What is an EICR? A practical guide for UK firms

For UK inspection firm owners, compliance managers, facilities managers and electrical engineers managing fixed-wire inspection, EICR evidence and remedial follow-up. It is UK-focused and not legal advice.

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) records the condition of a fixed electrical installation against BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations. It is the document that proves an installation has been inspected and tested by a competent person.

When is an EICR required?

EICRs are carried out at periodic intervals recommended by BS 7671, commonly up to every five years for commercial premises, and at change of occupancy. In the private rented sector in England, landlords must ensure an inspection at least every five years and supply the report to tenants.

What the report contains

Installation and client details
The extent and limitations of the inspection
A schedule of inspections
A schedule of circuit test results
Observations, each given a classification code

Observation codes

C1, danger present, risk of injury, immediate action required
C2, potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required
C3, improvement recommended
FI, further investigation required

Issuing an EICR efficiently

The bottleneck is rarely the testing, it is capturing circuit-by-circuit results, coding observations and producing a defensible certificate the same day. CertFlow gives engineers a guided BS 7671 workflow on mobile, works offline, and turns any C1/C2 into a remedial job in a tap.

What inspectors commonly see

Missing or inadequate RCD protection on final circuits

Absent or undersized main protective bonding to gas and water

Signs of overheating or thermal damage at terminations and in consumer units

No circuit identification, or board labelling that no longer matches reality

Borrowed neutrals and past alterations carried out without certification

Common mistakes

Treating a previous EICR as current without checking the recommended next inspection date.

Leaving C1, C2 or FI observations without a clear remedial record and retest evidence.

Recording board or circuit labels differently across the site register and the report.

Using generic limitations that do not explain what was actually inaccessible or excluded.

Filing PDFs without linking them back to the asset, board, circuit and client site.

Records to keep

Completed EICR and schedules of inspections and test results.

Observation codes, photos and remedial action records.

Minor works or remedial certificates where defects were corrected.

Evidence of inspector competence and calibration where relevant.

Next inspection date and any agreed limitations or inaccessible areas.