Do I need approval?
- Introduction, fees and forms
- Internal alterations of your property
- Building or altering a garden or boundary wall
- Building an extension to a house or flat
- Building a garage extension
- Building a detached garage or ancillary building
- Converting or altering a loft space
- Installing replacement windows
- Converting a house into flats
- Converting a house into a shop or office
- Converting all or part of an office or shop
- Installing, altering or replacing a shopfront
- Installing plumbing, waste removal and heating appliances
- Re-wire
- Carrying out repairs to your property
When do I need approval for re-wiring?
You need to apply if:
- your property is domestic or shares its power supply with a domestic property (as from 1 January 2005)
- there are any electrical works being carried out in your garden or in a building in your garden.
Building Regulations Part P - electrical safety
According to government statistics, each year on average 10 people die and about 750 are seriously injured in accidents involving unsafe electrical installations in the home. To help address this issue, the government has included electrical safety requirements in the Building Regulations.
From 1 January 2005, all electrical work in dwellings must comply with the requirements of Building Regulation Part P. This includes gardens and outbuildings such as sheds, garages and greenhouses.
Small jobs such as replacing a socket-outlet or a light switch on an existing circuit will not need approval (although there will be some exceptions for high-risk areas such as kitchens and bathrooms).
All work that involves adding a new circuit to a dwelling must either be carried out by a competent person who is registered with a Part P Self-Certification Scheme, or approved by a building control body.
Persons registered with Part P Self-Certification Schemes must be fully-qualified electrical contractors with the ability to thoroughly check a circuit for safety. They must also be aware of other Building Regulations that may impact on any particular installation. They can issue Certificates of Compliance and must pass those details to the relevant local authority.
If you use an electrician who is not registered under a Part P Self-Certification Scheme, or if you do the work yourself, you will need to submit an application with the appropriate fee to a building control body in the same way as if you were carrying out other building works. An installation and test certificate from a competent electrical contractor will also be required.
The onus is on the owner of the building to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations. You will be breaking the law if you do not obtain the relevant approval or certification for installations.
You may also be asked to supply evidence of satisfactory installations when selling the house.
If you are unsure whether the work you want to do needs approval or would like further details or guidance, please contact us directly (see 'How to contact us') or go to the website of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
