Electrical Inspections
Electrical Inspections & Testing in Surrey & London
An electrical inspection, recorded on an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), checks whether your wiring, consumer unit, sockets, switches and earthing are safe to keep using. A typical home usually takes a few hours, longer for larger properties. You receive the report, with any defects coded by how urgently they need attention.
An electrical inspection checks the condition of the wiring, the fuse board, sockets, switches and earthing, and tells you whether the installation is safe to keep using. It is worth having when you buy a property, let one out, or simply have not had the electrics looked at in years.
You get a written report of what was found, with any issues explained in plain English and ranked by how urgent they are. Nothing is overstated to sell you work.
Typical work
- Inspection and testing before buying or moving into a property
- Periodic inspection for rented homes and flats
- Checking an installation after a flood, fire or building work
- Testing after suspected DIY or unqualified electrical work
What the job involves
The inspection has two parts. A visual check looks at the consumer unit, sockets, switches, light fittings, visible cables and any signs of heat damage or wear. Testing then measures what cannot be seen, such as earth continuity, insulation resistance, polarity and how quickly protective devices disconnect under fault conditions.
The work is carried out against BS 7671, the UK wiring regulations, and the results go on an Electrical Installation Condition Report. Not every point in a large building is opened up, so the report states what was sampled and any limitations, such as areas that could not be reached.
How the findings are coded
- C1: danger present, action needed immediately
- C2: potentially dangerous, action needed urgently
- FI: further investigation needed without delay
- C3: improvement recommended, but not on its own a reason for an unsatisfactory result
A report with any C1, C2 or FI item is unsatisfactory. Remedial work is quoted separately, and you decide what happens next.
When to have one
Guidance commonly suggests an inspection every ten years for an owner-occupied home, or when it changes hands, and every five years for rented homes and most commercial premises. The report also recommends a date for the next one, which may be sooner if the installation is older or heavily used.
For landlords in England, five-yearly inspections are a legal requirement. See our landlord EICR page and the EICR guide for landlords.
What affects the cost
The size of the property and the number of circuits matter most, along with access to the consumer unit and to sockets behind furniture. Older or extended installations with more than one board, outbuildings or unlabelled circuits take longer to test and record. Commercial premises add factors such as working around the hours a business is open.
Where we do this work
Electrical Inspections & Testing from our base in Redhill, anywhere in Surrey including Redhill, Reigate, Merstham, Nutfield, Bletchingley and the surrounding towns, plus London and nearby counties. Larger commercial jobs further afield are welcome by enquiry. See all areas covered.
Common questions
How long does an inspection take?
It depends on the size of the property and the number of circuits. A typical house usually takes a few hours, while a large house or commercial premises can take a day or more.
Will the power be off during testing?
Parts of the installation have to be isolated while they are tested, so expect short interruptions to the power. Computers and anything that must stay on should be planned around before the day.
What happens if problems are found?
They are listed in the report with a code showing how urgent each one is and a plain-English explanation. Remedial work is quoted separately, and you decide whether and when to go ahead.
Is an EICR the same as a PAT test?
No. An EICR covers the fixed wiring of the building, such as circuits, sockets and the consumer unit. Portable appliance testing covers plug-in equipment and is a separate job.
Do I need an EICR when buying a house?
It is not a legal requirement for a purchase, but it is a sensible check, especially on an older property. A report before you complete shows whether rewiring or a new consumer unit is likely to be needed.
What does an unsatisfactory report mean?
It means at least one item was coded C1, C2 or FI, so something is dangerous, potentially dangerous or needs investigating. Once the remedial work is done and tested, those items are resolved.
Ready to talk about your electrical work?
Tell Joe what you need and where you are, and he will come back to you with a clear quote. Call, send a WhatsApp message, or use the quote form.