What Is an EICR? The Electrical Report Explained

An EICR is an Electrical Installation Condition Report. It is a formal report, written by a qualified electrician after inspecting and testing the fixed wiring in a building, that says whether the installation is in a satisfactory condition to carry on being used. It covers the permanent electrics: the consumer unit, circuits, cables, sockets, switches, earthing and bonding. It does not cover your kettle or your laptop charger.

Below, we explain what the report contains, what happens during the inspection, how to read the codes, what an unsatisfactory result means in practice, who needs one and what you can expect to pay.

Smarthometechnical

Keep Your Electrical System Safe

Smarthometechnical provides electrical contracting across Dorset, Hampshire and Devon, including solar panels, battery storage and EV charger installation.

Visit Smarthometechnical

TL;DR

An EICR is a report on the condition of your fixed electrical installation, based on a detailed inspection plus instrument testing.
Each problem is given a code: C1, C2, C3 or FI. C1 and C2 mean urgent action; C3 means an improvement is recommended.
In England, private landlords must have an EICR at least every 5 years and must complete any required remedial work within 28 days or sooner if the report says so.
Owner-occupiers have no such legal deadline, but Electrical Safety First recommends a check at least every 10 years.
Price depends on the number of circuits and how easy they are to reach, not simply on the number of bedrooms.

What an EICR actually is
What the electrician checks and what happens on the day
What the codes mean: C1, C2, C3 and FI
What happens if the report is unsatisfactory
Who needs an EICR and how often
How much does an EICR cost?
Getting the most from your EICR
Our perspective
Need an EICR or the work that follows it?
FAQ
Sources

What an EICR actually is

The EICR is defined in Chapter 65 of BS 7671, the Wiring Regulations. Regulation 651.2 asks for a periodic inspection: a detailed examination of the installation, supported by the tests in Chapter 64, to decide whether it is in a satisfactory condition for continued service.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology puts it simply. An EICR reports on the condition of an electrical installation, using a combination of inspection and testing to judge whether it is safe for continued use, and a report is issued when the work is done.

Think of it as a health check for your wiring. Electrical installations deteriorate with age, wear, damp, overloading and other people’s DIY. The EICR records where yours stands today, measured against current standards.

What an EICR is not

Three misunderstandings cause most of the confusion:

It is not a certificate for new work. An EICR describes the condition of an existing installation. New circuits or a new consumer unit come with their own installation certificates.
It is not a guarantee. It is not a promise that everything behind the plaster is sound. The electrician inspects what can reasonably be accessed.
It is not a repair order or a repair. Remedial work is a separate job, certified separately once it is done.

Why older homes are not simply “failed”

An installation that met the rules when it was built is not “wrong” because later editions of the regulations added requirements such as RCD protection. The report still has to tell you how the installation measures up today. That is why observations carry an urgency code rather than a plain pass or fail per item. A 1983 installation without RCDs is the example one guide uses: not an error, but something the report should record.

What the electrician checks and what happens on the day

A domestic EICR is usually carried out in one visit. The exact sequence varies between electricians, but the work follows the same logic: look first, then test.

1. Planning and information

The electrician agrees the extent of the inspection with you, for example the whole house or just one flat in a block, and asks about the age of the installation, any known faults and any previous reports. If you have an earlier EICR or installation certificates, have them to hand.

2. Visual inspection

This is the detailed examination the regulations call for. The electrician looks at:

the consumer unit (the fuse box): its condition, the protective devices fitted and whether they suit the circuits
earthing and bonding connections to gas, water and other metalwork
visible cables, and signs of damage, overheating or poor repairs
sockets, switches and light fittings for cracks, scorch marks or loose fixings
evidence of overloading, such as lots of adaptors on one circuit
signs of amateur alterations that do not look right

3. Testing

The electrician then uses calibrated instruments to measure what the eye cannot see, for example the continuity of protective conductors, insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance and whether RCDs trip as they should. Some tests are carried out with the power off, so expect short interruptions. Plan for computers, freezers and anything that dislikes a power cut. Tenants should be warned in advance.

4. The report

The results go into the report: a description of the installation, the extent of what was inspected, a schedule of observations with codes, a schedule of circuit details and test results, and an overall verdict of satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Ask for the full schedules, not a one-page summary. They are what make the report useful to the next electrician.

How long it takes depends mainly on the number of circuits and how easy they are to get at. A flat can be quick; a large house with a loft full of boxes will take longer.

What the codes mean: C1, C2, C3 and FI

Every defect or concern in the report gets a classification code. The IET’s inspection and testing guidance sets them out:

Code	Meaning	What it asks of you
C1	Danger present, risk of injury	Immediate remedial action
C2	Potentially dangerous	Urgent remedial action
C3	Improvement recommended	Not urgent, but worth planning
FI	Further investigation required	The cause needs to be looked into

These codes are published in Table 3.5 of IET Guidance Note 3 on inspection and testing, the recognised industry reference for EICR coding.

What changed with Amendment 4

The wording is being tidied up. Under BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, the FI wording moved from “required without delay” to “advised”, and the C3 and FI codes were separated from C1 and C2 so that it is clear they do not by themselves lead to an unsatisfactory outcome. Your electrician will know which edition applies to the report they are issuing.

What counts as unsatisfactory

As a rule of thumb, a C1 or C2 observation makes a report unsatisfactory. A report with only C3 observations can still be satisfactory. Treat C3s as a sensible to-do list: they are the things that would be done differently if the installation were built today.

What happens if the report is unsatisfactory

An unsatisfactory report is common on older properties, and it is not the end of the world. It is a list of jobs. The usual route is:

Read the observations with your electrician and ask them to explain each C1 and C2 in plain words.
Get a written quote for the remedial work.
Have the work done, and make sure you receive the correct certificate for it.
Keep the original report and the certificates for the remedial work together. Landlords will need both.

For private landlords in England there is a legal clock. Where the report calls for remedial or investigative work, it must be completed within 28 days, or any shorter period the report specifies. Our separate guide for landlords walks through the 28 day deadline and the compliance checklist.

Can an electrician condemn a house?

An electrician writing an EICR gives a professional opinion on the electrics. The report is not a demolition notice and it does not, on its own, make a home unfit to live in. Where something is dangerous (a C1), a responsible electrician will tell you straight away, may make the immediate danger safe where they can, and may advise that the affected circuit stays switched off until it is repaired. What happens next for a tenanted home is a matter for the landlord’s legal duties and, where relevant, the local housing authority. If you are in that position, speak to your electrician and, for tenancy questions, your council’s housing team.

Who needs an EICR and how often

The answer depends on who you are.

Private landlords in England

This is the only group with a clear legal requirement. Private landlords must have the installation inspected and tested at intervals of no more than 5 years by a qualified and competent person. The report lasts 5 years, or less if the inspector decides a shorter period is necessary.

The duties come from the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. They came into force on 1 June 2020, applied to new specified tenancies from 1 July 2020 and to existing ones from 1 April 2021. The same regulations set out who gets a copy:

existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection
new tenants before they move in
prospective tenants within 28 days of a written request
the local housing authority within 7 days of a written request

The rules have since been widened. The 2020 regulations were extended to the social rented sector in 2025, and the GOV.UK guidance was updated on 1 November 2025. These rules apply in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements, so check the rules where your property is.

Homeowners

No law forces an owner-occupier to commission an EICR. However, Electrical Safety First recommends a check at least every 10 years for an owner-occupied home, every 5 years for a business, and every 5 years or at each change of occupancy, whichever comes first, for tenanted homes. A report is also sensible when you buy an older house, before a major refit, or if you notice warning signs such as flickering lights, warm sockets, a buzzing consumer unit or frequently tripping circuits.

Businesses

Commercial premises are typically tested every 5 years, in line with the recommendation above, and many insurers and landlords ask to see the report. Our guide to fixed wire testing for commercial properties covers how that works in practice.

For a full breakdown by property type, see how often you need an EICR.

A note on newly built homes

A brand-new or modular home starts life with installation certificates, and the first periodic inspection falls due years later. If you are building, it helps to understand wiring, panels and code in prefab homes so that the paperwork is in order from day one.

How much does an EICR cost?

Published price guides agree on the pattern, if not the exact pound. Treat these as ballpark figures for 2026 and get a written quote for your own property.

Property	Typical price range
1-bedroom flat	£120 to £180
2 to 3-bedroom house	£180 to £280
4 to 5-bedroom house	£280 to £400
HMO	£250 to £450 or more

Those figures come from Elec-Mate’s 2026 cost guide, which also says London and the South East typically run 10 to 25% above the national average. Property Tax Partners puts a typical rental at £100 to £250, with large houses at £350 or more.

What moves the price

Pascal Software explains that an EICR is priced on time, and time is driven by circuits. The price is made up of:

A base charge for the visit: travel, set-up, paperwork and liability.
A per-circuit element, because every circuit has to be recorded and tested.
Access and occupancy: furniture in front of sockets, boarded lofts, tenants who need to arrange power-off windows.
Region and demand, with London and the South East at the top.

The practical point is that the board matters more than the bedrooms. A small flat with a crowded, old consumer unit can take longer than a tidy new-build.

Spotting a quote that is too good to be true

A price far below the others, or one flat fee for every property regardless of size, suggests that little testing will be done. A genuine EICR comes with a written report that includes the full schedule of circuit details and test results. If the quote does not say you will get that, ask.

If the report leads to bigger work, such as a full rewire, our guide to what a house rewire costs in the UK will help you plan.

Getting the most from your EICR

A few habits make the inspection quicker, cheaper and more useful:

Clear access to the consumer unit and under-stair or utility cupboards.
Tell the electrician about any previous alterations, extensions, solar panels, batteries or EV chargers.
Warn occupants about power interruptions.
Ask who will do any remedial work and how it will be certified.
File the report where you can find it. A landlord needs it for tenants and the council; a homeowner will want it when selling.

If you have added solar PV, a battery or an EV charger, tell the electrician at the start. These sit on the same installation, and it is better that they are considered as part of the picture.

Our perspective

Most EICR conversations we have start with worry. People have a letter from a letting agent, a mortgage surveyor’s remark or a flickering light, and they assume the report is a pass-or-fail exam.

We see it differently. An EICR is a map of your installation. The value is in the schedule of circuits and the codes, because they tell you what to fix first and what can wait. A good report reads like a plan.

That matters even more if you are adding modern equipment. Solar panels, batteries and EV chargers put new demands on a consumer unit and its protective devices. We would much rather the underlying installation is known to be in good condition before we connect anything to it, so we treat testing and installation as one job done properly by one team.

We are MCS and NICEIC accredited, and we work with homeowners, landlords and business property managers across Dorset, Hampshire and Devon. Whatever the report finds, we explain it in plain English, give you a written quote for any remedial work and leave the site clean and tidy.

Simon

Need an EICR or the work that follows it?

If you own or manage property in Dorset, Hampshire or Devon, our team carries out electrical testing for homes, landlords and businesses, and can handle any remedial work the report calls for, so you deal with one contractor from report to certificate. We also install solar PV, battery storage and EV chargers, and we can look at the existing wiring first.

To discuss your property, get in touch about electrical testing and tell us the property type and whether it is let.

FAQ

What happens with an EICR?

An electrician inspects the fixed wiring and consumer unit, tests the circuits with instruments, and records the findings. You then receive a written report with coded observations and an overall verdict of satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Parts of the power may go off briefly during testing.

What does EICR stand for?

It stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report. The name is exact: it reports on the condition of the existing fixed installation at the time of inspection, and it does not certify new work.

How long is an EICR valid?

For a privately rented home in England, it is valid for up to 5 years, or less if the inspector says so. For owner-occupied homes, there is no legal expiry, though a check at least every 10 years is recommended.

Do I need an EICR to sell my house?

There is no general legal requirement for one when selling. Buyers and their surveyors sometimes ask for a recent report, though, and having one can avoid delays. Ask your solicitor or estate agent what the buyer is likely to want.

Is an EICR the same as an electrical safety certificate?

Not quite. People use “certificate” loosely, but an EICR is a report on condition. Installation certificates are issued for new work or alterations, and remedial work after an EICR is certified separately.