Do I need an EICR?
For commercial premises the law does not say "every five years", it says keep the wiring safe, and an EICR is how you prove it. For rented homes in England it is a statutory five-year requirement. What the C1, C2, C3 and FI codes actually oblige you to do, what a fair price looks like, and the remedial works you should not be talked into.
Looking for the technical detail? Read the version for professionals → BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, Chapter 65, Appendix 6 model report, and observation coding under Electrical Safety First Best Practice Guide 4.
Do I need one? Yes, unless the installation is brand new. Every commercial premises needs its fixed wiring inspected periodically, and an EICR is the report that comes out of it.
Does the law say every five years? For commercial premises, no. It says keep the wiring safe. Five years is the recommended maximum for most premises, and it's the inspector's job to set the interval on the report. For rented homes in England, yes, five years is statute.
Do I have to fix everything on the report? No. That's the whole point of this page. C1 and C2 are yours to fix. C3 is a recommendation. Knowing the difference is worth more than any other single thing you'll learn about electrical compliance.
What the law actually requires
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 4(2): all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger. It applies to every employer and to anyone in control of non-domestic premises in Great Britain.
That's the duty. It doesn't name the EICR, and it doesn't set a five-year interval. The EICR is the recognised way of showing that the installation has been inspected by a competent person and that anything dangerous has been dealt with.
England: the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require landlords to have the installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, to give the report to tenants within 28 days and to a local authority within 7 days of a request, and to complete any remedial work within 28 days (or sooner if the report says so). Civil penalties up to £30,000.
Scotland: an EICR at least every five years for private rented homes under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 repairing standard. Wales: an EICR every five years under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 fitness requirements. HMOs everywhere: five-yearly as a licensing condition.
BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations) and IET Guidance Note 3 recommend maximum intervals between inspections: five years for offices, shops and most commercial premises; three years for industrial; one year for some higher-risk environments such as swimming pools, and more often where conditions are harsh. These are recommendations that a competent inspector adjusts to the actual condition of the installation. The interval goes on the report.
Most commercial insurers require a satisfactory EICR within the last five years as a condition. Commercial leases often require the tenant to hold one for the demised premises and the landlord for common parts. Licensing authorities ask for it for pubs, venues and HMOs. As always, meet the wording of your policy or lease, not the version of it the contractor describes.
Northern Ireland: the same duty to maintain applies under the Electricity at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991.
What this means for your premises
Ordinary commercial premises (office, shop, café, salon): one EICR every five years, or whatever shorter interval the last report specified, plus remedial work on any C1, C2 or FI.
Industrial, wet, dusty or heavy-use premises (workshops, kitchens, garages, factories, farms): three years, or as the report says.
Rented homes and HMOs: five years by statute, with the 28-day remedial rule in England.
New installations: no EICR until the interval on the Electrical Installation Certificate runs out, typically five years from installation.
Reading the report: what each code obliges you to do
This is the section to bookmark.
Risk of injury exists now. The inspector should make the circuit safe or isolate it before leaving, and tell you in writing. You must act immediately. Not next week. A C1 makes the report unsatisfactory.
Not dangerous today but could become so. You must have it put right, urgently. In rented homes in England that means within 28 days. In commercial premises it means without unreasonable delay, and you should be able to show you acted. A C2 makes the report unsatisfactory.
The inspector found something they couldn't resolve on the day. You must have it investigated, and the outcome will be a C1, C2, C3 or nothing. An FI makes the report unsatisfactory until it's resolved.
The installation doesn't meet the current edition of the Wiring Regulations in this respect, but it isn't dangerous. Almost every installation more than a few years old will attract C3s, because the Regulations move on and existing installations don't have to. You are not required to do anything. A report with only C3s is satisfactory.
Your options on C3 items
The report says "improvement recommended". Here's how a buyer decides.
Option A: leave it and monitor. Legitimate for most C3s. Note it, check it's still a C3 at the next inspection. Cost: nothing.
Option B: schedule it into the next planned works. If you're refitting, rewiring an area, or having an electrician in anyway, add the C3 items then and pay for one visit instead of two. Cost: the marginal labour.
Option C: fix it now. Right where the C3 sits in a high-use area, involves something you know is a nuisance (nuisance tripping, lack of RCD protection on a circuit used by the public), or where your insurer has specifically asked. Cost: the quote, which you should get itemised and compared.
The test: ask the electrician which C3s they'd fix in their own building, and why. A good one will tell you two or three matter and the rest don't. One who wants to fix all of them is quoting, not advising.
What it should cost
A small commercial premises with a single distribution board: £150 to £350. Larger premises are priced per circuit, commonly £8 to £15 per circuit, or per board. Rented homes: £120 to £250. Get the number of circuits and the price per circuit in writing before the visit, and ask whether the price includes minor remedial work on the day (some contractors fix simple C2s while they're there, which is worth having).
Two things that legitimately raise the price: a large installation with many circuits, and old or poorly documented wiring that takes longer to trace. One thing that doesn't: the size of the contractor's brand.
What you shouldn’t be sold
- All the C3s as if they were mandatory. They aren't. Ask for the report before the quote, and separate the two.
- A "fail" on a satisfactory report. If the only codes are C3, the report is satisfactory. Read the box on the front page, not the contractor's summary.
- An automatic annual EICR for a low-risk premises. The recommended maximum for an office or shop is five years. Annual is for specific high-risk environments or where the last report said so.
- A consumer unit replacement because of Amendment 4. A new edition of the Wiring Regulations does not oblige you to upgrade an existing, safe installation. That's a C3 conversation at most.
- Remedial works quoted by the inspector on the same visit, unitemised. Get the report, get the codes, then get two quotes for the C1 and C2 items. The inspector can be one of them.
- An EICR with no circuit schedule or test results. The report must include the schedule of inspections, the schedule of test results and the observations with codes. A one-page certificate is not an EICR.
- A five-year "EICR contract". You need one inspection every five years. There's nothing to put on a contract.
Check what else your business needs
The EICR covers the fixed wiring. The things you plug into it are covered by PAT testing. Your fire risk assessment will reference both. Run the Compliance Check to see the full picture for your premises.
Sources
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 4 — legislation.gov.uk
- Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 — legislation.gov.uk
- BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations), published 15 April 2026; A2:2022 remains valid for new work until 15 October 2026
- IET Guidance Note 3, Inspection and Testing (recommended maximum intervals)
- Electrical Safety First, Best Practice Guide 4: Electrical installation condition reporting: classification codes
- HSE, Electrical safety and you, INDG231 — hse.gov.uk
- Electricity at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991
Quick answers
- Is an EICR a legal requirement?
- For rented homes in England, yes: the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020 require one at least every five years. For commercial premises there is no statutory interval. The law requires the installation to be maintained so it does not cause danger, and an EICR is the accepted way of proving that.
- How often do I need an EICR?
- The IET Wiring Regulations recommend a maximum of five years for most commercial premises, three years for industrial, and shorter for wet, dusty or high-risk environments. Rented homes in England: every five years by law. The interval is set by the inspector on the report itself and should follow the condition of the installation, not the contractor's renewal calendar.
- What do C1, C2, C3 and FI codes mean?
- C1: danger present, immediate action. C2: potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required. C3: improvement recommended, not required. FI: further investigation required. A report with any C1, C2 or FI is "unsatisfactory". A report with only C3 observations is "satisfactory".
- Do I have to fix C3 items?
- No. A C3 is a recommendation that the installation does not meet the current edition of the Wiring Regulations, which is normal for any installation more than a few years old. It does not make the report unsatisfactory. You can fix C3 items, leave them, or schedule them into the next planned works. Being quoted for all C3 items as if they were mandatory is the single most common oversell in electrical compliance.
- How much does an EICR cost?
- A small commercial premises with one distribution board, typically £150 to £350. Larger premises are priced per circuit or per board, commonly £8 to £15 per circuit. Rented homes typically £120 to £250. Get the price per circuit and the number of circuits in writing before the visit.
- What is the difference between an EICR and PAT testing?
- An EICR covers the fixed wiring: the consumer unit or distribution board, the circuits, the sockets and the earthing. PAT testing covers the things you plug in. They are separate jobs and most businesses need both.
- Who can carry out an EICR?
- A competent person. In practice that means an electrician registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA, or a member of the Registered Competent Person Electrical scheme, with inspection and testing qualifications (City & Guilds 2391 or equivalent). Ask which and check the register.
- What happens if an EICR is unsatisfactory?
- You must have the C1, C2 and FI items put right and get written confirmation that they have been done. For rented homes in England that must happen within 28 days or any shorter period the report states. For commercial premises the duty is to act without delay; a C1 means the circuit should not be used until fixed.
- Does a new building need an EICR?
- No. A new installation comes with an Electrical Installation Certificate from the installer. The first EICR is typically due at the interval the installer recommends on that certificate, usually five years.
- What is the Amendment 4 change in 2026?
- BS 7671:2018 Amendment 4 was published on 15 April 2026 and becomes the sole standard for new work from 15 October 2026. It does not require you to upgrade an existing installation. Any contractor telling you that your wiring now "fails" because a new amendment has been published is describing a C3 at most, not a fault.
This is general information about UK compliance, written for the person paying the bill. It isn’t legal advice. If your situation is unusual, get a professional to look at it.