Your report came back unsatisfactory and now you have a list of coded observations and a deadline. Most of it usually turns out to be smaller than it reads, but you need someone to price it honestly, tell you which items are actually required, and get the installation to a point where the report can be signed off as satisfactory.
Why this comes up
An unsatisfactory report with C1 or C2 observations to clear.
A letting or sale deadline that the remedial work is now sitting in front of.
No RCD protection on circuits that need it.
Missing or inadequate main bonding to gas and water.
A consumer unit that cannot accommodate what the report requires.
Observations left over from a report done by someone who never came back to quote the work.
How we handle it
Read the report properly, including one done by somebody else, before pricing anything.
Price each observation separately rather than as one lump, so you can see what each item costs.
Tell you plainly which items are required to make the report satisfactory and which are recommendations you can decline.
Carry out the work, then retest the affected circuits.
Issue the certification for the work done and confirm the installation is now satisfactory, in writing.
What to expect
A lot of C2 observations are inexpensive: missing bonding, a blanking plate, a loose connection, an accessory that has to come off and go back on properly. The expensive outcome is a consumer unit that has to be replaced, and we will tell you if that is where it is heading rather than fixing around it and charging you twice. We work from other contractors’ reports regularly and will not try to talk you into a fresh inspection you do not need.
What it costs
Priced per observation, quoted before anything starts. If the sensible answer is a new consumer unit rather than a series of patches, you get both prices and the reasoning, and you choose.
Common questions
Do I have to fix the C3 items?
No. C3 is an improvement recommendation and does not make a report unsatisfactory. Some are worth doing while the work is open anyway, and we will say which, but they are your call.
Can you work from a report another electrician wrote?
Yes, we do it constantly. We will not insist on redoing the inspection unless the report is genuinely unclear about something.
Will you reissue the EICR afterwards?
We issue certification for the work carried out and written confirmation that the observations have been cleared, which is what an agent or a council is looking for. Whether a full re-inspection makes sense depends on how much has changed.
How quickly can it be done?
Tell us if you are working to a deadline, particularly a rental one, and we will schedule around it. Most remedial lists are a day or less.
Does an unsatisfactory report always mean a new consumer unit?
No, and it is worth being sceptical of anyone who says it does. Plenty of unsatisfactory reports come down to bonding and a handful of accessories.
What if I disagree with something on the report?
Bring it to us. Coding involves judgement and inspectors do differ, and if something looks harshly coded we will say so rather than quietly charging you to fix it.