What is Part P?

The Requirements

Part P of the Building Regulations imposes the following requirements on electrical installation work in dwellings that:

"Reasonable provision shall be made in the design, installation, inspection and testing of electrical installations in order to protect persons from fire or injury."

and

"Sufficient information shall be provided so that persons wishing to operate, maintain or alter an electrical installation can do so with reasonable care." (Approved Document P)

These requirements apply in England and Wales only and will be met by following the technical rules in BS 7671:2001.

Note: It is a criminal offence not to comply with these requirements.

Notification

Because electrical work is now covered by the Building Regulations, with some exceptions (see below), proposals to carry out electrical installation work must be given to your local authority's Building Control Department before the work starts.

Exceptions

It is not necessary to notify Building Control if:

• the proposed work is undertaken by a Competent Person or
• the proposed work is non-notifiable work as defined in Table 1, Page 8 of Approved Document P.

All of the above is explained in greater detail in the ECA publication "Part P of the Building Regulations – Explained". For more about this view the promotional orders page.