Part P Building Regulations: Electrical Certificates and Record Keeping

Part P of the Building Regulations governs electrical installation work in dwellings in England and Wales. It requires that certain types of electrical work are either carried out by a registered competent person or notified to building control. Compliance generates specific certificates and notifications that must be retained — and whose absence can create significant problems for homeowners, particularly when selling their property.

What Is Part P?

Part P of the Building Regulations 2010 applies to electrical installations in dwellings — houses, flats, and associated outbuildings and gardens. Its purpose is to ensure that electrical work in homes is carried out safely and to the standard required by BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations.

Part P divides electrical work into two categories. Notifiable work must be either carried out by a registered competent person who self-certifies the work, or notified to local authority building control before work commences, with a formal inspection and approval process. Non-notifiable work can be carried out by any competent person without notification.

What Work Is Notifiable Under Part P?

Notifiable work includes the installation of a new circuit, the replacement of a consumer unit, and any addition to or alteration of an existing circuit in a special location — specifically kitchens, bathrooms, swimming pools, and other areas defined in BS 7671 as special locations due to the increased risk of electric shock from water or moisture.

Work that is not notifiable includes adding socket outlets or lighting points to existing circuits in rooms other than kitchens, bathrooms, or other special locations, and like-for-like replacement of accessories such as sockets, switches, and light fittings.

What Certificates Are Generated by Part P Compliance?

When notifiable work is carried out by a registered competent person, they must issue an Electrical Installation Certificate upon completion of the work. This certificate confirms that the work has been designed, constructed, inspected, and tested in accordance with BS 7671. The competent person must also notify their scheme provider — NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, or another approved scheme — who notifies the local authority building control on their behalf.

The local authority issues a Building Regulations Completion Certificate following notification by an approved scheme. This completion certificate is the formal record that the work has been notified and that the local authority has been satisfied that it complies with the Building Regulations.

When notifiable work is instead notified directly to building control — rather than carried out by a registered competent person — building control will inspect the work and issue their own completion certificate upon satisfaction that it complies.

Why Retaining Part P Certificates Matters

Part P certificates are a material consideration in residential property transactions. When a property is sold, the buyer's solicitor will raise enquiries about any building works carried out during the seller's ownership, including electrical work. The standard enquiries in the Law Society's TA6 form ask specifically about building regulations compliance.

If notifiable electrical work was carried out and the relevant certificates cannot be produced, the seller faces difficult options. They may need to obtain indemnity insurance to cover the buyer against any future enforcement action — though insurers are increasingly reluctant to provide indemnity for electrical work where safety is a concern. They may need to arrange a retrospective inspection and certification, which can be expensive and may require work to be exposed for inspection. Or they may need to accept a reduction in the sale price to reflect the lack of documentation.

The simplest approach is to ensure certificates are obtained and retained at the time the work is carried out.

How Long Must Part P Certificates Be Kept?

Part P certificates should be retained for the lifetime of the property. There is no statutory minimum retention period, but the practical reality is that certificates may be needed when selling the property — which could be decades after the work was carried out. Storing them securely, ideally both physically and digitally, is strongly advisable.

For rental properties, Part P certificates for work carried out during the landlord's ownership should be retained and made available to tenants on request. They form part of the property's electrical installation history and may be relevant when the next EICR is carried out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Part P apply to commercial properties? No. Part P applies to dwellings only. Electrical work in commercial properties is governed by other parts of the Building Regulations and by the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, but not by Part P specifically.

Can a homeowner carry out their own electrical work under Part P? Homeowners can carry out non-notifiable work themselves. For notifiable work, they can either hire a registered competent person or notify building control themselves and have the work inspected. Homeowners cannot self-certify notifiable work.

What happens if notifiable work was carried out without compliance? The local authority can take enforcement action requiring the work to be brought into compliance. When selling, the absence of Part P certification for notifiable work is a material defect that must be disclosed. Retrospective certification or indemnity insurance may be required to proceed with a sale.

Does Part P apply in Scotland? No. Scotland has its own building regulations system. Electrical work in Scottish dwellings is subject to the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 and associated technical standards.

Key Takeaways

• Part P of the Building Regulations requires that notifiable electrical work in dwellings is either carried out by a registered competent person or notified to building control.
• Notifiable work includes new circuit installations, consumer unit replacements, and additions to circuits in special locations such as kitchens and bathrooms.
• Compliant notifiable work generates an Electrical Installation Certificate from the installer and a Building Regulations Completion Certificate from the local authority or scheme provider.
• These certificates should be retained for the lifetime of the property — their absence creates significant problems when selling.
• Missing Part P certification for notifiable work may require indemnity insurance or retrospective certification before a property sale can proceed.
• Part P applies in England and Wales only — Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate building regulations systems.