How to Price an EICR Electrical Inspection: Circuits, Time and Report Costs

Quick Answer: A domestic EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) prices £120–£180 for a 1-bed flat, £140–£220 for a 2-bed, £180–£280 for a 3-bed, and £220–£400 for a 4+ bedroom property in 2026. Pricing is driven by circuit count (typically 8–14 in a 3-bed) and inspection time (45–75 minutes per circuit including testing). Landlords in the English Private Rented Sector are required to obtain an EICR every 5 years under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Approximately 60% of inspected properties require some remedial work to achieve a satisfactory report.

Summary

EICRs are the bread-and-butter testing job for most domestic electricians — predictable scope, well-defined deliverables, and a recurring 5-yearly cadence in the rental market. Pricing them correctly means understanding that the time on site is roughly 1 hour per 100m² of property plus 10–15 minutes per circuit, plus 30–60 minutes for the written report. A 3-bed semi with 12 circuits takes 3–4 hours on site and 1 hour to write up. At £280–£420/day, that's £140–£220 in pure labour, plus test equipment amortisation and travel.

The 2020 Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations made EICRs statutory for all new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021. Penalties for non-compliance are up to £30,000 per breach. This created a step-change in EICR demand from the rental sector, and most domestic electricians now have a steady book of landlord work. Owner-occupiers can also commission EICRs voluntarily, typically driven by insurance, conveyancing, or pre-rewire diagnostic work.

The variable that catches new electricians out is sample inspection vs full inspection. Many landlord EICRs are sold as "EICR" but quoted at a price that only covers a sample inspection (e.g. testing 1 socket per ring, not every socket). BS 7671 Section 651 allows sample inspection in some scenarios but the report must clearly state what was inspected. A C2 finding hidden behind an untested socket is a liability — and increasingly, landlord insurance and managing agents demand 100% inspection.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

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Property type Circuits Time on site Report time Total fee 2026
1-bed flat / studio 6–8 2–3 hours 30–45 min £120–£180
2-bed flat / terrace 8–10 2.5–3.5 hours 45–60 min £140–£220
3-bed semi 10–14 3–4 hours 60 min £180–£280
3-bed detached 12–16 3.5–4.5 hours 60 min £200–£320
4-bed detached 14–18 4–6 hours 60–90 min £220–£400
5-bed / period property 16–24 5–8 hours 90–120 min £350–£650
HMO (per dwelling unit) varies 4–8 hours 90 min £280–£500
Small commercial unit (shop, office) 8–14 3–5 hours 60–90 min £220–£420
Larger commercial (sample inspection) per circuit per circuit proportional £18–£35/circuit
Re-inspection after remedial partial 1–2 hours 20 min £60–£140

Detailed Guidance

What an EICR actually involves on site

An EICR is a periodic inspection and test of an existing electrical installation. The scope is set by BS 7671 Section 651 and the IET Guidance Note 3.

The on-site work breaks down into three phases:

  1. Visual inspection — examine consumer unit, sample of accessories, cable management, earthing, bonding. 30–45 minutes for a typical home.
  2. Dead testing — continuity (R1+R2), insulation resistance (>1MΩ), polarity. Done with circuits isolated. 1.5–2.5 hours for a 12-circuit property.
  3. Live testing — earth fault loop impedance (EFLI), RCD operation times (must operate within 200ms at I∆n; within 40ms at 5×I∆n if used for additional protection), prospective short-circuit current. 45–75 minutes.

Plus 30–60 minutes of customer engagement (admin, paperwork, briefing on findings) and 30–60 minutes of report writing back at the office (or filed digitally on site).

What the codes mean

The four observation codes used in an EICR:

A "Satisfactory" report has zero C1, zero C2, and zero FI findings. C3 codes do not affect the satisfactory rating but should be addressed at the homeowner's discretion.

Sample inspection vs full inspection

BS 7671 Section 651 allows sample inspection where it's not practical or proportionate to test every accessory. Sample sizes are not statutorily defined but the Electrical Safety Roundtable and IET guidance suggest:

The report MUST clearly state the sample size and any limitations of inspection. A "100% inspected" report price is materially different from a 25% sample report price.

For domestic EICRs in the rental sector, 100% inspection is now the default expectation. Pricing should reflect that.

Time per circuit

Time per circuit varies by circuit type:

Circuit type Time (full inspection) Notes
Lighting circuit 30–45 min Multiple accessories per circuit
Ring final circuit 45–60 min Test at every socket, R1+R2 + RCD test
Radial socket circuit 25–40 min Fewer accessories than ring final
Cooker circuit 15–25 min Single accessory
Shower circuit 20–35 min Includes RCD test, supplementary bonding check
EV charger circuit 25–45 min Includes Type B RCD test or RDC-DD check
Smoke alarm circuit 20–30 min Each detector, interlinking
Heating system circuit 20–35 min Boiler isolation, immersion
Outdoor / garden 25–45 min RCD-protection check, IP rating verification

For a typical 3-bed semi with 12 circuits, total inspection time is 5–7 hours of cumulative test time, but parallel work (visual inspection while dead-testing in progress) compresses this to 3–4 hours on site.

Test instrument requirements

A current EICR requires a calibrated multifunction tester capable of:

Mid-range models (Megger MFT1741, Kewtech KT66DL, Fluke 1664FC) cost £700–£1,300 supplied. Calibration must be annual; cost £80–£180 per calibration. Calibration certificates are evidence in disputes — a quote that doesn't include calibrated equipment is a regulatory issue.

For pricing the EICR, allow £8–£15 per inspection in test instrument amortisation (capital cost spread across 4-year working life and roughly 200 inspections per year).

Landlord 5-yearly requirement (English PRS)

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require:

Penalties for non-compliance are up to £30,000 per breach (per tenancy, per period). Non-compliance is taken seriously by environmental health teams.

Scotland has parallel requirements under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 (5-yearly EICR for the private rented sector). Wales requires 5-yearly EICRs under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Northern Ireland's regulations are similar but not identical.

Remedial work follow-on

Approximately 60% of EICRs return some C1/C2 findings. Common remedial works:

Many electricians offer EICR + same-day remedial as a package: the inspection at one rate, plus a fixed labour rate for any small remedial work uncovered (e.g. £180–£280 to replace 2–3 broken accessories and re-issue the EICR as Satisfactory).

Re-inspection after remedial

After remedial works, the EICR can be re-issued as Satisfactory either by:

  1. Updating the original report — if the remedial works are done by the same electrician, they can update the codes from C1/C2 to "Remediated" and re-issue the report as Satisfactory.
  2. Issuing a Minor Works Certificate (MWC) — for the remedial works only, alongside the original EICR.
  3. Issuing a new EICR — typically priced at £60–£140 for a partial re-test, focused on remediated circuits only.

For larger remedial scopes, an EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) is issued instead of an MWC.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an EICR cost in the UK 2026?

£120–£180 for a 1-bed flat, £140–£220 for a 2-bed, £180–£280 for a 3-bed semi, £220–£400 for a 4-bed detached. HMOs and commercial properties are typically £18–£35 per circuit. The price includes the inspection, all testing, and the written report — typically issued 3–5 working days after the visit.

Is an EICR a legal requirement?

For private rented sector accommodation in England, Scotland and Wales — yes, every 5 years. For owner-occupiers, no — but many insurers, mortgage lenders, and conveyancers recommend or require an EICR within the last 10 years for properties being sold or remortgaged. Periodic inspection is also recommended every 10 years for owner-occupied homes.

What happens if my EICR is "Unsatisfactory"?

For landlords: you have 28 days from the date of the report to complete remedial works (or sooner if specified). For owner-occupiers: there's no statutory deadline, but the C1/C2 findings indicate dangerous or potentially dangerous conditions that should be remediated promptly. C3 findings are improvement recommendations and don't require action — though many homeowners address them as part of planned electrical work.

Will my EICR fail if my consumer unit is plastic?

Not automatically. Plastic CUs were compliant when installed before January 2016, and they're not C1 or C2 hazards in themselves. They're typically given a C3 (improvement recommended) — the report comes back Satisfactory. However, if the plastic CU has other issues (no RCD protection, sub-fault, damaged), it may attract a C2 and fail the report.

How long does an EICR take?

3–4 hours on site for a typical 3-bed home, plus 1 hour for the report. The electrician needs access to every accessory (sockets, switches, light fittings) and to the consumer unit. Power is typically isolated for short periods (10–30 minutes) during testing — not the entire visit. Most EICRs are completed in a single morning or afternoon.

Regulations & Standards