Notifiable Electrical Work: Your Complete Part P Guide

Notifiable electrical work is any electrical installation work in a dwelling that must be reported to the local authority building control body under Part P of the Building Regulations. The purpose of notification is to ensure that electrical work in homes meets safety standards — specifically BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations) — and is properly inspected, tested, and certified.

Part P applies to dwellings in England and Wales. It covers houses, flats, maisonettes, and the shared areas of blocks of flats. It does not apply to commercial premises, industrial buildings, or common parts of buildings that are not dwellings (although other regulations, such as the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, apply to those).

The notification requirement exists because electrical faults are a significant cause of house fires and electric shock injuries. By requiring that certain categories of electrical work are formally reported and inspected, the Building Regulations create a safety net that catches substandard work before it causes harm.

There are two routes to compliance: the competent person route (where a registered electrician self-certifies the work through their scheme provider) and the building control route (where the local authority building control inspects the work directly). The competent person route is faster, cheaper, and more convenient — which is why the majority of notifiable electrical work in the UK is self-certified by scheme-registered electricians.

Part P of the Building Regulations 2010 (as amended) is titled "Electrical safety — Dwellings." It was first introduced in 2005 and has been amended several times since. The current version (2013 amendment) simplified the original requirements and reduced the scope of notifiable work.

The key legal requirements under Part P are:

The Approved Document P (supporting guidance to Part P) sets out in detail which types of work are notifiable and which are exempt. It also describes the competent person scheme route and the building control route for notification.

Part P applies to all dwellings regardless of age. Whether the property is a new-build, a Victorian terrace, or a 1960s flat, any notifiable electrical work must be reported. The regulation applies to the work itself, not the property — so even if the existing wiring is old and non-compliant, any new work must meet current BS 7671 standards and be notified if it falls within the notifiable categories.

Under the current Approved Document P (2013 edition), the following categories of electrical work in dwellings are notifiable:

The common thread is clear: any work that creates a new circuit, replaces the main protective equipment, or takes place in a high-risk location must be formally inspected and certified. This is not bureaucracy for its own sake — these are the categories of work where the consequences of poor installation are most severe.

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Not all electrical work in dwellings requires notification. The following categories are exempt from the notification requirement (but must still comply with BS 7671):

Even though non-notifiable work does not require formal notification, it must still comply with BS 7671 and should be documented. For additions and alterations, a Minor Works Certificate should be issued. For like-for-like replacements, a certificate is not legally required but is good practice — particularly for rented properties where the landlord may need evidence of compliance.

The competent person route is the most common and practical way to comply with Part P notification requirements. An electrician registered with a government-authorised competent person scheme can self-certify their own notifiable work without involving building control.

The process works as follows:

The four main competent person schemes for electrical work in England and Wales are NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, and BRE Certification. Each scheme assesses the electrician competence before granting registration, and carries out periodic audits to ensure ongoing compliance.

The key advantage of the competent person route is speed and cost. There is no building control fee per job (only the annual scheme registration fee), no waiting for building control inspections, and no delays to the project. The homeowner receives their compliance certificate quickly, which is important for property sales and insurance.

If the electrician is not registered with a competent person scheme, the alternative is to use the building control route. This involves notifying the local authority building control body (or an approved inspector) before starting the notifiable work.

The building control route is more expensive (per-job fee versus annual scheme registration), slower (waiting for inspection appointments), and less convenient. It is typically used by homeowners doing DIY electrical work, electricians who are not yet scheme-registered, or one-off situations where scheme registration is not cost-effective.

For professional electricians doing regular notifiable work, scheme registration is always the better option. The annual fee pays for itself within the first few jobs, and clients expect to see competent person scheme registration as a mark of quality.

The most important thing to understand about special locations is that all electrical work in these locations is notifiable — not just new circuits. Even replacing a light fitting in a bathroom is notifiable under Part P.

For electricians, the special location rules are examined in the 18th Edition qualification and the C&G 2391 inspection and testing course. Getting them wrong can result in failed inspections, remedial work, and complaints to your competent person scheme.

Failing to notify notifiable electrical work is a breach of the Building Regulations. The consequences can be serious — both for the electrician and the homeowner.

Retrospective regularisation is possible — a homeowner (or electrician) can apply to the local authority to regularise work that was done without notification. Building control will inspect the work, may require testing, and will charge a fee (often higher than the original building notice fee). If the work is compliant, a regularisation certificate is issued. If it is not compliant, remedial work will be required.

The simplest way to avoid these problems is to notify every time. If you are a registered electrician, self-certify through your scheme. It takes minutes, costs nothing extra, and protects everyone involved.

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