You need to know whether the electrics in a property are genuinely safe, and you need it in writing from someone independent. Maybe you are buying, maybe the property has never been tested, maybe something has made you uneasy and you want it looked at properly rather than guessed at. An EICR is the formal answer: every circuit tested, every defect coded by severity, and a report that says what is dangerous, what is non-compliant, and what can reasonably wait.
Why this comes up
Buying a property with no paperwork for the existing installation.
A property that has never been tested since it was built or last rewired.
An insurer, lender or managing agent asking for a current report.
Planning a renovation and wanting to know what you are building on top of.
An older consumer unit with rewireable fuses and no RCD protection.
Previous work by someone unknown, where nothing was certified at the time.
How we handle it
Agree the scope and how much of the installation we can safely take out of service, before anything gets switched off.
Visual inspection of the consumer unit, accessories, and all accessible wiring.
Dead testing: continuity of protective conductors, ring circuit continuity, and insulation resistance on every circuit.
Live testing: earth fault loop impedance, polarity, and RCD trip times measured against the required disconnection times.
Every observation coded by severity, so you can see the difference between a danger present and a recommendation.
Written report, then a separate quote for anything that needs putting right.
What to expect
Three to four hours for a typical house, longer for a larger property or one with a lot of circuits. Power goes off for parts of it, and we will tell you which parts and for how long before we start. The report codes each observation: C1 means danger present, C2 means potentially dangerous, C3 is an improvement recommendation, and FI means further investigation is needed. Only C1 and C2 make a report unsatisfactory. If we find a C1 we tell you on the spot and make it safe there and then rather than writing it up and leaving.
What it costs
Fixed price, set by the size of the property and the number of circuits rather than by what we find. That matters: the fee is the same whether the report comes back satisfactory or not, so there is nothing in it for us either way. Remedial work is quoted separately once you have read the report, and you are under no obligation to use us for it.
Common questions
What do C1, C2 and C3 actually mean?
C1 is danger present, something that could injure someone now. C2 is potentially dangerous, meaning it is not hurting anyone today but it could. C3 is an improvement recommendation, which does not fail the report. FI means we could not see enough to decide and something needs opening up.
What makes a report unsatisfactory?
Any C1 or C2. A report full of C3s is still satisfactory, which surprises people, because a C3 is advice rather than a defect.
Do I have to fix everything on the report?
No. C1 and C2 items need dealing with for the report to become satisfactory. C3 items are recommendations and the decision is yours. We will tell you plainly which is which rather than pricing the lot as though it were all mandatory.
How long is an EICR valid for?
It is a snapshot rather than a certificate with an expiry, but the report itself recommends a date for the next inspection, and that recommendation is what most people and most agents work to.
Can you do the remedial work as well?
Yes, and most people do ask us to since we are already across the property. You are free to take the report elsewhere and we will not price it any differently if you do.
Do I need to be there for the whole thing?
No, but we need access to every room, the consumer unit, and anywhere circuits run. Power will be off in sections, so it is worth knowing that in advance if anyone is working from home.
The property was rewired recently, do I still need one?
If it was certified at the time you should already have the paperwork for that work, which is a different document. An EICR becomes useful once that installation has been in service for a few years, or if the certification has gone missing.
What if you find something dangerous while you are there?
We make it safe immediately and tell you what we have done. We are not going to leave a C1 live in an occupied property and write it up for you to read next week.