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DIY electrical work in England: what Part P allows and what needs notifying

A plain-English guide to Part P of the Building Regulations in England: which electrical jobs you can do yourself without notifying anyone, which are notifiable, the bathroom 'special location', and the three ways to get notifiable work certified.

Changing a light fitting or adding a socket is within reach of many confident DIYers, and it is legal in England. But some electrical jobs come under building regulations notification rules, and getting them wrong can be dangerous and cause problems when you sell your home. This guide explains what Part P of the Building Regulations covers, what you can do without telling anyone, and how notifiable work gets signed off.

This guide covers England. Wales has its own version of Part P, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate systems. It is general information only; if you're not sure a job is safe for you to do, use a registered electrician.

What is Part P?

Part P is the part of the Building Regulations that deals with electrical safety in homes. The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) confirms that Part P applies to all electrical work in dwellings, whether done by professionals or DIYers. In other words, every job must be designed and installed safely. What differs between jobs is whether it must be notified to a building control body and formally certified.

The government's Approved Document P sets out how to comply, and says electrical work should be inspected and tested in accordance with BS 7671, the national wiring regulations.

Notifiable work: the three categories

Approved Document P quotes the regulation that defines notifiable electrical work. A building notice or full plans are needed where the work consists of:

1. installing a new circuit;
2. replacing a consumer unit (the fuse box); or
3. any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location.

All other electrical installation work in a home is not notifiable. The same document describes this as additions and alterations to existing installations outside special locations, and replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere.

What is a "special location"?

Approved Document P defines two kinds of special location:

• The space around a bath or shower. In a room containing a bath or shower, this is the zone extending up from the floor to 2.25 metres (or to the shower head, if it's fixed higher), and out 0.6 metres from the edge of the bath tub or shower tray. Where there is no tray, it extends 1.2 metres from the centre of the shower head.
• A room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater.

So adding a spur from a lighting circuit for a new light in a bedroom isn't notifiable, but altering a circuit within that zone around the bath is. Approved Document P also notes that socket outlets should not be located within 3 metres of a bath tub or shower tray.

Jobs you can usually do without notifying

GOV.UK's page on when you don't need building regulations approval lists, among exempt work, new power and lighting points, or changes to existing circuits (except around baths and showers), and most repairs, replacements and maintenance (except fuse boxes). Typical examples:

• replacing a damaged socket, switch or ceiling rose like for like;
• swapping a light fitting;
• adding a socket or light to an existing circuit, outside a special location;
• replacing a cable for a single circuit that has been damaged, on the same route.

The GOV.UK page adds an important reminder: you must meet safety standards even if you don't need formal approval.

Fixed equipment and plug-in connections

Approved Document P explains that installing fixed electrical equipment is within the scope of Part P even if the final connection is a standard 13A plug and socket, but is only notifiable if it involves one of the three categories. Its examples: installing a built-in cooker isn't notifiable unless a new cooker circuit is needed, and connecting an electric gate to an existing isolator isn't notifiable, but running a new circuit from the consumer unit to that isolator is.

How notifiable work gets certified

For notifiable work, Approved Document P sets out three routes:

1. Self-certification by a registered competent person. An electrician registered with a government-authorised competent person scheme can certify their own work and notify building control for you. This is the simplest route for most households.
2. Third-party certification. A registered third-party certifier inspects and tests work done by someone else. The IET notes the certifier must be appointed before the work begins.
3. Building control. If you do notifiable work yourself, you must notify the local building control body before work starts. They will arrange inspection and testing, which may involve a fee.

A DIYer can't self-certify notifiable work. If you plan to fit a new circuit yourself, sort out building control or a third-party certifier first, not afterwards.

Why the paperwork matters

For notifiable work, you should end up with an electrical installation certificate showing the work was tested to BS 7671, and a Building Regulations compliance certificate. Approved Document P says the inspection and test forms should be given to the person ordering the work. Keep them safe: they are your evidence that the work was checked and signed off, which can matter when you come to sell.

Safe working basics

• Isolate the circuit at the consumer unit and lock it off or tape over the switch so nobody turns it back on.
• Prove it's dead with a proper voltage tester, checked on a known live source before and after.
• Match like for like: cable size, fittings rated for the location (for example, IP-rated fittings in bathrooms).
• Don't overload circuits by adding heavy loads, such as a shower or EV charger, to existing circuits; those need their own circuit and are notifiable.
• Stop if anything looks wrong: scorched fittings, old rubber-insulated cable, no earth, or a consumer unit without RCD protection are signs to call an electrician.

Plumbing and heating jobs are different

GOV.UK's exempt list excludes heating systems and oil tanks from the general repair exemption, so boiler and heating work has its own rules, and gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. For simpler heating jobs you can do, see our guides to bleeding a radiator and fixing boiler pressure.

Sources and further reading

• GOV.UK: Approved Document P: Electrical safety – dwellings (PDF)
• GOV.UK: Building regulations approval: when you do not need approval
• IET: Part P (England and Wales): frequently asked questions
• IET: Part P certification schemes
• GOV.UK: Competent person schemes

Facts and links checked on 21 October 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.