How to get a Part P certificate?

Wondering how to get a Part P certificate for electrical work at your property? We’ve got the lowdown. Firstly, let’s explain what a Part P certificate is.

What is a Part P certificate?

Part P was introduced into the Building Regulations in 2005 as a means to protect homeowners from unsafe electrical installations.

Part P certification enables an electrician who is registered with one of the five bodies (for example NICEIC) to self-certify domestic installations.

Essentially, when a registered electrician completes notifiable electrical work on your domestic property, you do not need to submit a building notice to your local council. Your registered electrician will submit the application for the work on your behalf.

Why is Part P certification necessary?

Part P certification means that not only is the work carried out according to building regulations, but the whole process is simpler and more straightforward for the homeowner.

Notifiable work includes the wiring of a new circuit, a full house rewire, or the replacement of a fuse box, to give just a few examples.

How to get a Part P certificate?

The Part P certification applies to the electrician. Part P certification means that the electrician has taken Part P courses as part of their qualifications, and is therefore able to self-certify all electrical installations.

Once a registered electrician has finished the notifiable work at your property, they complete a BS 7671 electrical installation certificate, a copy of which should be given to the person ordering the work.

With the notifiable electrical work completed and signed-off, you, as the homeowner, will then receive a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate from your registered electrician.

What if you use a qualified, unregistered electrician?

If you hire an unregistered qualified electrician to carry out notifiable work on your property, they must inform the council, make a building regulations application, and seek approval prior to starting work.

Once the work is complete, your unregistered electrician (or the council) will instruct a registered electrician to test and inspect the electrical installation to certify that it meets building regulations.

In summary, as a homeowner, it’s not the Part P certificate that you need per se, it’s a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate. This is obtained from a qualified, registered electrician upon completion of any notifiable electrical installations on your home.

Find a qualified, registered electrician near you

To ensure the electrical installations on your home are safe and competent, always hire a qualified, registered electrician with Part P certification.

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