EICR codes: which repairs do you actually have to make?

Pick the code on your report. It tells you whether the law requires you to act, by when, and what to say to the quote.

Optional, often oversoldC3: Improvement recommended

Do I have to fix it? No. It is a recommendation.

Deadline: None. A report with only C3 observations is satisfactory.

What it means: The installation does not meet the current edition of the Wiring Regulations in this respect, but it is not dangerous. Almost every installation more than a few years old will have some.
Typical example: Older wiring colours, a consumer unit that is not metal-clad, no surge protection.
Your options: Do them where you can. A qualified electrician has recommended them.
Schedule them into the next planned works, when an electrician is there anyway. The labour and materials are combined.
Fix it now if it is in a high-use area, causes nuisance, or your insurer has specifically asked.
Leave it and monitor if money is tight. That is legal. Check it at the next inspection.
Push back on: C3 items presented as required work. That is the most common oversell in electrical compliance. Ask for them priced separately from the C1 and C2 work, and ask which matter most.

Three things to know about every EICR

Satisfactory or unsatisfactory is on the front page. Any C1 or C2 makes it unsatisfactory. Since Amendment 4 an FI does not fail a report on its own. C3 alone is satisfactory, whatever the contractor's covering letter says.
Get the report before the quote. Read the codes yourself, then ask for C1/C2/FI work priced separately from C3 work.
A new amendment to the Wiring Regulations does not oblige you to upgrade. BS 7671 Amendment 4 replaced the previous version on 15 October 2026. It applies to new work and new EICRs. On an existing safe installation it is a C3 conversation at most.

Codes follow BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 Appendix 6 and Electrical Safety First Best Practice Guide 4. Read the full EICR guide. General information, not legal advice.