PART P · Electrical safety
What electrical certificates should I receive
The paperwork for electrical work depends on the work and the compliance route. Electrical certification records design, installation, inspection and testing as appropriate. A building regulations compliance record addresses the regulatory process for relevant work. These documents are not interchangeable.
What is an installation certificate
An Electrical Installation Certificate records the relevant new installation work and its verification. A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate may be appropriate for suitable smaller work on an existing circuit.
Ask the installer which document fits the actual scope. A document for a small alteration should not be used as a vague record of a much larger installation.
When is a building regulations certificate needed
Notifiable work needs the applicable compliance route. For eligible self-certified work, the appropriate scheme process produces the relevant building regulations record.
Other routes have their own arrangements. Establish those in advance and keep the resulting records with the electrical certification.
Is an EICR the same thing
An Electrical Installation Condition Report assesses the condition of an installation. It should not automatically be treated as a substitute for certification and notification of new work.
If paperwork is missing, explain what work was done and obtain advice on the appropriate route. Ordering an EICR alone may not answer the regulatory question.
What details should you check
Check the address, scope, dates and responsible persons. Make sure the documents describe the installation actually provided, including any agreed changes.
For example, a certificate mentioning only one circuit may not explain a quotation that included replacing the consumer unit and several circuits.
Why do records matter later
They help future electricians understand the work and can assist when selling or altering the property. Keep them safely and ask for corrections where the description is inaccurate.
A guarantee or invoice can be useful commercially, but it does not replace the required technical and building regulations records.