What to check before hiring an electrician

Electrical work is one of the few trades where a mistake can be invisible until it causes a fire or an electric shock. That is why the rules around who may do it, and how it must be certified, are stricter than for most home improvements.

Understand Part P and competent person schemes

In England and Wales, Part P of the Building Regulations covers electrical safety in dwellings. Certain jobs, known as notifiable work, must either be notified to building control before they start or be carried out and self-certified by an electrician registered with a government-authorised competent person scheme. Notifiable work includes installing a new circuit, replacing a consumer unit and most work in bathrooms and other special locations.

The best-known schemes are NICEIC and NAPIT, and there are others. A registered electrician can self-certify their own work and will arrange for you to receive a certificate of compliance. If the electrician is not registered, you would have to pay building control to inspect the work, which is slower and often more expensive.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building standards and approval systems, so check the position where you live.

Check the registration yourself

Do not rely on a logo on a van or a website. Ask the electrician which scheme they are registered with and check the register online using their name or business name. The register will confirm whether the registration is current and what type of work it covers.

Two things to watch:

• Registration belongs to the business, and it is the qualified supervisor of that business who signs off the work. Ask who will actually do the job.
• An electrician who says they are "Part P qualified" may mean they have done a short course. That is not the same as being registered with a scheme. Ask for the scheme name.

Ask about qualifications, insurance and experience

• Which qualifications do you hold? For domestic work, expect a recognised electrical installation qualification and a current wiring regulations qualification (BS 7671, often called the 18th Edition).
• Do you have public liability insurance, and can I see the certificate?
• Have you done this type of job before? Rewires, consumer unit changes, electric vehicle charger installations and outdoor work each have their own requirements.
• Will you test and certify the work, and which certificate will I receive?

Know which certificate you should get

Every piece of electrical work should end with paperwork.

• An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) for new circuits, rewires and consumer unit replacements.
• A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate for small additions to an existing circuit, such as adding a socket.
• A Building Regulations compliance certificate for notifiable work, sent by the scheme after the electrician notifies the job.
• An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) if you have asked for an inspection of an existing installation, for example when buying a property or as a landlord. Private landlords in England must have an EICR at least every five years and provide it to tenants.

Keep these documents. You will be asked for them when you sell, and an insurer may ask for them after a claim.

Get a proper quote

For anything beyond a small repair, get written quotes from two or three electricians. Ask each to:

• Describe the work and the materials, including the make of consumer unit or accessories where relevant.
• Say whether testing and certification are included.
• State whether making good (plastering and decorating after chasing cables) is included, as it often is not.
• Give a price including VAT, and state whether it is a fixed quote or an estimate.

If the electrician recommends more work than you asked for, such as a full rewire when you wanted a new socket, ask them to explain why and what would happen if you did not do it. Sometimes the advice is sound; it should still be explained.

Consumer protection

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the work must be done with reasonable care and skill. If you agreed the job at home or online, you normally have a 14-day cooling-off period. Pay by a traceable method and keep the quote, the invoice and the certificates together.

Next steps

Decide whether the work is notifiable, then find electricians near you on Annuvell Local. Each listing shows checked contact details and a Request Quote option, so you can ask several businesses the same questions. Check the scheme registration yourself before you book, and do not pay the final invoice until you have the certificates in your hand.