Notification is how local building control learns that electrical work covered by Part P of the Building Regulations has been done. Searches for notifiable and non-notifiable electrical work usually come from homeowners planning a job, or from people selling a house who have been asked for paperwork. This guide sets out the general position in England. Wales has similar rules with some differences, and Scotland and Northern Ireland use their own systems, so check locally if you are outside England.
The short answer
Notifiable work in a home in England is: installing a new circuit, replacing a consumer unit, or adding to or altering a circuit in a special location, which means a room containing a bath or shower, within the zones around it. Most other work, such as replacing accessories like for like or adding a socket to an existing circuit in a kitchen or bedroom, is not notifiable. All of it must still be done safely and to the wiring regulations.
Examples of notifiable work
If a job includes any one of these, the whole job is treated as notifiable.
- A full or partial rewire
- A new circuit for an electric shower, cooker or hob
- A new circuit to a garden office or outbuilding
- Replacing the fuse board with a new consumer unit
- A new socket or light inside the zones of a bathroom
- A dedicated circuit for an EV charger
Examples of work that is usually not notifiable
Non-notifiable does not mean unregulated. The work still has to be safe, and a certificate recording the tests is still good practice.
- Replacing a socket, switch or ceiling rose on the same circuit
- Adding a socket or a light to an existing circuit outside a bathroom
- Replacing a damaged cable for a single circuit on the same route
- Fitting a new light fitting in place of an old one
How notification actually happens
There are two routes. The common one is to use an electrician registered with a competent person scheme. They do the work, test it, issue the electrical certificate and notify it through their scheme. Building control is informed and a compliance certificate is sent to the homeowner, usually by post, some weeks later.
The other route is to apply to local building control before the work starts. They inspect, usually charge a fee, and issue their own completion paperwork. This route is used when the person doing the work is not registered with a scheme.
Why it matters when you sell
A buyer's solicitor will ask about electrical work done while you owned the property. For notifiable work they will want the electrical certificate and the building regulations compliance certificate. Missing paperwork can delay a sale or lead to an indemnity policy being requested. Keeping both documents together avoids that.
If notifiable work was never notified
It happens, often because a previous owner or an unregistered installer did the work. The usual first step is an inspection and test of the affected circuits so you know they are safe. Building control can advise on regularisation, which is a separate process they run. An electrician's report helps with that conversation.
Planning your job
When you ask for quotes, ask each electrician whether the job is notifiable and how they will handle it. A clear answer, in writing, tells you a lot about how the rest of the job will be managed.
Common questions
- Is replacing a consumer unit notifiable?
- Yes, in England a replacement consumer unit is notifiable work.
- Is adding a socket notifiable?
- Not usually, if it is added to an existing circuit outside a bathroom. A new circuit for the socket would be notifiable.
- Who notifies the work?
- A registered electrician notifies it through their competent person scheme. Otherwise you apply to building control before starting.
- Do the rules differ in Scotland?
- Yes. Scotland uses its own building standards system, so this guide's England summary does not apply directly there.
Not sure whether your job is notifiable? Tell us what you are planning and we will explain it in a free written quote.
Related guides
- Part P Explained for HomeownersPart P is about electrical safety in dwellings. It is shorter and simpler than most people expect.
- What Electrical Work Needs Building Control Sign OffSome electrical work has to be notified to building control. Plenty does not.
- Can a Homeowner Do Their Own Electrical Work?Some jobs, yes. The law cares less about who does the work than whether the right work is notified and safe.