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What Part P covers, which electrical work is notifiable, competent person schemes, and how to comply.
Part P is the section of the Building Regulations for England and Wales that covers electrical safety in dwellings. Introduced in January 2005, it requires that electrical installation work in homes is designed and installed so that it provides adequate protection against fire and injury. Part P applies to houses, flats, maisonettes and their associated gardens, outbuildings, and shared access areas.
The purpose of Part P is to reduce the number of deaths, injuries, and fires caused by faulty electrical installations in homes. Before Part P, there was no requirement to notify building control about domestic electrical work, which meant substandard work could go undetected. Part P changed this by making certain types of electrical work notifiable, meaning they must be either carried out by a registered competent person or inspected by building control.
For electricians, understanding Part P is essential because it directly affects how you carry out and certify domestic work. If you are registered with a competent person scheme, you can self-certify your own notifiable work. If you are not registered, the homeowner must apply to building control before the work begins, which adds cost and delay.
Scope
Part P applies to dwellings and their associated outbuildings and gardens in England and Wales. It does not apply to commercial premises, industrial buildings, or common parts of blocks of flats (which are covered by other parts of the Building Regulations).
Not all electrical work in a home requires notification to building control. Part P distinguishes between notifiable and non-notifiable work. Understanding this distinction is critical for every electrician working in domestic properties.
The following types of electrical work are notifiable under Part P and must either be carried out by a registered competent person or notified to building control:
The following types of work are generally non-notifiable, provided they are not in a special location such as a kitchen, bathroom, or outdoor area:
Kitchen and Bathroom Rule
Any electrical work in a kitchen that involves a new circuit or additional socket outlets, and virtually all electrical work in a bathroom (other than like-for-like replacement), is notifiable. These are the most common areas where electricians need to be aware of Part P requirements.
Part P gives particular attention to locations where the risk of electric shock is higher due to the presence of water, reduced body resistance, or other environmental factors. Electrical work in these locations is always notifiable.
The kitchen is one of the most common locations where Part P notification is required. While replacing a socket outlet on an existing circuit is not notifiable, installing a new circuit for a cooker, adding extra sockets on a new circuit, or installing a new extractor fan on a new circuit all require notification.
Bathrooms are classified as special locations under BS 7671, with defined zones (Zone 0, Zone 1, Zone 2, and outside the zones) that determine what equipment can be installed and what protection is required. Almost all electrical work in bathrooms beyond like-for-like replacement is notifiable.
All new outdoor electrical installations are notifiable. This includes garden lighting, pond or water feature pumps, electrical supplies to outbuildings such as sheds and garages, hot tub or swimming pool supplies, and electric car charging points. The outdoor environment presents additional risks from moisture, physical damage, and ground fault conditions.
BS 7671 defines additional special locations where specific requirements apply, including swimming pools and basins, saunas, construction sites, and agricultural premises. Any electrical work in these locations requires particular care and is notifiable under Part P.
The most practical way for electricians to comply with Part P is to join a competent person scheme. Members of an approved scheme can self-certify their own notifiable work without having to involve building control. This saves time and money for both the electrician and the customer.
When a competent person scheme member completes notifiable work, they test the installation, issue an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), and notify the local authority through their scheme. The scheme then issues a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate on behalf of the local authority. This process is seamless and typically happens electronically.
To join a competent person scheme, you typically need to hold the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations qualification and the City and Guilds 2391 Inspection and Testing qualification as a minimum. Your premises and a sample of your work will be assessed during the application process, and you will receive an annual assessment visit thereafter.
Related Course
18th Edition (2382)
The 18th Edition is a mandatory requirement for joining any competent person scheme.
Related Course
Inspection & Testing (2391)
Inspection and Testing (2391) is required alongside the 18th Edition for scheme registration.
If notifiable electrical work is carried out by someone who is not a member of a competent person scheme, the work must be notified to the local authority building control department. This is known as the building control route.
The building control route is more expensive and time-consuming than the competent person route. Fees typically range from 250 to 500 pounds depending on the local authority and the scope of work. There may also be delays waiting for inspections. For this reason, most professional electricians choose to join a competent person scheme.
Homeowner Responsibility
If a homeowner employs an electrician who is not registered with a competent person scheme to carry out notifiable work, the responsibility for notifying building control falls on the homeowner. Many homeowners are unaware of this, so it is good practice to inform customers about their obligations.
Part P requires that all electrical work is tested, inspected, and certified in accordance with BS 7671. The type of certificate depends on the nature of the work carried out.
An EIC is required for all new installations and for alterations or additions that include the provision of a new circuit. This is the primary certificate for notifiable work. It includes a schedule of inspections and a schedule of test results, and must be signed by a competent person.
The MEIWC is used for minor work that does not include a new circuit, such as adding a fused spur to an existing circuit or replacing a consumer unit. Despite the name, a consumer unit replacement requires a full EIC if a new circuit is created in the process, or an MEIWC if it is a direct like-for-like replacement on existing circuits.
When notifiable work is completed by a competent person scheme member, the scheme issues a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate on behalf of the local authority. This certificate confirms that the work complies with Part P. A copy is sent to the homeowner and the local authority. This certificate is important when selling a property as solicitors routinely request it during conveyancing.
Enforcement of Part P is carried out by local authority building control departments. While enforcement action is relatively rare, it does happen and the consequences can be serious.
The most common practical consequence of non-compliance is during a property sale. Solicitors acting for buyers routinely check for Part P compliance certificates for any electrical work. If certificates cannot be produced, the buyer may demand that the work is tested and certified, or may negotiate a reduction in the sale price. This creates problems for homeowners who have had work done without proper certification.
Professional Reputation
Beyond the legal consequences, failing to comply with Part P damages your professional reputation. If a competent person scheme discovers that a member has been carrying out notifiable work without proper notification and certification, they can remove the member from the scheme.
Staying on the right side of Part P is straightforward once you understand the rules. Here are practical tips for managing Part P compliance in your day-to-day work.
It is also worth noting that Part P does not require you to bring an entire installation up to the current standard when doing minor work. If you are adding a circuit to an older property, you must ensure the new work complies with BS 7671, but you are not required to upgrade the entire installation unless it presents a danger.
Part P has been amended several times since its introduction in 2005. The most significant amendment came in April 2013, which simplified the scope of notifiable work and reduced the administrative burden on electricians.
The 2013 amendment was widely welcomed by the electrical industry. It focused notification requirements on higher-risk work while allowing straightforward modifications to existing circuits without the bureaucratic overhead of building control notification.
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