Does every electrical job need to be notified under Part P?

No. Most electrical work — like-for-like repairs, replacements, and additions to an existing circuit outside a special location — isn’t notifiable. Only new circuits, consumer unit replacements, and work inside a special location are — that means the zones around a bath or shower, and anywhere in a room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater.

Do I have to be part of a competent-person scheme to do notifiable work?

No — you can notify Building Control directly, or use a registered third-party certifier, if you’re not scheme-registered. Scheme membership is simply the route that lets you self-certify rather than notify separately for each job.

Does Part P apply in Scotland?

No. Part P is specific to Building Regulations in England. Scotland regulates building work — including electrical work — under a different framework, the Building (Scotland) Regulations and Building Standards system, without the same notifiable/non-notifiable split.

Is Wales covered by the same Part P as England?

No — Wales has had its own separate Approved Document P since 2017. It sits alongside the England edition rather than being identical to it, so check the Welsh Government’s guidance for Wales-specific jobs.

What happens if notifiable work isn’t notified?

That’s ultimately a matter for Building Control and beyond the scope of this guide — but unnotified work can create problems later, for example when selling a property. Notifying through a competent-person scheme at the time of the work is generally the simplest way to avoid it becoming an issue.

Do I need to notify an EV charger installation?

Yes — but because of which category it falls into, not because electrical work is notifiable in general. A dedicated EV charge point at a dwelling means a new circuit, and installing a new circuit is one of the three notifiable categories above. Comply either through a registered competent-person scheme or by notifying Building Control directly.

UK electrical compliance & regulation

Part P and when electrical work must be notified

In England, Part P makes new circuits, consumer unit replacements and work in a special location (the zone around a bath or shower, or a room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater) notifiable; like-for-like repairs and most additions to existing circuits elsewhere are not. This guide covers what counts, how to comply, and how the rest of the UK differs.

Last updated 15 October 2026. Written by the CertSync team and checked against the standards.

The short answer

Part P of the Building Regulations covers electrical safety in dwellings in England. Broadly, new circuits, consumer unit replacements, and work inside a special location are notifiable; like-for-like repairs and most additions to existing circuits outside special locations are not. A special location is the zone around a bath or shower — or any room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater, where the whole room counts. Wales runs a separate Approved Document P; Scotland and Northern Ireland use different systems entirely.

What Part P covers

Part P is the part of the Building Regulations that covers electrical safety in dwellings in England. The current edition, Approved Document P, has been in force since 2013.

It doesn’t require every piece of electrical work to be reported — only work that falls into specific notifiable categories. Everything else can go ahead without notification, provided it’s still carried out to the required standard.

What counts as notifiable work

Three categories of work are notifiable: installing a new circuit; replacing a consumer unit (fuse board); and carrying out additions or alterations to a circuit inside a special location. A special location is one of two things: the defined zones around a bath tub or shower tray, which is a space within the room rather than the whole room; or a room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater, where the whole room counts and there are no zones to measure.

Like-for-like repairs and replacements are not notifiable, wherever they’re carried out. Additions to an existing circuit outside a special location — an extra socket in a hallway, for example — are not notifiable either.

The exact zone dimensions around a bath or shower are set out in Approved Document P itself — check the current gov.uk guidance or the Planning Portal for the precise measurements before deciding whether a bathroom job is notifiable.

How to comply — two routes

There are two ways to comply with notifiable work. The most common is to use a registered competent-person scheme: the electrician self-certifies the work and the scheme notifies Building Control on their behalf, and the householder receives a Building Regulations compliance certificate once it’s processed.

If you’re not registered with a competent-person scheme, the alternative is to notify Building Control directly before the work starts, or to use a registered third-party certifier to inspect and certify it.

A Building Regulations compliance certificate is a separate document from the electrical certificate (EIC, EICR or MEIWC) that records the BS 7671 test results. Most jobs that are Part P notifiable also need one of these BS 7671 certificates — the two serve different purposes and a householder may end up with both.

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — different systems

Part P itself applies to dwellings in England only. Wales has its own separate Approved Document P, in force since 2017, with its own notification requirements — don’t assume the England rules apply across the border.

Scotland works differently again. Building work is regulated under the Building (Scotland) Regulations and the Building Standards system, with certification typically handled through an Approved Certifier of Construction scheme such as SELECT — there’s no equivalent notifiable/non-notifiable split.

Northern Ireland’s approach differs from England’s Part P system too — check with local Building Control for how electrical work is regulated there before assuming the England rules apply.

Current scheme operators

As of this guide’s publication, the electrical competent-person scheme operators authorised for England and Wales are BESCA, Blue Flame Certification, Certsure (trading as ELECSA and NICEIC), NAPIT and OFTEC. Always check the current gov.uk list before relying on a scheme membership, as authorised operators can change.

EV charge point installations

Installing an EV charge point at a dwelling is electrical work, and it’s notifiable under Part P in the same way as other electrical work — comply either by using a registered competent-person scheme to self-certify, or through Building Control in England (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use their own separate systems, as covered above).

Separately, new-build and some renovation projects must provide EV-charging infrastructure under building regulations. In England this took effect on 15 June 2022, under Approved Document S. Scotland introduced an equivalent requirement, in force from 5 June 2023. Wales does not currently have an equivalent requirement in force — it has been consulted on, but it is not yet law — so this is one area where the position genuinely differs by nation.

Most domestic and workplace charge points sold in Great Britain must also meet smart-functionality and security requirements under the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, in force from 30 June 2022, with enhanced security requirements applying from 30 December 2022.

Frequently asked questions

Does every electrical job need to be notified under Part P?: No. Most electrical work — like-for-like repairs, replacements, and additions to an existing circuit outside a special location — isn’t notifiable. Only new circuits, consumer unit replacements, and work inside a special location are — that means the zones around a bath or shower, and anywhere in a room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater.
What’s the difference between a Building Regulations compliance certificate and an electrical certificate?: They’re separate documents. The Building Regulations compliance certificate (issued via a competent-person scheme or Building Control) confirms the work satisfied Part P. The electrical certificate — an EIC, EICR or MEIWC — records the BS 7671 design, construction and test results. Notifiable work commonly needs both.
Do I have to be part of a competent-person scheme to do notifiable work?: No — you can notify Building Control directly, or use a registered third-party certifier, if you’re not scheme-registered. Scheme membership is simply the route that lets you self-certify rather than notify separately for each job.
Does Part P apply in Scotland?: No. Part P is specific to Building Regulations in England. Scotland regulates building work — including electrical work — under a different framework, the Building (Scotland) Regulations and Building Standards system, without the same notifiable/non-notifiable split.
Is Wales covered by the same Part P as England?: No — Wales has had its own separate Approved Document P since 2017. It sits alongside the England edition rather than being identical to it, so check the Welsh Government’s guidance for Wales-specific jobs.
What happens if notifiable work isn’t notified?: That’s ultimately a matter for Building Control and beyond the scope of this guide — but unnotified work can create problems later, for example when selling a property. Notifying through a competent-person scheme at the time of the work is generally the simplest way to avoid it becoming an issue.
Do I need to notify an EV charger installation?: Yes — but because of which category it falls into, not because electrical work is notifiable in general. A dedicated EV charge point at a dwelling means a new circuit, and installing a new circuit is one of the three notifiable categories above. Comply either through a registered competent-person scheme or by notifying Building Control directly.

Disclaimer

This guide is general information, not professional advice, and is not a substitute for the current gov.uk Approved Document P guidance or Building Control advice. Requirements can change, and you are responsible for checking the current position and for your own compliance. CertSync does not verify Part P notification status. The contractor named on a certificate is responsible for what it certifies.

Sources & official guidance

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