumer unit.

The original certificate goes to the person ordering the work and the issuer keeps a duplicate. The test values themselves are set by BS 7671, which is sold rather than published openly. Use the current edition and the schedules on the model forms.

Certificate pages: EIC, Minor Works certificate, EICR.

Three ways to get notifiable work signed off

1. Self-certification by a registered competent person

An installer registered with an authorised scheme can certify the work without telling building control first. Within 30 days of finishing, the installer (or their scheme) must give the occupier a copy of the Building Regulations compliance certificate and give building control either a notice or the certificate (regulation 20(3)). This is separate from the BS 7671 certificate, which goes to the person who ordered the work.

The government's list, last updated 17 September 2026, names these schemes for fixed electrical installations in dwellings: BESCA, Blue Flame Certification, Certsure (trading as NICEIC), NAPIT and OFTEC. Some schemes only cover electrical work done as part of other work, such as a heating job. Check the current list on gov.uk before relying on a registration.

2. A registered third-party certifier

An installer who is not registered can appoint a registered third-party certifier before work starts (AD P 3.5). In England the only body listed for electrical work in dwellings is NAPIT Registration Limited (Schedule 3A). The installer must tell the certifier within 5 days of finishing. If the inspection and testing are satisfactory, the certifier's body gives the occupier the compliance certificate and tells building control within 30 days (AD P 3.6 and 3.7).

3. Building control

Anyone else, including a homeowner doing their own work, must give the building control authority a building notice or a full plans application before starting (regulation 12(2), AD P 3.8). Building control decides how much inspection and testing it needs. An installer who can test the work can hand over the BS 7671 certificate for building control to take into account. When building control is satisfied, it issues a completion or final certificate to the occupier (AD P 3.9 to 3.12).

Penalties

Breaking the Building Regulations is an offence under section 35 of the Building Act 1984, in the form substituted by the Building Safety Act 2022 and in force in England since 1 October 2023. In a magistrates' court the penalty is imprisonment up to the maximum summary term for either-way offences, a fine, or both. In the Crown Court it is up to two years, a fine, or both. A further daily fine can follow if the breach continues after conviction.

Under section 36, building control can serve a notice requiring the owner to remove or alter work that breaks the regulations. The notice can be given up to 10 years after the work was completed. If the owner does not comply within 28 days, the authority can do the work itself.

Landlords: electrical safety reports

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 apply to most tenancies of homes in England (Schedule 1 lists the exceptions). Since 1 May 2026 they have applied to landlords generally, including registered social housing providers. Under regulation 3 a landlord must:

• have every electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified person before the tenancy starts, and at least every 5 years, or sooner if the last report says so
• get a report giving the results and the date of the next inspection
• give each existing tenant a copy within 28 days of the inspection
• give a new tenant a copy before they move in, and a prospective tenant a copy within 28 days of a written request
• give the local housing authority a copy within 7 days of a written request
• keep the report until the next inspection is due or done, whichever is later
• where the report requires further investigation or remedial work, have it done by a qualified person within 28 days of the inspection (or sooner if the report says so), then send written confirmation with the report to the tenants and the local housing authority within 28 days of completing it

Under regulation 11 the local housing authority can fine a landlord up to £40,000 for a breach, and can impose more than one penalty if the breach continues.

Sources

Checked against these on 2026-09-30.

• Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 1 (Part P)
• Building Regulations 2010, regulation 12 (England version)
• Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 4
• Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 3
• Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 3A
• Building Regulations 2010, regulation 20
• Approved Document P, 2013 edition (England), gov.uk
• IET model forms, BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 (A4 PDF)
• Competent person scheme: current schemes (gov.uk, updated 17 Sep 2026)
• Building Act 1984, section 35
• Building Act 1984, section 36
• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 3
• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 11
• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 2

Corrected and updated 2026-09-30. This article is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Always refer to the relevant standards and consult qualified professionals for definitive requirements.