Why a London Self Build Needs a Smart Home Electrician: Part P, Certificates and Controls

A smart home electrician is someone who understands the electrical installation and the control system that runs on it, and on a London self build you want that knowledge in the design before the first cable is pulled. The electrics in a new house are building work under Part P, so they have to be certified properly, and the smart home only works well when the wiring was planned for it. Get those two things to agree on paper and second fix is quick; leave them apart and the gaps show up as chased walls and rework.

This guide is for people building a new home in London, whether that is a house on a tight infill plot, a replacement dwelling on the footprint of an old one or a new build with a basement. It covers what Part P means for you, the paperwork you should end up with, and the electrical decisions a smart home depends on.

Part P and the electrics in a new house

In England, electrical safety in dwellings is covered by Part P of the Building Regulations, with the guidance set out in Approved Document P on gov.uk. It lists the work that has to be notified to building control, and the installation of a new circuit is on that list, alongside replacing a consumer unit and work in a special location such as a room with a bath or shower. A new house is nothing but new circuits, so every part of its electrical installation falls under the rules.

There are two usual routes. An installer registered with a competent person scheme can self certify the work, and their scheme then issues a Building Regulations compliance certificate to the occupier. Otherwise the work is checked through your building control body, which issues its own completion or final certificate. Either way, ask at the start which route your electrician will use.

The certificates and information you should receive

Approved Document P also says enough information should be left for people to operate the installation safely, including certificates, permanent labels and operating instructions. On a smart home that should go further: a record of what each lighting circuit, keypad and relay does, and how the control system is set up.

What a smart home electrician plans that a standard layout misses

A standard electrical layout puts a switch by every door and loops the lights from one to the next. A controlled house often wants something else. With a central lighting system, every circuit runs back to a panel of dimmer and relay modules, and keypads send commands instead of switching the load. With smart dimmers in the wall, each switch box needs a neutral and enough depth. Motorised blinds need power at the window head, sensors need supplies in the ceiling, and the comms cabinet needs its own circuit.

None of that is difficult, but all of it has to be on the electrician's drawings before first fix. Our founder, Kieran McGuire, is an electrician, so our designs are written in circuits, cable types and box positions rather than a list of products, and the electrician who certifies the house can wire to them without guessing.

Points to agree before first fix

• A neutral at every switch position, so smart switches and dimmers can be used anywhere later.
• Central or local lighting control, decided before the cables go in, because the wiring pattern is different for each.
• LED fittings chosen with the dimming system, to avoid flicker and lights that never dim smoothly.
• Space beside the consumer unit for a lighting panel, relays and the network equipment, ideally in one plant or utility room.
• Separate routes for data and mains cables, so the Cat6 for access points, cameras and TVs stays clear of power cables.
• Room for future loads such as an EV charger or a battery; our EV charger wiring guide for London self builds explains the charger side.

Our lighting design guide covers scenes, circuits and keypads in more detail, and our first fix wiring guide lists what to run in each room.

How we work with your electrician

We design, supply, install and programme the smart home, and we give your electrician drawings and cable schedules to work from. Our survey and design service shows every lighting circuit and keypad, data point, access point, speaker and blind motor on one set of drawings, with a schedule of what to run from where. The lighting is usually the biggest overlap with the electrical work, and our lighting control page for London shows the systems we install. The rest of the house, from heating to audio, is on our home automation page for London.

A design consultation is £360 plus VAT, with extra time at £90 an hour plus VAT, and you can book it on our consultation booking page.

Questions we are often asked

Can my builder's electrician wire the smart home?

Usually yes. With a proper design and cable schedule a good electrician will wire it well. Trouble starts when they are asked to wire for a system nobody has designed yet.

Is all the electrical work in a new house notifiable?

A new house means new circuits, and installing a new circuit is notifiable under Part P, so the installation needs to be certified through a competent person scheme or your building control body.

What paperwork should I have at the end?

An Electrical Installation Certificate, a Building Regulations compliance certificate or a building control certificate, and operating instructions. For a smart home, also ask for the system documentation.

Should every switch box have a neutral?

It is worth asking for one. Many smart switches and dimmers need it, and adding it once the walls are plastered is messy.

When should a smart home designer get involved?

Before the electrical package is priced, so the electrician quotes for the wiring the house really needs.

Book a consultation or call our head office on 01344 937999 (London office 0208 064 0196).