UK cost guide · September 2026
How much does an electrical safety report (EICR) cost in 2026?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for a 2 or 3-bed house costs about £150 to £250 including VAT in an average UK area outside London. A studio or 1-bed flat costs £100 to £180 and a 4-bed house £250 to £350. Any repairs the report calls for are extra.
Work out your electrical safety report (EICR) cost
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Already have an electrician’s price? Check where your quote sits against this range. Still deciding what to do first? Read where to start a home renovation.
Electrical safety report (EICR) prices in 2026
Ranges are for a typical home outside London, including VAT, before fees and contingency. Use the calculator for your size and region.
| Type | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Studio or 1-bed flat | £100 to £180 |
| 2 or 3-bed house | £150 to £250 |
| 4-bed house | £250 to £350 |
Electrical safety report (EICR) costs by region
Labour costs vary across the UK far more than materials. Electrical safety report (EICR) prices in London run about 28% above the UK average outside London, and in Northern Ireland about 14% below it.
| Region | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| UK average (outside London) | £150 to £250 |
| London | £190 to £320 |
| South East | £170 to £280 |
| East of England | £160 to £260 |
| South West | £150 to £260 |
| West Midlands | £150 to £240 |
| East Midlands | £140 to £240 |
| Scotland | £140 to £240 |
| North West | £140 to £240 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £140 to £230 |
| Wales | £140 to £230 |
| North East | £140 to £230 |
| Northern Ireland | £130 to £210 |
Which region is my town in? Brighton, Oxford and Southampton are in the South East; Cambridge and Norwich in the East of England; Bristol, Bath and Exeter in the South West; Birmingham and Coventry in the West Midlands; Nottingham and Leicester in the East Midlands; Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland; Manchester and Liverpool in the North West; Leeds, Sheffield and Hull in Yorkshire and the Humber; Cardiff and Swansea in Wales; Newcastle and Sunderland in the North East; and Belfast in Northern Ireland. Somewhere else? Type your postcode into the calculator above and it says which region’s prices it uses.
Want it for your area? See local prices and council building control fees for 92 council areas in England and Wales (not every council yet).
When to get an electrical safety report
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is an electrician’s check of the wiring you already have. It is worth getting before you buy or renovate an older home, because it tells you whether the wiring can stay or needs a rewire or a new consumer unit. The report can also say when the next inspection should be. Repairs the report calls for are priced separately.
| Home | UK average outside London | London |
|---|---|---|
| Studio or 1-bed flat | £100 to £180 | £130 to £230 |
| 2 or 3-bed house | £150 to £250 | £190 to £320 |
| 4-bed house | £250 to £350 | £320 to £450 |
Landlords: the law in each nation
If you let a home privately, the law sets how often the electrics must be checked. The duties below are for private landlords; checked on the official sources on 30 October 2026.
| Nation | What the law asks |
|---|---|
| England | The electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every 5 years; a copy of the report to each tenant within 28 days of the inspection, and to a new tenant before they move in (regulation 3). |
| Wales | A valid electrical condition report, from an inspection within the last 5 years (or sooner if the report says so); a copy to the contract-holder within 14 days of the start of their occupation (regulation 6). |
| Scotland | An EICR at least every 5 years, by a skilled person, under the Repairing Standard (Scottish Government). |
| Northern Ireland | The electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every 5 years, with a copy of the report to each tenant within 28 days (the regulations). New tenancies from 1 April 2025; tenancies that began before then had until 1 December 2025 (Department for Communities). |
What's included in these prices
Included
- Inspecting and testing the existing wiring, fuse board, sockets, switches and lights
- A written report on their condition, listing anything that needs putting right
Not included
- Repairs or upgrades the report says are needed (remedial work)
- Your contingency
What drives the cost
- Size of the home. More rooms and circuits take longer to test.
- Age and condition. Older wiring and a crowded fuse board take longer to inspect.
- Access. A fuse board or sockets behind furniture or in a loft slow the inspection down.
Planning, regulations and VAT
See the law for landlords in each nation above.
Checklist: what to ask electricians to confirm
Print this or save it as a PDF, one copy for each quote. Mark each line included, separate or not confirmed as quotes come in. An empty amount means unknown, not free.
| Item | What to confirm | Included? Amount? |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | The whole installation, and any parts the electrician won't be able to inspect. | |
| Electrician | Competent to inspect and test: ask for their inspection and testing qualification, and whether their scheme covers condition reports. | |
| Report | A written EICR, with each fault explained and coded by how urgent it is (C1, C2, FI or C3). | |
| Repairs | A price for any repairs, separate from the report, so you can get other quotes for them. |
Questions people ask
What do C1, C2, C3 and FI mean on an EICR?
Each problem the electrician finds gets a code. C1: danger present, with a risk of injury; the electrician may make it safe before leaving. C2: potentially dangerous, so it needs putting right. FI: further investigation needed without delay. C3: improvement recommended, but not required. Any C1 or C2 means the report says the installation is unsatisfactory for continued use; with only C3 codes it is satisfactory (GOV.UK guidance).
How often do I need an EICR?
If you let a home privately, the law in every UK nation asks for the electrics to be checked at least every 5 years (see the law for landlords). For a home you own and live in, the report can say when the next inspection should be.
Is an EICR the same as an Electrical Installation Certificate?
No. An Electrical Installation Certificate comes with new electrical work, such as a rewire or a new consumer unit. An EICR is a check of the wiring you already have.
Sources and method
Our ranges combine published 2026 UK cost guides, industry data and our own survey of council fees. We check them every quarter. They are budget ranges, not quotes: always get at least three detailed written quotes. Read how Estiquote estimates work, or download the full cost data.