How much does an EICR cost in the UK?
An EICR costs £200 on average in the UK. Most jobs fall between £100 and £450 for the inspection. Property size: Flat or 1-2 bed £100 to £180, 3 bed house £150 to £250, 4-5 bed house £250 to £350. Prices reviewed July 2026.
An EICR, or electrical safety certificate, usually costs £100 to £300 in the UK, with most homeowners paying around £200. The price is driven mainly by the number of circuits at your fuse board, which tracks property size. The fee covers the inspection and written report only, not any repairs found.
EICR cost calculator
Use the calculator to price your EICR in 2026. Adjust the options and area for a UK cost range. Nothing is sent anywhere.
EICR cost breakdown
Typical EICR costs, by option:
| Property size | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Flat or 1-2 bed | £100 to £180 |
| 3 bed house | £150 to £250 |
| 4-5 bed house | £250 to £350 |
| 6+ bed, HMO or many circuits | £300 to £450 |
| + Extra consumer unit or outbuilding | add £40 to £100 |
What's included in the price?
Typical EICR prices include:
- A visual inspection of the consumer unit (fuse board), wiring, sockets, switches and fixed accessories
- Dead and live testing of every circuit, covering insulation resistance, earth continuity, RCD operation and polarity
- The written Electrical Installation Condition Report itself, with an overall Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory result
- Coding of any defects: C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement advised) and FI (further investigation)
- A recommended date for the next inspection
- The electrician's time on site, usually a few hours, with the report emailed within a few days
What changes the price?
The things that move EICR prices most:
The number of circuits at the consumer unit, the single biggest driver, since each circuit is tested individually
Property size and layout, as extensions, outbuildings and extra fuse boards add time
Your region, with London and the South East charging the most
The age and condition of the wiring, since older installations take longer to test and investigate
How quickly you need it, as same-day and out-of-hours slots cost more
These are why two quotes for the same job can differ, and the only way to know your price is to get prices from local firms.
How the price is built up
The fee is built from the electrician's time on site, the testing of every circuit and the written report. Because each circuit is tested individually, the number of circuits at your fuse board is the main driver: a one or two bed flat with six to eight circuits sits near £100 to £180, a typical three bed house around £150 to £250, and a four or five bed home £250 to £350. London prices, older wiring and awkward access push towards the top. Remedial work for any faults found is always quoted separately. An EICR is almost entirely a service fee for the electrician's time and accreditation. There are no materials involved, unlike remedial repairs, which are priced separately if the report finds a fault.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Get two or three quotes from registered electricians, since prices for the same property vary widely
- Clear access to the consumer unit, sockets and switches so the electrician is not held up
- Book a standard weekday slot rather than an urgent or out-of-hours one
- Bundle the EICR with any other electrical work or PAT testing to save a separate call-out charge
- If you let more than one property, ask about a portfolio or multi-property discount
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, an EICR typically costs around £240 for the inspection, about 20% above the UK average of £200. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £190.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £100 | £200 | £450 |
| London | £120 | £240 | £540 |
| South East / South West | £110 | £210 | £470 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £95 | £190 | £440 |
Guide prices for the inspection, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
EICR cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £95 | £190 | £430 |
| Birmingham | £100 | £200 | £450 |
| Bristol | £110 | £210 | £470 |
| Cardiff | £95 | £190 | £440 |
| Edinburgh | £95 | £190 | £440 |
| Glasgow | £95 | £190 | £440 |
| Leeds | £95 | £190 | £440 |
| Liverpool | £95 | £190 | £440 |
| London | £120 | £240 | £540 |
| Manchester | £95 | £190 | £440 |
| Newcastle | £95 | £190 | £440 |
| Sheffield | £95 | £190 | £440 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for EICR, not quotes.
Installers in London and the South East charge the most. The Midlands, the North, Wales and Scotland are typically cheaper.
Compare this with a real quote
The figures above are guide prices. Two or three quotes for your EICR tell you what it costs where you live.
Common questions
How much does an EICR cost in 2026?
For a typical home, expect roughly £100 to £300, with around £200 being average. A one or two bed flat usually sits at £100 to £180, and a three or four bed house at £150 to £300. London and the South East run higher, often £150 to £400 plus. Price depends mainly on property size, the number of circuits and access.
How often do I need an EICR?
If you let the property, England law requires an EICR at least every five years, and before a new tenancy starts. If you own and live in your home there is no legal deadline, but the common recommendation is every ten years, or sooner if you notice problems or buy an older property. Your report may also specify an earlier retest date.
Is an EICR a legal requirement?
For private landlords in England, yes. Since 2020 you must have a valid EICR at least every five years and give tenants a copy. For owner-occupiers there is no legal requirement to hold one, though it is strongly advised for older wiring and often requested during a house sale. The rules differ slightly across Scotland and Wales.
What is the difference for landlords versus owner-occupiers?
Landlords are legally bound to a five year cycle, must act on any faults within set timescales and provide the report to tenants and, if asked, the council. Owner-occupiers face no legal duty and no fixed timescale for repairs, so it is your own choice when to test and what to fix. The inspection itself is the same either way.
What happens if my EICR fails and who pays for the repairs?
A report is marked unsatisfactory if it contains a C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) code. A C3 is only a recommendation and does not fail. Landlords must fix C1 and C2 issues, usually within 28 days. Remedial work is charged separately and paid by the property owner. Simple fixes can be £30 to £100, while a new consumer unit is £500 to £800.
How long does an EICR take?
Most homes take around two to four hours. A one bed flat is roughly two hours, a two or three bed house two to three hours, and a four bed house three to four hours. HMOs and larger or older properties take longer because there are more circuits to test. The power is turned off in stages during the checks.
Is an EICR charged per circuit or as a flat fee?
Most electricians quote a flat fee based on property size and the number of circuits at the fuse board, so it amounts to the same thing. Some, particularly in London, price per circuit instead, often around £20 to £40 each. Either way, more circuits means a higher price. Always ask which method a quote uses so you can compare fairly.
Does the EICR price include fixing any faults found?
No. The fee covers only the inspection and the written report. Any repairs are quoted and billed separately once faults are identified. This is worth remembering when budgeting, because a cheap headline inspection price does not protect you from remedial costs. Ask the electrician for a clear quote on any C1 or C2 work before agreeing to it.
Can you get an EICR done same day?
Often yes, especially in cities where firms advertise same or next day slots. Be aware you usually pay a premium for urgent or out-of-hours bookings. If your timing is flexible, a mid-week daytime appointment booked a little in advance is normally cheaper. Same day is handy for a fast tenancy start, but plan ahead where you can.
Can I do an EICR myself?
No. An EICR must be carried out by a qualified and competent electrician, usually one holding the City and Guilds 2391 inspection and testing qualification and registered with a scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT. It is not a job you can self-certify, and a landlord report from anyone unqualified has no legal standing. You can help by clearing access to the board and sockets.
Is an EICR worth it?
For a private landlord it is not optional, it is the law, so the £100 to £300 is simply a cost of letting. For an owner-occupier it is worth it if your wiring is more than about 25 years old, you have just bought the place, or you notice tripping or scorching. Catching a fault early is far cheaper than a fire or a failed sale.
How can I keep the cost down?
Get two or three quotes from registered electricians and compare on a like-for-like basis. Clear access to the consumer unit and to sockets and switches so the electrician is not held up. Book a standard weekday slot rather than an urgent one, and bundle the EICR with any other electrical work or PAT testing to save on a separate call-out charge.
Check they are registered before they start
Most fixed electrical work in a home has to meet Part P of the building regulations. Work by someone unregistered can be difficult to insure, to sign off, or to sell a house through. Checking takes about a minute and it is free.
- Registered Competent Person Electrical Electrical Safety Roundtable · The register GOV.UK points householders to for electricians who can certify their own work under the building regulations
Official guidance and sources
The rules and schemes referenced on this page come from these official UK sources. The price figures are Costwise's own; see how we price.
- Electrical safety standards in the rented sectors GOV.UK · Landlords in England must have the electrics inspected at least every 5 years by a qualified person.
- Electrical Safety Standards (PRS) (England) Regulations 2020, reg. 3 legislation.gov.uk · The regulation setting the maximum 5-year inspection interval for rented homes.
Cite this data
These figures are free to use in articles, reports and research under a CC BY 4.0 licence. All we ask is a credit to Costwise, and online a link. Where your style allows, please make "Costwise" the linked word so readers can check the figure for their own region.
Costwise (2026): An EICR typically costs £200 in the UK, ranging from £100 to £450 for the inspection. Reviewed July 2026. costwiseuk.co.ukSource: Costwise (costwiseuk.co.uk)Costwise (2026). EICR cost. Costwise UK cost data, version 2026-10-08. https://costwiseuk.co.uk/eicr-cost/2026-10-08 (158 jobs)Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21159943 · also on Kaggle, Hugging Face and Figshare. Method: how we price. Downloadable CSV.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.