An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) is the document your electrician gives you when they finish new electrical work. It confirms the work was designed, installed, inspected and tested to BS 7671, the UK wiring standard. You need one for a new circuit, a rewire or a consumer unit change. A like-for-like swap of a socket or switch is covered by a lighter certificate instead.
This guide explains what the certificate contains, which jobs need it, how it differs from an EICR, who can sign it and what to do with it afterwards.
TL;DR
- An EIC certifies new electrical work: new circuits, rewires and consumer unit replacements.
- A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate covers small additions that do not create a new circuit. An EICR reports on the condition of an existing installation.
- The original certificate goes to the person who ordered the work. Keep it safe, because you will want it when you sell, remortgage or claim on insurance.
- In England, notifiable work must be certified by a registered competent person or signed off by building control.
- Ask every electrician, before work starts, to confirm in writing that the quote includes the certificate and any notification.
Table of Contents
- What an Electrical Installation Certificate is
- Do you need an Electrical Installation Certificate?
- Part P and the Building Regulations in England
- EIC or EICR: what is the difference?
- Who can issue the certificate?
- What to do with your certificate
- Is the certificate included in the price?
- Our perspective
- Work with a team that certifies as standard
- FAQ
- Sources
What an Electrical Installation Certificate is
The EIC is one of the model forms published with BS 7671. It is the form used for the initial certification of a new installation. It is also used for an addition or alteration that introduces new circuits, and for replacing a consumer unit or distribution board. The IET model forms say it must not be used for periodic inspection and testing. That job has its own report, the EICR.
NICEIC describes the certificate’s purpose plainly. It gives the person responsible for the installation a declaration that the new work, or the alteration or addition, was safe to use when it was put into service. It is a statement about the work at handover, not a promise about the whole house for ever.
What is on the form
The current Amendment 4 model form, dated 15 April 2026, runs from Section A to Section J. Section C holds three declarations: design, construction, and inspection and testing. In practice you will find:
- Details of the client, the installation and the work. Who ordered it, the address, and what was done.
- Design, construction and inspection declarations. Each is signed. On a small domestic job one electrician often fills all three roles, so you may see the same name three times.
- Supply and earthing details. The type of supply, earthing arrangements and the protective devices at the origin of the installation.
- A schedule of inspections. A checklist of items the installer has examined.
- Schedules of circuit details and test results. Every circuit is listed with the readings taken, including continuity, insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance, RCD operation and polarity.
- A recommended date for the next inspection. The designer records the maximum interval to the first periodic inspection, based on how well the installation will reasonably be maintained.
One detail worth knowing: the certificate is only valid if the schedule of inspections has been completed and the schedules of circuit details and test results are attached, according to BS 7671 model forms. If you are handed a single page with a signature and nothing behind it, ask for the schedules.
Do you need an Electrical Installation Certificate?
The short test is this: did the job create a new circuit, or replace the consumer unit? If yes, you need an EIC. If the work only added to or altered an existing circuit, you need a Minor Works Certificate. If nothing new was installed and you want to know the state of the wiring, you need an EICR.
| Situation | Certificate you should receive |
|---|---|
| Full or partial rewire | EIC |
| Consumer unit (fuse box) replacement | EIC |
| New circuit, for example a cooker, shower, garage or EV charger supply | EIC |
| Adding a socket to an existing circuit | Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate |
| Like-for-like replacement of a socket, switch or ceiling rose | Usually no certificate; some electricians still issue a minor works certificate |
| Checking the condition of existing wiring | EICR |
The IET model forms set out the split between the three documents: an EIC for new installations and new circuits, a minor works certificate for additions or alterations that do not extend to new circuits, and an EICR for periodic inspection of what already exists.
The new circuit rule
A practical way to decide is to ask whether a new protective device in the consumer unit now feeds new cable. If it does, it is a new circuit, and it is an EIC, even if that circuit only serves one socket in a garage.
Why a consumer unit change always needs an EIC
When a consumer unit is replaced, every circuit connected to it is re-terminated and has to be tested again. For that reason a consumer unit change is certified with an EIC, not minor works, because the certificate needs a full schedule of test results for all of the circuits.
This matters if you are planning solar panels or a home battery, because the consumer unit often has to be upgraded or checked first. We cover that in our guide to what a solar-ready consumer unit is.
Jobs people forget
Homeowners often think of certificates only when a rewire is on the cards. In practice, the jobs that most often need an EIC are quieter ones: a new circuit for an induction hob, an outbuilding or garden office supply, a new shower circuit, or the dedicated supply for an EV charger. A charger installation normally means a new circuit from the consumer unit, so the electrician should hand you an EIC at the end. If you are having one fitted, our EV charger service includes the testing and certification that go with it.
On building sites and temporary installations, power is often supplied through industrial connectors. If you want background on that kind of kit, there is a useful explanation of the IEC 60309 standard for CEE plugs. Permanent domestic work, though, is certified as above.
Part P and the Building Regulations in England
The certificate is not just good practice. In England, electrical work in homes falls under Part P of the Building Regulations. Since 1 January 2005 it has been a legal requirement that work on fixed electrical installations in dwellings and associated buildings complies with the relevant standard, which is BS 7671.
Notifiable work includes new installations, house rewires, new circuits and additions to existing circuits in special locations. Notification or full plans are generally needed only for major work involving one or more complete new circuits when the work is not being done under an authorised self-certification or third-party scheme, according to the IET’s Part P FAQ.
For notifiable work there are three ways to show compliance:
- Self-certification by a registered competent person, who completes an electrical installation certificate and gives it to the person ordering the work.
- Third-party certification, where an approved body checks the work.
- Certification by a building control body, which is the route if the electrician is not registered with a scheme.
These are the three routes listed by the IET on certification schemes. Small jobs such as replacing sockets or switches do not need Building Control notification, though they still need a competent person.
The stakes for skipping this are real. GOV.UK says that work which does not comply with the Building Regulations is not legal, and you could be prosecuted and face unlimited fines. If the work was never notified, or done by a registered installer, the local authority has no record that it complies. That is a problem when you come to sell.
In Wales the process is similar. GOV.WALES says the competent person should give you a completed EIC, and that the electrician arranges for you to receive a building regulations compliance certificate within 30 days of completing the work. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building regulations, so check the local rules if you live there.
EIC or EICR: what is the difference?
The two names are close and people mix them up. They do different jobs.
| EIC | EICR | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Electrical Installation Certificate | Electrical Installation Condition Report |
| Used for | New work: new circuits, rewires, consumer unit changes | Existing installations |
| Question it answers | Was the new work designed, built and tested to BS 7671? | Is the installation still safe to use? |
| Issued | Once, when the work is finished | Periodically |
| Signatures | Design, construction, and inspection and testing | A single signature |
| Findings | Declarations and test results | Observation codes C1, C2, C3 or FI, and a satisfactory or unsatisfactory outcome |
The distinctions in this table follow Total Skills’ comparison. An EICR has no separate design and construction sections. It records test results for every circuit tested and gives an overall assessment, with observations classified by code.
NICEIC describes an EICR as a survey that can reveal overloaded circuits and potential hazards, highlight any lack of earthing or bonding, and test the fixed wiring.
How often do you need an EICR?
This depends on who you are.
- Landlords in England. The government’s guidance says installations in rented property must be inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every 5 years. The landlord must obtain a report, give it to the existing tenant within 28 days, and complete any required remedial work within 28 days. Our landlord EICR checklist walks through the deadlines.
- Homeowners. NICEIC says there is no legal requirement for electrical safety checks in privately owned homes, but it recommends an EICR at least every 10 years. Our guide to how often you need an EICR sets out the rules by property type.
The two documents can work together. Where a report shows remedial work is needed, the official guidance accepts written confirmation of completed work in the form of a satisfactory EICR, an EIC, a Minor Works Certificate or other appropriate certification. So if remedial work involves a new circuit, expect an EIC to follow an unsatisfactory EICR.
Who can issue the certificate?
An EIC has to be made out and signed, or otherwise authenticated, by skilled persons for the design, construction, and inspection and testing of the work. The wording comes from BS 7671’s model forms. In plain terms, the person signing must be competent to do all three jobs and to test what they have installed.
This is why who does the work matters. NICEIC advises that you should always use a registered contractor, who will issue the correct certification for the work they carry out. Registration with a scheme is not the same thing as holding a qualification, and neither is the same as a certificate. The registration lets the contractor self-certify notifiable work. The certificate is the proof for your particular job.
Before you book, a few questions are worth asking:
- Are you registered with a competent person scheme for domestic electrical work?
- Will the quote include the certificate and any building control notification?
- Who will carry out the inspection and testing, and will I receive the schedules of test results?
- When will I receive the certificate, and in what form?
What to do with your certificate
The BS 7671 rules say the original goes to the person ordering the work. The contractor keeps a duplicate. The wording is in Regulation 644.4 of the IET model forms. The form also tells you to keep the original safe and show it to anyone inspecting or doing future work. If you ordered the work but do not own the property, pass the certificate, with its schedules, to the owner straight away.
In practice:
- Check it on the day. Confirm your name and address are right, the work described matches what was done, and the schedules are attached.
- Store a copy digitally and the original with your house papers. Your solicitor will ask for it on a sale.
- Note the next inspection date. It is on the form.
- Share it with whoever needs it. A later electrician, a solar or battery installer, or your insurer may want to see it.
If the electrician does not give you one
Do not let it drift. Electrical Safety First advises that if the electrician was registered with a government-approved scheme and will not provide the certificate, you should contact the scheme. It also warns that without the correct certificate for major electrical work, you may find it difficult to sell your property. If the work was notifiable and was never certified, speak to your local authority’s building control team about regularisation, and ask a registered electrician to inspect and test the work.
Is the certificate included in the price?
On notifiable work it normally should be, because the electrician cannot lawfully complete it without testing and certification. Even so, make sure the quote says so. A good quote states whether certification and building control notification are included in the price, and which certificate you will receive. Ask for that in writing before work starts.
We do not publish a fixed price for installation work, because it depends on the property, the number of circuits and the existing supply. If you are weighing up a bigger job, our guide to what a house rewire really costs in the UK gives a realistic picture of what is involved.
Our perspective
Most of the certificate problems we hear about do not start on the day of the job. They start six months later, when a solicitor, an insurer or another tradesperson asks for a piece of paper nobody can find.
Our view is simple. The certificate is part of the work, not an optional extra, and the test results behind it matter more than the signature on the front. When we fit a new circuit, replace a consumer unit or install an EV charger, solar system or battery, we test every circuit and hand the paperwork over as part of the job.
We are MCS and NICEIC accredited, and we have experience of complex installations. We think the best handover is a tidy site, a clear explanation of what was done, and the certificate in your hands before we leave. If you do not understand a line on the form, ask us. We would rather explain it than have you guess.
For solar and battery customers, the certificate is also the start of the system’s record. Our service and maintenance plan keeps that record going, so the system stays tested and documented over the years.
Simon
Work with a team that certifies as standard
If you are planning a rewire, a consumer unit upgrade, an EV charger or a solar and battery system in Dorset, Hampshire or Devon, we can quote for the whole job, including testing and certification. We are MCS and NICEIC accredited, and we aim to give clear advice and quick quotes.
See our solar installations, our EV charger installations or get in touch through our main site to talk through your project. Already have a system? Our Solar & Battery Service & Maintenance Plan costs £175 per year.
FAQ
Do I need an Electrical Installation Certificate for a new socket?
It depends on whether the socket creates a new circuit. If it is added to an existing circuit, a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate is the right document. If it needs a new protective device in the consumer unit and new cable, it is a new circuit and needs an EIC. A like-for-like replacement of an existing socket does not need an EIC.
Is an EIC the same as an electrical safety certificate?
Not exactly. People use “electrical safety certificate” for several documents, including the EIC and the EICR. The EIC covers new work and is issued once. The EICR reports on the condition of an existing installation and is issued periodically. Check which document you are actually being offered.
How long is an EIC valid?
The EIC does not expire like a licence. It records the installation as it was when put into service, and the form includes a recommended date for the first periodic inspection. NICEIC says a landlord’s EIC for a new installation is valid for five years, after which an EICR is needed to confirm the installation is still safe.
Do I need one to sell my house?
There is no single form a buyer must have, but buyers’ solicitors often ask for certificates for major electrical work. Without the right certificate, you may find it difficult to sell. Keep the original and the schedules with your property papers.
Who gets the original certificate?
The person who ordered the work receives the original, and the contractor keeps a duplicate. If you are a tenant or agent who commissioned the work, pass the full certificate and schedules to the property owner.
Sources
- MODEL FORMS FOR CERTIFICATION AND REPORTING, IET
- BS 7671:2018 model forms
- Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC): Section by Section, Certio
- EIC vs EICR: What’s the Difference?, Total Skills UK
- EICR, EIC or Minor Works: Which Electrical Certificate Do You Need?, Scopekit
- How to work with your tradesperson, NICEIC
- Kitchen electrics guide: regulations and requirements, NICEIC
- Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs), NICEIC
- Part P Frequently Asked Questions, IET
- Part P certification schemes, IET
- Electrical safety regulations, Bath and North East Somerset Building Control
- Building work, replacements and repairs to your home, GOV.UK
- Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, GOV.UK
- Building regulations: electrics, GOV.WALES
- What if my electrician doesn’t give me a certificate after completing major work?, Electrical Safety First
