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: Leave it and monitor. Legitimate for most C3s.
Schedule it into the next planned works, when an electrician is there anyway.
Fix it now if it is in a high-use area, causes nuisance, or your insurer has specifically asked.
Push back on: The whole quote. C3 items presented as required work is the most common oversell in electrical compliance. Ask the electrician which C3s they would fix in their own building, and why.

Three things to know about every EICR

Satisfactory or unsatisfactory is on the front page. Any C1, C2 or FI makes it unsatisfactory. 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 (2026) applies to new work. On an existing safe installation it is a C3 conversation at most.

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