All new electrical wiring or electrical components for a house, flat or small commercial premise linked to domestic accommodation must be designed and installed in line with Part P of the Building Regulations.
Apart from possibly being a safety risk, it will make any further sale of your property difficult if you cannot prove that electrical work has been done legally with all the necessary certification.
Not all electrical works are notifiable, but where the work consists of the installation of a new circuit, the replacement of a consumer unit, or the addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location (eg a bathroom or shower room) it must be notified in one of 3 ways:
1. Use an electrician who is a member of a registered competent person's scheme and therefore experienced and qualified to certify their own work and provide the owner with a certificate of compliance.
2. Use an electrician who uses a registered third-party certifier to inspect and test their installation and provide a compliance certificate to the owner.
3. An electrician's work can be inspected by building control but a registered third-party certifier will be used by building control to inspect, test and certify. There will be an additional charge for this.
Further technical information can be found in the Approved Document to Part P - Electrical Safety.
If you need further help and advice please contact us.