Does a house rewire need building regulations approval?
Yes. A full house rewire normally falls under Part P of the Building Regulations, so it must be notified to building control or self-certified through a registered competent-person electrician. We provide the electrical installation certificate and compliance paperwork when the work is complete.
The important distinction is between complying with the electrical requirements and making a separate application to building control. In England, a complete domestic rewire is notifiable work because it normally involves new circuits, changes to the consumer unit or both.
The electrical work must meet Part P of the Building Regulations. It must also be designed, installed, inspected and tested in line with the current requirements for domestic electrical installations. This covers more than replacing visible cables. The design needs to account for circuit loading, cable routes, earthing and bonding, protective devices, socket positions and the condition of the consumer unit.
For a registered electrical contractor, the notification is normally dealt with as part of the installation process. Building control does not usually need to inspect the work separately before it starts, provided the contractor is authorised to certify this type of domestic work. The installer submits the compliance details after completion, and you should receive the relevant certificate by post or electronically.
If you use an electrician who cannot notify the work through a competent person scheme, you need to contact your local authority building control department before the rewire begins. Building control may require an application, inspection during the work and testing before the walls and floors are closed up. Retrospective approval can be difficult if the cabling is already concealed, so this is worth settling before anyone starts.
A proper rewire should leave you with more than a receipt. The paperwork should normally include:
- An Electrical Installation Certificate: this records the extent of the installation, the inspection results and the test results for each relevant circuit.
- A schedule of inspections: this shows what was checked, including the installation method, protective measures, connections and condition of accessible components.
- A schedule of test results: this records measurements such as continuity, insulation resistance, polarity and operation of protective devices.
- A Building Regulations compliance certificate: this confirms that the notifiable electrical work has been reported through the appropriate route.
The Electrical Installation Certificate and the Building Regulations compliance certificate are different documents. The first describes the technical inspection and testing of the electrical installation. The second confirms that the notifiable work has been reported as Building Regulations work. Keep both with the property records.
An EICR is not a substitute for the certificate issued after a rewire. An EICR gives an assessment of an existing installation at a particular time. A new installation needs an Electrical Installation Certificate covering the work carried out and the tests completed before it is handed back.
Older homes can need extra care before the work is signed off. If the incoming supply, earthing arrangement or bonding does not meet the requirements for the new installation, those items may need attention too. We identify these points during the survey rather than waiting until the final testing stage. Where the existing supply is not suitable for the planned circuits, the electricity distributor may also need to be involved.
Some parts of a rewire may be hidden under floors, in loft spaces or inside walls. We inspect and test the installation as sections become accessible, then complete the final inspection after accessories and the consumer unit are fitted. This creates a record of the work that is not visible once plaster, flooring and joinery are back in place.
If the property is listed or sits in a conservation area, Building Regulations are only one part of the approval process. Listed building consent or other planning controls may affect work that changes historic fabric, decorative finishes or visible fittings. Your local planning authority can confirm what applies. We can also identify practical issues during the electrical survey, such as routes that avoid unnecessary damage to original walls and ceilings.
For a landlord, the completion documents should be retained with the property’s safety records. A future sale, letting or insurance query may require evidence of what was installed and how it was tested. If the paperwork is missing, an electrician may need to inspect the installation and issue an appropriate report, but that does not recreate the original Building Regulations notification.
Before work starts, the quotation should state who is responsible for the notification, which certificates will be issued and whether any supply, earthing, bonding or remedial work is excluded. We provide the compliance paperwork for the work we undertake, so you know what has been tested and what documents to keep.
If you add circuits after the rewire, don’t assume the original approval covers them. A new supply to an outbuilding, altered consumer unit or additional fixed wiring may need its own inspection and notification. Ask the electrician to confirm the paperwork required for that later work.
Keep the completion documents with the property deeds and electrical records. They show the scope of the rewire, rather than acting as a general approval for every future electrical alteration.