Part P — when electrical work needs building control sign-off.
Approved Document P of the UK Building Regulations covers electrical safety in dwellings. Notifiable work — kitchens, bathrooms, full rewires, new circuits — must be either certified by a Part P competent-person scheme installer (NICEIC, NAPIT, Stroma, ELECSA) or notified to the local building control officer in advance.
What electrical work is notifiable under Part P?
Notifiable Part P work in England covers: any new circuit installed in a dwelling; any electrical work in a kitchen or special-location room (bathroom, sauna, swimming pool, outbuilding); a full or partial rewire; and any consumer-unit replacement. Notification can be done two ways: a competent-person-scheme electrician self-certifies and posts the certificate to LABC, or you notify LABC directly before work starts and pay an inspection fee.
NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, Stroma — operating Part P self-certification.
Certificate posted to LABC + homeowner within 30 days of completion.
Typical retro-LABC + remediation cost when unnotified work is discovered at sale.
Part P — the terms that matter
Plain-English definitions for the 5 terms you'll see in any quote, certificate or enforcement notice for Part P Electrical Notification.
- Approved Document PAD P
- Statutory guidance accompanying the Building Regulations 2010 covering electrical safety in dwellings. Defines notifiable work and the two routes to compliance.
- Competent Person SchemeCPS
- A government-approved scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, Stroma) whose registered installers may self-certify Part P work without involving LABC up-front.
- Special LocationSL
- A room with elevated electrical risk under BS 7671 — bathrooms, kitchens, swimming pools, saunas. All electrical work in these rooms is Part P notifiable.
- Local Authority Building ControlLABC
- The council's building-control function. Where the installer is not on a CPS, LABC must be notified before work starts, pays an inspection fee, and issues a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate on completion.
- Electrical Installation CertificateEIC
- BS 7671 certificate for new installation work. Different from an EICR, which inspects an existing installation. Issued at completion of every Part P notifiable job.
How to make sure your electrical work is Part P compliant
Five steps from instruction to certificate. Total time: 5w.
01
Identify if it's notifiable
Day 0
Any new circuit, kitchen / bathroom / outdoor work, or consumer-unit change is notifiable. A like-for-like socket swap on an existing circuit is not. Ask the electrician up-front.
02
Pick a CPS installer
Day 1–3
NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA or Stroma. CPS-registered installers self-certify — cheaper and faster than going through LABC. Verify the registration number on the body's public register.
03
Get work done
Day 3–14
Installer carries out work to BS 7671 18th Edition. On completion you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) with the schedule of test results.
04
Get certificates
≤30 days
CPS body posts a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate to you and to LABC within 30 days of completion. Keep both with your title deeds — buyers and mortgage lenders ask for them.
05
No CPS? Notify LABC
Before work
If you use a non-CPS electrician, you must notify LABC before work starts and pay £150–£400 in inspection fees. LABC inspects the work and issues the compliance certificate themselves.
Part P Electrical Notification. Done compliant.
Every TradeMatch-listed tradesperson covering Part P Electrical Notification carries the relevant scheme registration. Verified at onboarding, re-verified annually, certificates posted to you within 30 days of any notifiable work.
Part P route comparison — CPS self-cert vs LABC notification
Side-by-side comparison of the compliant route versus the unregistered shortcut. Most rows trace a straight line from regulation to financial exposure.
| Factor | CPS self-certification | LABC notification |
|---|---|---|
| COMPLIANT — RECOMMENDEDUp-front cost | No additional fee — built into electrician's price | £150–£400 LABC notification + inspection |
| Speed | No delay — work proceeds on day of booking | 5–10 day notification window before work can start |
| Inspection | CPS body audits a sample of installer's work annually | LABC inspector visits site during work + at completion |
| Certificate posted to | CPS → LABC + homeowner within 30 days | LABC issues directly to homeowner on sign-off |
| Best for | Kitchen rewire, bathroom new circuit, consumer-unit upgrade | DIY-led project where homeowner runs cabling and gets it certified |
| Failure mode | Installer drops off CPS register — certificate becomes contestable | LABC schedules slip — project delayed by inspector availability |
Source: Approved Document P (2013), Department for Levelling Up Housing & Communities competent-person scheme directory.
The questions homeowners ask before they commit.
Do I need Part P notification for changing a light fitting?
No — like-for-like replacement of a light fitting, switch, or socket on an existing circuit in a non-special-location room is non-notifiable. Adding a new spur, replacing a consumer unit, or any electrical work in a kitchen, bathroom, or outdoor area is notifiable.
Can I do Part P notifiable work myself?
Yes, legally — but you must notify LABC before work starts, pay the inspection fee (£150–£400), and the work must comply with BS 7671. Most homeowners find using a CPS-registered electrician cheaper and simpler because the certificate is included in the quote.
What happens if Part P work was never notified?
Unnotified work shows up at sale — your conveyancer's search reveals no Building Regulations Compliance Certificate filed against the property. The buyer's side typically demands either retroactive LABC sign-off (£200–£500 and a fresh inspection that may force remediation) or a £500–£1,500 deduction at completion. In some cases the council can serve a Section 36 enforcement notice up to 12 months after the work.
Which electricians can self-certify Part P?
Only those registered with one of the four government-approved competent-person schemes: NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, or Stroma. Each scheme audits members' work, so the certificate carries weight with mortgage underwriters. Always check the registration number on the body's public register before booking.
Does Part P apply in Scotland or Wales?
Part P applies to England only. Scotland follows the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 with similar electrical safety requirements via Section 4. Wales follows Approved Document P (Wales) which mirrors English provisions but is administered by Welsh local authorities. Northern Ireland follows Building Regulations (NI) 2012 Part S.
How long does a Part P certificate last?
A Building Regulations Compliance Certificate is permanent — it certifies that the work met regulations on the day. It does not expire. Keep it with your title deeds. The separate EICR (which inspects condition rather than installation) is what gets renewed every 5–10 years.
Going deeper.
Notifiable electrical work — done compliant.
TradeMatch electricians are CPS-registered and self-certify every Part P job. No LABC paperwork for you, certificate posted within 30 days.