Inspection guidance
What does an EICR cover?
An EICR assesses the condition of an existing fixed electrical installation through inspection and testing. The agreed extent and recorded limitations explain what the report covers. It is not a guarantee about every appliance or every concealed cable.
Updated 8 October 2026. General guidance, not a reading of your own report and not legal advice.
The fixed installation within the agreed extent
Typical areas include distribution boards, protective devices, fixed circuits, accessible accessories, earthing and bonding. The inspector considers condition and test results to assess suitability for continued use. The exact work depends on the installation and the agreed instruction.
Do not assume that a report for a flat covers the building’s communal supplies or every commercial sub-board. Identify the property, distribution boards, circuits and areas you need assessed before the visit. Shared intake equipment and specialist systems may need separate arrangements.
Extent, sampling and limitations must be clear
The IET emphasises agreeing what will and will not be inspected and tested before work starts. Some inspection may involve an agreed sample; that is not a promise to dismantle every accessory or expose all concealed wiring.
A limitation explains something that could not be included or completed. It can affect the conclusions available from the report. Ask why it exists, what it means for the installation you need assessed, and whether further access or investigation is necessary. A limitation is not automatically an FI observation.
What may need a separate instruction
| Question | Boundary |
|---|---|
| Does it include appliances? | Portable-appliance or electrical-equipment inspection and testing is a separate scope; do not assume the EICR certifies an appliance list. |
| Does it service a boiler? | Assessing electrical wiring is different from a gas, mechanical or manufacturer service. |
| Does it inspect solar or battery equipment? | Clarify the system and the competence required; specialist inspection may be additional. |
| Does it repair defects? | The report identifies observations. Investigation and remedial work are separately agreed. |
| Does it inspect every hidden cable? | It is not a destructive building survey. Read the extent and limitations. |
Prepare access and shutdown arrangements
1. Describe the installation
Provide the address, property use, known boards and circuits, existing reports and relevant alterations.
2. Arrange access
Make agreed rooms, boards and intake areas accessible. Arrange permission for managed or shared spaces.
3. Discuss power interruption
Tell the inspector about occupied premises, medical equipment, IT, alarms and systems affected by isolation. Agree the arrangements in advance.
4. Review the report
Read the assessment, observations, schedules, limitations and recommended next inspection date together.
What happens after the inspection?
Follow the recorded observations and competent advice. The age of equipment alone does not prove that it is dangerous, and a report should not be treated as an automatic instruction for a complete rewire.
Keep the full report. If work is required, obtain a quotation tied to the observations and appropriate completion evidence. You do not automatically need to repeat the whole EICR after every repair; the scope and circumstances determine the next instruction.
Commercial premises need individual scoping. Circuit numbers, distribution arrangements, operating hours and shutdown constraints can change the work. Residential calculator prices should not be treated as a commercial installation quotation.
Sources and further guidance
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