Understanding Your Electrics, Part 5
DIY vs Professional Electrical Work: What You Can and Can’t Do Yourself
By Frankie · March 2026 · 6 min read
A lot of people do their own electrical work, and a lot of it is perfectly legal. The question is knowing where the line sits.
The Framework: Part P of the Building Regulations
Notifiable work, must either be approved by a building inspector before starting, or be carried out and self-certified by a registered electrician.
Non-notifiable work, can be carried out without building control involvement, including by a competent homeowner.
What You Can Do Yourself
✓ Generally non-notifiable:
Replacing a light bulb or lamp
Replacing a light fitting on an existing ceiling rose
Replacing a socket outlet, switch, or ceiling rose on an existing circuit (like-for-like)
Replacing a damaged cable on an existing accessory
Minor repairs to existing installations in most rooms
What Needs a Registered Electrician or Building Control
Notifiable work, requires certification:
Installation of a new circuit anywhere in a dwelling
Replacement of a consumer unit (fuse board)
Any wiring work in a kitchen, bathroom, or outdoors
Installation of an EV charger, which I install and certify
Complete or partial rewire, and what a house rewire involves
Connection to the electrical supply for outbuildings
What Certification Is Actually For
The certification requirement isn't mainly about enforcement, it's about verification. An Electrical Installation Certificate records the results of specific tests that confirm the installation meets BS 7671. The tests require calibrated equipment and training to carry out and interpret.
When selling. Property information forms ask about electrical work and certificates. Missing certificates for notifiable work prompt requests for retrospective certification, which is typically more expensive than having it certified in the first place.
For the work itself. Testing catches faults that aren't visible. A reversed polarity connection will usually work fine but creates a shock hazard. Undersized cable carries current without tripping a breaker, runs warm, and degrades over years. Testing catches these things. Looking at finished work doesn't.
A Practical Way to Think About It
If you're unsure whether something is notifiable, ask: does it involve a new circuit, a consumer unit, any wiring in a kitchen or bathroom, or an outdoor installation? If yes, it needs certification. If none of those apply, it probably doesn't.
And if you're still not sure, give me a call, free advice, and I'll tell you straight whether you need me or not.
Frankie Sewell
NICEIC Approved Contractor • YRLA Recognised Service Provider • Bright Sparks of York
Not sure whether you need a registered electrician?
Give me a call, free advice, and I'll tell you honestly whether it's something you need me for or not.
Questions
What is notifiable electrical work under Part P?
In England the Building Regulations name three: installing a new circuit, replacing a consumer unit, and any addition or alteration to an existing circuit in a special location. A special location is the space around a bath or shower, measured 2.25 metres up from the floor and 0.6 metres out from the edge of the bath or shower tray, or a room containing a swimming pool or a sauna heater. Everything else is outside the list: additions and alterations to existing circuits elsewhere, and replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere. Kitchens came off the notifiable list in England in 2013, so a kitchen socket on an existing circuit is not notifiable, though it still has to be done properly and tested.
Can I do my own electrical work in the UK?
Some of it. Replacing a fitting like for like, a light fitting, a socket front, a switch, is not notifiable anywhere in the house, and neither is adding to an existing circuit outside the zone around a bath or shower. Notifiable work is a short list: a new circuit, a replacement consumer unit, and any addition or alteration to an existing circuit inside that bath or shower zone. Notifiable work must be certified by an electrician registered to self-certify it, or notified to building control before it starts. Anything you do yourself still has to be safe, and it still has to be tested.
Why does uncertified electrical work matter when selling a house?
When selling, the property information form includes questions about electrical work and whether certificates exist. Missing certificates for notifiable work can prompt requests for retrospective certification, price adjustments, or delays.
What does an Electrical Installation Certificate cover?
An Electrical Installation Certificate confirms that a new electrical installation has been designed, constructed, inspected, and tested to the requirements of BS 7671. It records the test results and confirms the installation is safe to use.