Do I need a Part P certificate?
Part P is the building-regulation section that covers electrical work in homes in England and Wales. Most small jobs are no longer notifiable — but the ones that are will block a sale if you cannot show the paperwork.
What Part P actually requires
Part P of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations applies to dwellings (and to parts of buildings that share a supply with a dwelling, such as a flat above a shop). It requires that electrical installation work be designed and installed so that persons can reasonably be expected to be protected from fire and injury.
It is not a certificate you buy on its own. It is a building-regulation requirement, satisfied either by using a registered competent person who self-certifies the work, or by notifying building control before work starts.
What is notifiable (England & Wales, post-2013)
The 2013 amendments cut the notifiable list down to the higher-risk work. It is notifiable if it involves:
- installing a new circuit (including a new shower, cooker or EV-charger circuit);
- replacing a consumer unit (fuse board), or replacing a circuit protective device with one of a different rating;
- any work in a special location — rooms containing a bath or shower, shower rooms, swimming pools and saunas, and around their zones;
- work on earthing or main protective bonding in those special locations.
Outside those categories — like-for-like replacement of sockets, switches, light fittings or a broken accessory on an existing circuit — is not notifiable, though it still has to be safe and compliant with BS 7671.
Two routes to compliance
| Route | How it works | What you end up with |
|---|---|---|
| Registered competent person (self-certification) | Electrician is a member of a government-approved scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA and similar) and self-certifies notifiable work | A Building Regulations Compliance Certificate from the scheme, usually by email within days; the local authority is notified for you |
| Building control notification | You or your electrician notify the local authority before work starts; an inspector signs it off | A building control completion certificate; expect a fee and possible inspection delays |
What to keep, and why it matters at sale
Conveyancing solicitors ask for building-regulation evidence for alterations. Missing paperwork for a consumer-unit swap or a new circuit is a common cause of indemnity-insurance policies being bought at the last minute, or of a buyer renegotiating. Keep:
- the compliance or completion certificate (PDF is fine);
- the electrical installation certificate (EIC) or minor works certificate for the job itself;
- the invoice, which at least proves who did the work and when.
An EICR is a different document: it reports on the condition of the whole installation at a point in time. It does not prove that past work was notified.
DIY: legal, but narrower than people think
You may do non-notifiable work yourself if you are competent. Notifiable work is where DIY gets expensive: you cannot self-certify, so you must notify building control in advance and pay their fee — which usually costs more than hiring a registered electrician for the same job.