How much does an EICR cost in Kent?

What is an EICR, and who legally needs one?

An EICR is an Electrical Installation Condition Report. It is a formal inspection and test of the fixed wiring in a property, the consumer unit, the circuits, the sockets and the earthing, resulting in a written report that says whether the installation is safe.

If you rent out property in England, you must have a valid EICR for every tenancy, renewed at least every five years, and you must give a copy to your tenants and to the council on request. That is not guidance, it is the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations.

If you own your own home, nobody is forcing you. Most people get one when they are buying, selling, or when something has started behaving oddly.

How much does an EICR cost in Kent?

Price tracks the size of the installation, because size means circuits and circuits mean testing time.

Broadly, a one or two bedroom flat sits at the bottom of the range, a three bedroom house in the middle, and a four or five bedroom house at the top. Small commercial premises cost more again, because there are usually more distribution boards and more circuits.

Two things move the price beyond size. Old installations take longer, because more of what you find needs investigating rather than simply recording. And poor access adds time, boards in awkward cupboards, no loft ladder, furniture over sockets.

If you have several rental properties close together, ask for them to be batched into one visit. It brings the cost per property down and it is the single easiest saving available to a landlord.

What is included in a proper EICR, and what do corner-cutters skip?

A proper inspection tests every circuit. That is the whole point. The most common corner cut in this trade is sampling, testing a handful of circuits and extrapolating, which produces a certificate that means very little.

You should expect insulation resistance testing on each circuit, earth fault loop impedance readings, RCD trip timing, polarity checks, a physical inspection of the consumer unit and accessible accessories, and confirmation that earthing and bonding are adequate.

You should also expect the schedules to be filled in properly. A report with blank test result columns is not a report.

If a quote is dramatically below everyone else, ask directly how many circuits will be tested and whether the schedules of test results will be completed. The answer usually settles it.

What happens if my EICR fails? C1, C2 and C3 explained

An EICR does not really pass or fail, it codes what it finds.

C1 means danger present. There is a risk of injury right now, exposed live parts being the classic example. A C1 gets made safe immediately, before the electrician leaves.

C2 means potentially dangerous. No immediate risk, but a fault waiting for the wrong circumstances, no earth on a circuit being the common one. C2 items must be fixed for the report to be satisfactory.

C3 means improvement recommended. Not dangerous, not a fail. Old but serviceable arrangements often get a C3. You can leave a C3 alone.

FI means further investigation required. Something could not be resolved on the day and needs another look.

A report is unsatisfactory if it contains any C1, C2 or FI. C3 items on their own still give you a satisfactory report.

How do I book an EICR in Kent?

Call TDR Electrical on 01732 655003. We are NAPIT registered and based in Sevenoaks, and we cover Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Westerham, Otford, Kemsing, Orpington, Bromley and Maidstone.

Tell us the property type, the rough age, and how many bedrooms, and we will give you a price on the phone. Certificates are normally issued within 48 hours of the inspection, and any remedial work is quoted separately and in writing so you are never pushed into repairs on the spot.