How much does an EICR cost in Solihull?

If you are a landlord, a homeowner buying or selling, or you simply have an older installation, an EICR is one of the most useful checks you can have done on your electrics. Cost is usually the first question people ask, so here is an honest guide to what shapes the price, based on how we work as a local Solihull electrician.

What is an EICR?

An EICR, or Electrical Installation Condition Report, is a formal inspection and test of the fixed wiring in a property. A qualified electrician checks the consumer unit, circuits, sockets, switches and protective devices, then records the condition against the current wiring regulations. The result is a written report that tells you whether the installation is safe to keep using, and flags anything that needs attention. You can read more on our EICR safety reports page.

Who needs one?

Different people need an EICR for different reasons:

• Landlords in England are legally required to have a satisfactory EICR at least every 5 years, and to provide a copy to tenants.
• Homeowners often arrange one when buying or selling, to understand the condition of the wiring before committing.
• Anyone with an older installation, or a property that has never been tested, benefits from knowing whether it is still safe.

What affects the cost

There is no single flat fee, because no two properties are the same. The main things that move the price are:

• Property size, since a one-bedroom flat has far fewer points to test than a large family home.
• The number of circuits and consumer units, as every circuit has to be inspected and tested individually.
• The age and condition of the installation, because older wiring often takes longer to work through.
• Ease of access to the consumer unit, loft, sockets and junction points.

What homeowners typically pay

As a rough industry guide only, EICRs on an average domestic property in the UK often fall somewhere in the region of £150 to £350, with smaller flats at the lower end and larger homes higher. Please treat that as a typical market figure and not a quote from DGC Electrical. The only way to know the real cost for your property is to get a free quote for your exact job, and we are always happy to give you a clear price before any work begins.

What is included and how long it takes

A proper EICR includes a visual inspection and live testing of the circuits, followed by the completed report with any findings clearly explained. For a typical home you should usually allow between two and four hours, though larger or more complex properties take longer. We always talk you through the results in plain English rather than leaving you with a form full of codes.

What the result codes mean

Every observation on the report is given a code:

• C1 means danger present, with a risk of injury, and requires immediate action.
• C2 means potentially dangerous, and needs remedial work fairly soon.
• C3 means improvement recommended, but not dangerous, so it is advisory.
• FI means further investigation is needed to establish whether there is a risk.

A report is marked unsatisfactory if it contains any C1, C2 or FI codes.

What happens if it is unsatisfactory

An unsatisfactory result is not a disaster, it simply means some remedial work is needed to bring the installation up to a safe standard. In some cases that is a small repair, and in others it points to a tired old fuse box that would be better replaced. Where that is the case, a modern consumer unit upgrade often resolves several issues at once. Once the work is done, the installation can be re-tested and a satisfactory report issued.