First identify the work and the claimed certification
Ask what is being installed, whether it is notifiable and which organisation will issue the building regulations documentation. Scheme membership is activity-specific. A contractor registered for one type of installation cannot use that membership as a general certificate for unrelated work. [4]
Do not confuse a product guarantee, an invoice, an electrician's test certificate and a building regulations compliance certificate. They answer different questions. Planning Portal explains the distinction between electrical safety documentation and building control notification. [5]
Arrange the alternative route in advance
Where an authorised self-certification route is not being used, discuss the appropriate application, checking and inspection arrangements with building control before installation. The body may require information or inspection while work is still accessible. A promise to obtain a certificate after everything is concealed is not an adequate plan. [2] [6]
For electrical work, Approved Document P explains the available routes, including an eligible registered third-party certification arrangement. That arrangement needs to be established before the work starts; it should not be presented as a universal way to sign off somebody else's completed wiring afterwards. [7]
Gas work is different
HSE's guidance requires relevant gas work to be undertaken by a Gas Safe registered business whose operatives are competent for the work. A building control application is not a substitute for that registration. Check the business and the operative's permitted work before allowing the installation to proceed. [3] [8]
If the work has already been done
Find out whether it was actually notified through a scheme or included within an existing building control application. Ask the installer and the relevant body for the record rather than assuming a missing copy means no notification exists. [1] [9]
If eligible work was carried out without the necessary approval route, the council may consider regularisation. That can involve inspection, opening up or alterations and is not a guaranteed paperwork-only exercise. A private approver cannot provide the council's regularisation service. [2]
Keep the rest of the project coordinated
Tell the designer and principal contractor how the installation will be assessed, and ensure its final specification matches the project requirements. Supply the resulting certificates for the overall completion record. [10] [11]
For current electrical work, also confirm the applicable BS 7671 amendment: the IET's published transition ends on 15 October 2026. This is separate from deciding who may notify or certify the installation. [12]