Compliance Agent · Electricians
The UK electrician compliance checklist.
Electrical compliance in the UK splits into two layers that are easy to blur: what the law demands, and what schemes, customers and insurers expect. Get the first wrong and you are in breach of the Building Regulations. Get the second wrong and the work dries up.
Here is the checklist a domestic electrical business in England typically needs to have straight, and where firms most often slip.
At a glance
What the Compliance Agent tracks for electricians.
Electricians
Part P · BS 7671- Legally required: Notifiable domestic work, such as new circuits, consumer units and work in bathrooms, must be self-certified through a competent person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT and others) or notified to building control under Part P.
- Scheme or industry-expected: Work is judged against BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations: the standard building control and insurers expect.
- Scheme or industry-expected: Scheme registration is how most electricians self-certify, and what customers are told to look for.
The checklist in depth
What the law requires: Part P and notification
Part P of the Building Regulations makes electrical safety in dwellings a legal requirement. Certain work is "notifiable": installing a new circuit, replacing a consumer unit, and work in special locations such as the zones around baths and showers.
For notifiable work there are two lawful routes. Either you are registered with a government-authorised competent person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT and others) and self-certify the work, or building control must be notified before the work starts, with the fees and inspection that follow.
When work is self-certified through a scheme, the Building Regulations require the local authority to be notified and the occupier to receive a certificate within 30 days of completion (Building Regulations 2010, regulation 20). Missed notifications surface later, typically when the property is sold or a claim is made.
Scheme registration and BS 7671
Scheme registration itself is not a legal requirement, but it is the practical route for most firms, because notifying building control job-by-job is slower and costs more. Registration is not one-and-done either: schemes assess your work, qualifications and insurance on entry and reassess registered businesses on an ongoing cycle.
All of it is judged against BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, as amended. That is the standard building control, schemes and insurers hold electrical work to.
Rental EICRs: a legal duty and a steady workstream
Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, landlords must have the fixed electrical installation inspected and tested at least every 5 years by a qualified and competent person. The report goes to new tenants before they move in and to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection, and councils can fine landlords up to £30,000 per breach.
For electricians this cuts both ways: it is a recurring compliance-driven market, and it puts your own competence evidence (qualifications, scheme registration, insurance) under a landlord’s and council’s scrutiny.
Where electrical firms most often slip
The gaps we see are rarely about workmanship. They are administrative: notifiable jobs never notified to the scheme or building control; scheme registration lapsing quietly because a renewal or reassessment was missed; and assuming the rules are identical UK-wide. Part P applies in England and in Wales, though the detail has diverged since 2013, and Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate building-standards systems altogether.
These examples are typical for England and are a summary, not the full picture. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and depend on the exact work you do. This page is general information, not legal advice. Always confirm your obligations with the relevant regulator, scheme or a qualified adviser.
FAQ
Electricians compliance, answered.
Do I legally have to be registered with NICEIC or NAPIT?
No. Scheme registration is not itself a legal requirement, but notifiable work must then be notified to building control before it starts, with fees and inspection. Registration with a government-authorised competent person scheme is the practical route: it lets you self-certify notifiable work, and it is what customers are told to look for.
What electrical work is notifiable under Part P?
In England, the main categories are installing a new circuit, replacing a consumer unit, and work in special locations such as the zones around a bath or shower. Like-for-like repairs and most minor works outside special locations are not notifiable. The exact scope is set out in Approved Document P.
How often do rented properties need an EICR?
At least every 5 years in England, under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, or sooner if the previous report requires it. The inspection must be done by a qualified and competent person, and landlords face penalties of up to £30,000 per breach.
What happens if notifiable work is not notified?
It is a breach of the Building Regulations. The local authority can require the work to be opened up, corrected or properly certified, and unnotified work routinely causes problems when the property is sold, remortgaged or the subject of an insurance claim. If a scheme self-certifies the work, the occupier must receive a certificate within 30 days of completion.
Does Part P apply in Scotland?
No. Part P applies to dwellings in England and Wales, and even between those two nations the detail differs. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building-standards systems with different rules for electrical work. If you work across borders, check each nation separately.
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