What is an EICR?
EICR stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report — the formal document produced when a competent person inspects and tests an existing electrical installation against BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations (currently BS 7671:2018 as amended by the 2022 amendment).
What an EICR actually records
An EICR is a condition report, not a certificate of new work. It confirms, as far as reasonably practicable, whether an installation is in a satisfactory condition for continued use, and it records:
- Who ordered it and what it covers — the person ordering, the occupier, the extent of the installation inspected and any agreed limitations (Sections A–D).
- The supply characteristics — earthing arrangement (TN-S, TN-C-S, TT…), live conductors, nominal voltage, prospective fault current, external loop impedance Ze, and the supply protective device (Section I).
- Particulars of the installation — main switch, earth electrode, earthing and bonding conductors and what they connect to (Section J).
- Observations with classification codes — every defect or improvement recorded as C1, C2, C3 or FI with a schedule reference (Section K).
- A Schedule of Inspections — the item-by-item checklist from the BS 7671 model forms (residential and similar premises up to 100 A supply is the common one), each item marked acceptable, coded, N/V, LIM or N/A.
- Schedules of Circuit Details and Test Results — per-circuit results: continuity (R1+R2, r1, rn, r2), insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance Zs, RCD operation and AFDD details.
- An overall assessment — SATISFACTORY or UNSATISFACTORY, plus the recommended date of the next inspection (Section F).
EICR vs EIC vs Minor Works vs Building Regulations notification
| Document | Used for |
|---|---|
| EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report | Reporting on the condition of an existing installation. Periodic inspection. |
| EIC — Electrical Installation Certificate | Safe design, construction, inspection and testing of new work: a new circuit, a full rewiring, a new distribution board or a complete new installation. |
| Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate | A single circuit addition or alteration — a new socket, a replacement accessory that changes the circuit. |
| Building Regulations notification | Separate from BS 7671 paperwork: notifiable work in England/Wales must be registered with a competent-person scheme or Building Control. A landlord's periodic EICR does not notify anything. |
Who may produce one
BS 7671 requires the inspection to be carried out by a skilled person competent in electrical inspection and testing. In practice that means a qualified electrician with the right test instruments and calibration — most commonly registered with NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA. Scheme membership is not legally mandatory, but letting agents, insurers and local authorities normally expect a registered electrician's report.
The person who signs Section G ("inspected and tested by") takes professional responsibility for the inspection, the test values and the classification codes. Software — including our EICR certificate generator — produces the paperwork; it does not replace competence.
When an EICR is required or expected
- Landlord rental properties (England & Wales: at least every 5 years, and at the start of a new tenancy — see how often).
- Owner-occupied homes: recommended every 10 years, or on change of occupancy.
- Commercial and industrial premises: on a risk-based programme, typically every 3–5 years.
- Before buying a property, for insurance purposes, after flood or fire damage, and after significant alterations.
What happens after the report
If the overall assessment is Unsatisfactory, at least one observation was coded C1, C2 or FI (see what the codes mean). C1 means danger present now; C2 means potentially dangerous and urgent; FI means investigate without delay. For rented homes, landlords must arrange further investigation or remedial work and provide written confirmation within 28 days of the request. A report with only C3s remains Satisfactory — the improvements are recommendations, not defects.