Adding a socket, moving a light or fitting a new electric shower can look like the same kind of small electrical job, but in England some of them have to be certified under the Building Regulations and some do not. Voltify Contractors provides property maintenance in Shooters Hill as part of its documented SE18 coverage, including electrical, plumbing, decorating and handyman work. This page explains which electrical jobs are notifiable, why the paperwork matters later, and how to plan the work.
Which electrical jobs are notifiable?
The rules sit in Part P of the Building Regulations. According to the Planning Portal’s guidance, three kinds of domestic electrical work are notifiable in England: installing a new consumer unit or fuse box, installing a complete new circuit (for example for a cooker, shower or immersion heater), and altering an existing circuit in a “special location”, which in England means the space around a bath or shower. Most repairs, replacements and maintenance jobs, and additions to existing circuits outside those spaces, are not notifiable.
| Job | Notifiable? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Replacing a cracked socket or switch with a new one | No | A like-for-like replacement is maintenance. |
| Swapping a ceiling light for a new fitting | No | The circuit itself is not being changed. |
| Adding a socket to an existing circuit in a bedroom or living room | Usually no | It is an addition outside a special location. |
| Adding a light or socket in the space around a bath or shower | Yes | The work is in a special location. |
| A new circuit for an electric cooker, shower or immersion heater | Yes | It is a complete new circuit. |
| Replacing the consumer unit (fuse box) | Yes | New consumer units are always notifiable. |
Non-notifiable work still has to be done safely and to the wiring regulations (BS 7671). The difference is whether building control needs to know about it.
How notifiable work gets signed off
There are two routes. An electrician registered with a competent person scheme can self-certify the work and arrange for the certificate to be issued. If the installer is not registered, the work must be notified to a building control body, usually the council, before it starts, or checked by a registered third-party certifier. For SE18 addresses, the council is normally the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
Before notifiable work begins, ask how it will be certified and what paperwork you will receive at the end. It is a fair question to put to any electrician, and the answer affects your timescale.
Why the certificate matters later
When you sell, the standard property information form asks about electrical work carried out since 2005 and whether certificates exist. Missing paperwork for a new circuit or consumer unit can delay a sale or lead to a request for retrospective checks. Our guide to preparing a home for sale covers the questions sellers are asked. Keep electrical certificates with your other property documents.
Planning an electrical job in Shooters Hill
Most requests are simpler than they first appear. Replacing damaged accessories, adding a socket in a bedroom or changing light fittings are routine electrical work. A new cooker or shower circuit, or a consumer unit replacement, needs more planning because of the certification step and because the power will be off for longer.
Electrical jobs often lead to other trades. Chasing a new cable into a wall leaves plaster to make good and paint to touch up, which is decorating work. A new electric shower also needs plumbing connections. Mounting a TV where a new socket has gone in, or putting up shelves once the wiring is finished, is handyman work. If you mention all of it at the start, the visit can be planned in the right order.
If you are not sure whether your wiring is getting old enough to need attention, the Plumstead page lists the warning signs and a simple RCD check.
Getting in touch
Describe the job, say which room it is in and send a photo of the consumer unit if you can. Standard working hours are 7am–5pm, Monday to Friday. The documented standard minimum call-out is £80 for the first hour, and the final price depends on the work involved. If you have a burning smell, sparking or exposed wiring, switch off at the consumer unit if it is safe to do so. Out-of-hours emergency call-outs are available at different pricing.
Call 020 3411 1855 or email info@voltifycontractors.co.uk. Shooters Hill shares SE18 coverage with Plumstead, Woolwich and the Royal Arsenal. See all areas we cover or browse our services.
