An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is the report produced after a periodic inspection and test of a fixed electrical installation under Chapter 65 of BS 7671:2018. It records the condition of the wiring, earthing, protective devices and accessories, lists observations coded C1, C2, C3 or FI, and gives an overall Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory result. In England, privately rented homes have needed one at least every 5 years since the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. This page indexes every EICR guide on Certio, grouped by the stage of the job: before the inspection, doing the tests, coding and writing up, what happens after, and the rules for landlords and different premises.
- An EICR is a report on an existing installation; a new installation or new circuit gets an EIC instead.
- The work runs in five stages: prepare, test, code, write up, hand over. Each has its own guides below.
- C1, C2 or FI makes the report Unsatisfactory; C3 does not.
- Rental properties in England, Scotland and Wales need an EICR at least every 5 years; other premises follow Table 653.2 and IET Guidance Note 3.
- The schedule of test results is where most time goes; start with How to fill in a schedule of test results, column by column.
Which guide answers my question?
What do I need to sort out before the inspection?
Preparation decides whether the day runs smoothly. Start by confirming that an EICR is the right document: an existing installation being assessed gets an EICR, while new work gets an EIC or Minor Works certificate. EICR vs EIC: What's the Difference? (and Minor Works) sets out the boundary, and What is an EICR? Electrical Installation Condition Report covers what the report contains and who can produce it.
Agree the extent and limitations with the client in writing before you start. BS 7671 Regulation 653.2 requires the extent and any limitations to be recorded, and EICR Sampling and Limitations Explained: Extent, LIM and N/V explains what sampling is defensible under IET Guidance Note 3 and how to record areas you could not access. Pricing follows from the same decisions; How to Price an EICR: A Method for Electricians works through circuit counts, travel and remedial quoting, and How Long Does an EICR Take? Typical Times by Property Type gives realistic on-site times so you can book the slot correctly.
Finally, check your instrument. A multifunction tester with a current calibration certificate is expected by scheme assessors; What is a multifunction tester (MFT)? Explained explains what the MFT does and what to check before leaving the van.
How do I do the tests on an EICR?
The full sequence is in How to Do an EICR Step by Step: Inspector's Workflow: visual inspection first, then dead tests with the supply isolated, then live tests. Every test has its own guide, listed below in the order you carry them out.
The dead tests are continuity of protective conductors (/guides/continuity-testing-r1-r2-method), ring final circuit continuity (/guides/ring-final-circuit-testing-r1-rn-r2), insulation resistance at 500 V DC with a minimum of 1.0 MΩ for circuits up to 500 V (/guides/insulation-resistance-testing-guide) and polarity (/guides/polarity-testing-explained). Main protective bonding is inspected and its continuity confirmed; see What is main protective bonding? Explained.
The live tests are external loop impedance Ze at the origin (/guides/what-is-ze-external-earth-fault-loop-impedance), Zs at each circuit compared against the maximum values in Maximum Zs Values BS 7671: Tables, 80% Rule and Ze, prospective fault current (/guides/what-is-prospective-fault-current-pfc) and RCD operation (/guides/rcd-testing-explained). TT installations also need an earth electrode test, covered in Earth Electrode Testing for TT Systems: Methods and Limits, and three-phase boards have their own considerations in Three-Phase Testing Basics for Domestic Electricians.
All of it lands on the schedule of test results. What is a schedule of test results? Explained explains the columns and How to fill in a schedule of test results, column by column shows how to complete each one, including when to record LIM or N/A.
How do I code and write up the observations?
Coding is where reports are most often challenged. The four codes are C1 (danger present, immediate action), C2 (potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action), C3 (improvement recommended) and FI (further investigation required). C1, C2 or FI makes the report Unsatisfactory. EICR observation codes explained: C1, C2, C3 and FI explains each with examples drawn from Electrical Safety First Best Practice Guide 4, the reference most scheme assessors use.
Wording matters as much as the code. How to Write EICR Observations That Stand Up shows how to write an observation that states the defect, its location and the regulation it fails against, so the person reading the report can price the remedial work without a second visit. Two recurring sources of observations have dedicated guides: Smart Meters and Isolators on EICRs: What to Record covers meter tails, missing isolators and DNO equipment, and Bathroom Zones Explained: Section 701 of BS 7671 covers Section 701 issues found in bathrooms. For device-related findings, What is an RCD? Types AC, A, F, B and RCBOs explained, What is an AFDD? Arc fault detection devices explained and Surge Protection (SPD) Requirements: Section 443 Explained explain when the absence of RCD, AFDD or SPD protection is a C3 rather than a C2.
What happens after the report is issued?
An Unsatisfactory report is not the end of the job. Unsatisfactory EICR: What Happens Next (Landlords & Electricians) explains the remedial route: C1 and C2 items are fixed, FI items are investigated, and the remedial work is certified on a Minor Works certificate or EIC depending on its scope (/guides/minor-works-certificate-when-to-use-it). In an English rental the landlord has 28 days to complete remedial work and obtain written confirmation.
The report also sets the next inspection date. How Often Is an EICR Required? Intervals by Property Type gives the recommended intervals from Table 653.2 of BS 7671 and IET Guidance Note 3 alongside the statutory rental intervals. Reports must be kept and shared correctly: Electrical Certificate Retention and GDPR for Electricians covers how long to keep them and what the UK GDPR means for tenant details on the form, and Digital vs Paper Electrical Certificates: What Schemes Accept compares the two formats. If you work under a scheme, Qualified Supervisor (QS) Sign-Off Explained explains who signs and what the QS is checking.
What are the rules for landlords and different premises?
The legal duty to obtain an EICR depends on the country and the type of premises. In England the 2020 Regulations require an EICR at least every 5 years for private rentals, a copy to tenants within 28 days, and give councils the power to fine up to £30,000; Landlord EICRs in England: what the 2020 regulations require has the detail. Scotland's private rented sector has required five-yearly EICRs since 2015, and Wales has required them under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 since December 2022; both are in EICR Landlord Requirements in Scotland and Wales (vs England). Social housing duties in England are being extended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Houses in multiple occupation carry extra management duties under the 2006 HMO Management Regulations, and licensing conditions often specify the EICR interval; EICR for HMOs: Rules, Scope and Common Findings in England covers the overlap. Commercial premises are governed by the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 rather than a fixed interval, and EICR for Commercial Premises: Intervals, Duties and Defects explains how insurers, landlords and the 5-year recommendation interact. Landlords who need the plain-English version should start with How Often Is an EICR Required? Intervals by Property Type.
How Certio helps
Certio produces the EICR, EIC, Minor Works certificate and PAT records on the BS 7671 model forms and turns them into branded PDFs. Photograph the consumer unit and the circuit schedule drafts itself; point the phone camera at a Megger MFT-X1 and the reading goes straight into the schedule of test results, or dictate it while your hands stay on the probes. Suggested observation wording with the regulation reference is there for you to check and confirm. The judgement stays yours; the typing goes. Starter is free for 7 days, then £5 a month.