EICR guide: intervals, codes and unsatisfactory reports

General guidance only. Check the standard itself and take advice from your own competent person for the job in front of you. Last reviewed 22 October 2026.

What an EICR is

An Electrical Installation Condition Report is the result of a periodic inspection and test of an existing installation. It says what condition the installation is in against BS 7671, lists the defects and departures found, and gives an overall assessment and a date for the next inspection. It is a record of condition that the person ordering it can act on.

Which edition applies

BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 (Amendment 4) was published on 15 April 2026. The previous version, including Amendment 3, was withdrawn from 15 October 2026, so Amendment 4 is now the only current edition. Work designed before that date can still be completed to the earlier edition, but check the contract wording and tell the client which edition applies.

How often should an installation be inspected?

The inspector recommends the interval on the report, based on the type of installation, how it is used, its age and condition and the test results. Some settings have a set figure, and guidance gives typical maximums for others.

For other commercial and industrial premises there is no single figure in the regulations. The inspector sets the interval from the findings and the use of the building. A change of occupancy, a major alteration, or an installation left unmaintained for a long time can all justify an earlier inspection.

The observation codes

What makes a report unsatisfactory?

An installation is unsatisfactory if the inspector records any C1 or C2 observation. That is the point where the report says remedial work is needed.

Amendment 4 changed the position on C3 and FI. They no longer affect the overall outcome: a report with only C3 and FI observations can still be satisfactory. The wording of FI has also softened from requiring investigation without delay to advising further investigation, and FI is meant to be unusual, used when part of the installation cannot be properly assessed within the limits of the inspection. It is not a substitute for fault-finding. An unidentified circuit or a poor insulation resistance result, for example, should be coded C1 or C2 as appropriate, with the investigation treated as remedial work.

Landlords in England should note that the government's guidance for the private and social rented sectors still treats an FI as something that must be followed up, with remedial work completed within 28 days (or sooner if the report says so), and the report and written confirmation passed to the tenant and the local council. If you are working for a landlord, explain this before you hand the report over.

A report that holds up

• Agree the extent and any limitations of the inspection in writing before you start, and record them.
• Give the reason for the report: change of occupancy, landlord duty, sale, or a due date reached.
• Describe each observation clearly enough that someone who was not there can find it. Photographs help.
• Use the codes as defined. Do not code up or down to suit the client.
• Give a sensible next inspection date and say why.

How Compliar helps

Compliar has an Electrical Installation Condition Report template written to follow BS 7671, alongside electrical installation certificates and minor works certificates. You can record circuits and test results, add photos to observations, collect signatures and send a branded PDF when you finish.

• Observations are recorded with the codes C1, C2, C3 and FI, and the overall assessment of satisfactory or unsatisfactory is recorded on the report.
• Maintenance plans at 12-month, 3-year and 5-year intervals, so the next inspection is scheduled against the property when you issue the report (Office seats and above).
• Failed items raised as defects and turned into a remedial quote.
• An optional qualified supervisor countersign, so a report is checked before it reaches the customer (Office seats and above).