Part P
Plain English. Practical detail. UK context.
Part P is the electrical safety part of the Building Regulations for dwellings in England. It concerns the safety of electrical installation work; it is not an electrician's qualification or a brand of certificate.
Safety: use a registered electrician, for example one registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, for electrical installation work. Do not remove covers or open electrical equipment yourself.
Last reviewed: (editorial review against the public sources listed below).
What it means in practice
Treat electrical design, installation, inspection, testing and building control notification as connected but distinct responsibilities. Before quoting, establish the work's scope, location and notification route. A new consumer unit and a small alteration are not interchangeable jobs simply because both involve domestic wiring. The scope also affects the documentation you must plan to hand over.
Approved Document P explains when notification is required and gives guidance on satisfying the electrical safety requirements. It is guidance for England, not a single UK-wide notification rule. If the property is in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, identify the applicable local building standards framework before offering a compliance route.
For homeowners
Ask who will design and test the work, whether notification is needed, and how the building control paperwork will be supplied. Do this before work begins, especially where a kitchen, bathroom or extension involves several trades. Keep electrical certificates and any building control compliance documents with the property records.
A claim that an installer is “Part P qualified” does not answer all of those questions. Ask what training they hold, whether their business belongs to an appropriate competent person scheme, and what that scheme covers. Registration should be checked with the scheme rather than inferred from a logo on a van.
Notification is not the whole of electrical safety
People sometimes use “Part P” as shorthand for notifying building control. That misses the underlying safety requirement. Work which does not need notification still needs to be designed and carried out safely. Conversely, submitting a notification is not a substitute for competent installation and testing.
Avoid using a short internet checklist as the final decision on a borderline job. The nature of the alteration, its location and its relationship to existing circuits matter. Use the official Approved Document and a competent installer to settle the route for the actual project.
Certificates have different purposes
An electrical installation certificate records responsibility for relevant aspects of new electrical work and its verification. An electrical installation condition report describes the condition of an existing installation within its stated scope and limitations. One should not be promised as a universal substitute for the other.
A building control compliance certificate serves a different purpose again: it relates to the Building Regulations process. Homeowners should be told which documents are being provided, what each covers, and whether anything must follow separately after the site work finishes.
A practical handover example
For a domestic refurbishment, agree the electrical scope before walls are closed. Record any retained circuits, proposed new circuits and the consumer unit work. Ask the electrician to explain which elements require notification and which certification will accompany them. Confirm who coordinates with the other trades so that inspection access is not lost.
At completion, compare the paperwork against the agreed scope rather than simply checking that a document has a signature. Names, address, description of work and limitations should make sense. Keep records of any unresolved items and the agreed next step. This entry explains the basic distinctions; it is not a design specification or a substitute for professional inspection.
Practical checks
Write the agreed compliance route into the scope of works. Identify the person responsible for notification and record the documents expected at handover. If the route is unclear, resolve it with the installer and relevant building control body before the installation is concealed.
Frequently asked questions
Is Part P the same as BS 7671?
No. Part P is a Building Regulations requirement for electrical safety in dwellings in England. BS 7671 is the electrical installation standard. Satisfying the installation standard and dealing with building control notification are related, but they are not the same administrative task.
Is Part P an electrician’s qualification?
No. It is a building regulation requirement. Qualifications, competence and scheme registration are separate matters.
Does replacing a socket always need notification?
Not in England; the location and actual work matter. Safe installation and appropriate testing still apply.
Sources and further reading
Public sources and further reading. Sources checked: 8 November 2026. Consult the original for details and later changes.