3.4 Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) & Extent/Limitations

3.4 Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) & Extent/Limitations

Quick Answer: An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) evaluates the ongoing safety and serviceability of an existing installation under BS 7671 Chapter 65. The inspection's extent and operational limitations must be agreed in writing with the client before commencing work. The condition of the installation is graded as either 'Satisfactory' or 'Unsatisfactory'. Under BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 and IET Guidance (July 2026), only Code C1 ('Danger present') and Code C2 ('Potentially dangerous') observations mandate an overall 'Unsatisfactory' outcome. In contrast, Code FI ('Further investigation is advised') is decoupled from C1/C2: neither Code FI nor Code C3 ('Improvement recommended') results in an Unsatisfactory report, permitting an overall 'Satisfactory' outcome accompanied by advisory notes or recommendations.

The Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is the central reporting mechanism in UK periodic electrical inspection. Prescribed in Chapter 65 of BS 7671 and detailed in Appendix 6, an EICR provides an in-depth audit of an existing electrical installation, identifying defects, deterioration, and departures from current safety standards.

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Purpose, Nature, and Boundaries of the EICR

It is essential to understand what an EICR is—and what it is not:

• An Audit, Not a Certificate: An EICR is a report, not a certificate. A certificate (like an EIC) confirms that new work complies with BS 7671. A condition report audits an existing system and reports on its current safety status.
• No Guarantee: An EICR does not guarantee that the installation will remain safe for a specified future period. It reports the condition found on the exact dates of the inspection.
• The Non-Retrospective Principle: An existing installation constructed to an earlier edition of BS 7671 does not automatically fail an EICR simply because the regulations have changed. For example, the absence of 30 mA RCD protection on older domestic lighting circuits is not automatically dangerous if the wiring is undamaged, properly earthed, and disconnection times are met. Where an observation does not indicate danger or potential danger but an improvement would enhance safety, Code C3 (Improvement recommended) is appropriate. A difference from current rules alone does not require upgrading or a C3 observation.

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Establishing Extent and Operational Limitations (Section D)

Under Regulation 653.2, the extent and operational limitations of the inspection must be agreed in writing between the inspector and the person ordering the work before commencing any physical inspection or testing on site.

Section D of the EICR is a legally vital section that defines the exact scope of the inspector's contractual and technical liability:

1. Extent of the Installation Covered

Specifies exactly what parts of the electrical installation are included in the inspection:

• Geographical scope: e.g., "Ground floor and first floor tenant offices only; landlord sub-station and basement plant room excluded."
• Switchgear scope: e.g., "Distribution boards DB1, DB2, and DB3 including 100% of final circuits."
• Sampling scope: e.g., "100% internal visual inspection of distribution boards; 20% representative sample of final accessories (socket-outlets and luminaires) dismantled for internal inspection."

2. Operational Limitations Agreed with the Client

Records practical, commercial, or operational restrictions requested by the client to prevent disruption:

• No-isolation limitations: e.g., "No isolation or dead testing of circuits supplying dedicated server rooms, refrigeration plant, or life-safety monitoring equipment; visual inspection and live loop impedance testing only."
• Timing constraints: e.g., "Inspection of production floor restricted to non-operational window (18:00 - 22:00); high-bay lighting inspected from ground level only without access scaffolding."

3. Physical Access and Concealment Limitations

Covers parts of the installation that are physically inaccessible without structural damage:

• Concealed wiring: e.g., "Cables concealed within building fabric, partition walls, structural screeds, underfloor voids, and roof spaces insulated with mineral wool were not visually inspected."

4. Unexpected Site Limitations

If the inspector encounters an unforeseen barrier during the site visit (such as a locked distribution cupboard, aggressive animals, unsafe flooring, or suspected asbestos in a ceiling void), record it as an operational limitation with its reasons, explain the implications to the client and resolve access or revise the stated scope where necessary.

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Recommended Inspection Intervals Across Sectors

Inspection frequencies are determined by installation type, occupancy pattern, environmental factors, and statutory regulations. GN3 Table 3.2 gives recommended initial frequencies, not universal statutory deadlines. The designer recommends the first interval; the periodic inspector recommends subsequent intervals using the installation’s condition, use, maintenance and environment. Apply any statutory deadline or actual licence condition separately. The following are common starting recommendations:

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Structure of the Model EICR Form (Sections A through K)

The current BS 7671 Appendix 6 model EICR has sections A–K with associated schedules and recipient guidance. The number of pages depends on the installation and continuation sheets:

• Section A: Details of the client / person ordering the report.
• Section B: Purpose of the report (e.g., routine periodic inspection, landlord compliance, insurance validation, change of tenancy).
• Section C: Installation details (address, age of installation, evidence of alterations, records available).
• Section D: Extent and limitations of inspection and testing (the operational and contractual scope).
• Section E: Summary of the Condition of the Installation — The definitive outcome: declared either "SATISFACTORY" or "UNSATISFACTORY".
• Section F: Recommended date by which the next inspection should take place, supported by the reasons for that recommendation.
• Section G: Declaration, signed by the person inspecting/testing and the person authorizing issue, with their roles, organization and details.
• Section H: Schedules (Schedule of Inspections and Schedule of Circuit Details & Test Results).
• Section I: Supply characteristics and earthing arrangements.
• Section J: Particulars of the installation, including earthing, bonding and main switch.
• Section K: Observations (where defects and advisory items are recorded with their codes).

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Classification Codes & The Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory Threshold

Use the appropriate code for dangerous or potentially dangerous conditions, recommended safety improvements and advised investigation of an identified potential safety issue. A non-conformity that gives rise to no danger and for which no improvement is recommended need not be recorded on the EICR:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│               EICR CLASSIFICATION CODES                     │
│  ┌──────────────┐  Code C1: DANGER PRESENT                  │
│  │ UNSATISFACTORY│  • Immediate risk of injury / shock       │
│  │   OUTCOME    │  Code C2: POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS           │
│  │   MANDATED   │  • Urgent remedial action required        │
│  ├──────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  │ SATISFACTORY │  Code C3: IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDED         │
│  │   OUTCOME    │  • Non-compliance, but safe for service   │
│  │  PERMITTED   │  Code FI: FURTHER INVESTIGATION ADVISED   │
│  │              │  • Decoupled from C1/C2 (A4:2026)         │
│  └──────────────┘                                           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The Classification Definitions

1. Code C1 — 'Danger Present': Risk of injury is present. Immediate remedial action is required. Persons are exposed to live conductors, or exposed conductive parts are energised. (e.g., missing consumer unit blanks exposing live busbars, crushed live cable with bare conductors accessible).
2. Code C2 — 'Potentially Dangerous': Urgent remedial action required. The installation is not immediately live-to-touch, but the failure of a single protective measure or an anticipated event could lead to danger. (e.g., absence of main protective bonding on a PME supply, earth fault loop impedance too high for the applicable fault-protection device to disconnect within the required time, missing earth path to an accessible class I metal light fitting).
3. Code C3 — 'Improvement Recommended': An observed inadequacy that presents no immediate or potential danger, but where improvement would enhance safety. (e.g., absence of 30 mA RCD on an undamaged concealed domestic lighting circuit installed prior to 17th Edition, absence of circuit identification labels where cables are clear).
4. Code FI — 'Further Investigation is Advised': Used when an item cannot be fully verified within the agreed extent and limitations, and further investigation is advised to determine whether safety is compromised.

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The Decoupling of Code FI in BS 7671:2018+A4:2026

A fundamental update introduced in BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 and detailed in accompanying IET guidance (Wiring Matters, July 2026) concerns the regulatory status and outcome impact of Code FI:

1. Earlier FI Wording

Earlier model forms used “further investigation required without delay” where an apparent deficiency could not be fully identified and investigation might reveal danger or potential danger. FI was not a substitute for recording every known non-compliance, or a reason to classify every untraced cable as unsafe.

2. The A4:2026 Reform and Decoupling

To resolve this, BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 made two decisive changes:

• Terminology Updated: The definition was revised from "further investigation required without delay" to "further investigation is advised".
• Decoupled from Unsatisfactory Outcomes: Code FI was formally decoupled from C1 and C2. Under BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, an overall assessment of 'UNSATISFACTORY' is mandated ONLY if there are one or more Code C1 or Code C2 observations.
• Satisfactory with Advisory Notes: An installation with Code FI observations (and no C1 or C2 observations) receives an overall assessment of "SATISFACTORY". FI does not itself make the A4 report Unsatisfactory. Explain the potential safety issue and advise investigation promptly. As at 8 November 2026, England’s landlord Regulation 3(4)–(6) still requires further investigative work where its statutory trigger applies: complete it within 28 days or the shorter report period and obtain/supply the required written confirmation. A Satisfactory technical outcome does not waive that duty.

3. Proper Application of Code FI vs Non-Compliances

The IET July 2026 guidance emphasizes that inspectors must not misuse Code FI as a generic dumping ground for known non-compliances:

• Low Insulation Resistance: For a domestic or similar installation, less than 1 MΩ between live conductors connected together and Earth is a C2 example in current ESF Best Practice Guide 4. Do not downgrade that result to C3 because it is longstanding, or use FI merely because its cause has not been located. Record the test arrangement and observed deficiency; tracing the cause is subsequent fault-finding work.
• Unidentified Circuits: An unidentified circuit violates Regulation 514.8.1 (provision of diagrams and identification). This is an identified non-compliance that must be coded (e.g. C3 or C2 depending on the circumstances), not disguised as Code FI.

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The Decision Rule for Overall Condition (Section E)

The rule governing Section E of the EICR under BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 is precise: