Commercial EICR cost is driven by the number of circuits and distribution boards, the sampling percentage agreed, access and shutdown constraints, and the age and documentation of the installation. Contractors price per circuit, per distribution board or per day. The report and the remedial works are separate purchases and should be quoted separately, with each remedial item tied to a coded observation in the report.
The legal duty behind the price
Regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires every electrical system to be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger. The regulations do not use the words "EICR" or set an interval. The Electrical Installation Condition Report produced after periodic inspection and testing to BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations) is the recognised evidence that the duty is being met. HSE's memorandum of guidance, HSR25, makes clear that regular inspection and testing is the way to demonstrate maintenance.
The commercial consequence is that you are buying two things: a report that tells you the condition of the installation, and, if the report is unsatisfactory, remedial works that restore it. This guide explains how the first is priced and how to keep the second honest. For what the report itself contains and how to read it, see our EICR testing guide.
Recommended inspection intervals
IET Guidance Note 3 recommends maximum intervals between periodic inspections. These are not statutory. The previous report, the insurer or the lease may require a shorter interval, and a change of occupancy or use should trigger an inspection regardless.
IET Guidance Note 3 recommended maximum intervals, selected premises
| Premises type | Recommended maximum interval |
|---|---|
| Offices, shops, commercial premises | 5 years |
| Hotels and restaurants | 5 years |
| Educational establishments | 5 years |
| Hospitals and residential accommodation (care homes) | 5 years |
| Industrial premises | 3 years |
| Leisure complexes, places of public entertainment, theatres | 3 years |
| Emergency lighting installations | 3 years |
| Fire alarm installations | 1 year |
| Swimming pools, launderettes, petrol filling stations | 1 year |
Check the current edition of Guidance Note 3 for the full table, and note that the interval for fire alarm and emergency lighting installations is separate from the servicing regimes under BS 5839-1 and BS 5266-1, covered in our emergency lighting testing guide.
The three pricing models
Commercial EICR quotes arrive in one of three structures. None is wrong. What matters is that the quantities and the sample basis are stated so quotes can be compared.
EICR pricing models compared
| Model | How it works | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per circuit | A rate for each final circuit inspected and tested, sometimes tiered by circuit type | Installations where the circuit count is known from schedules | Quotes based on an estimated count that is re-priced on site |
| Per distribution board | A rate per board, all circuits included, sometimes tiered by board size | Portfolios with many similar boards, for example retail units | Heavily loaded boards priced the same as light ones; contractors will inflate the board count |
| Day rate | Engineer time, often two-person team for shutdown work | Complex or poorly documented installations where quantities are uncertain | Open-ended duration with no cap or completion definition |
Whichever model is used, the quote should state the number of circuits, the number of boards, the sampling percentage, whether testing is live or dead and when shutdowns are needed, the hours of work, and the report format.
What drives the price up or down
- Installation size. Circuit and board count is the primary driver under every model.
- Sampling percentage. Guidance Note 3 allows periodic inspection on an agreed sample, typically where records are good and previous results satisfactory. A 100 per cent inspection costs more than a 20 per cent sample. The sample must be agreed in writing beforehand and recorded on the report, and extended if defects are found.
- Documentation. An installation with up-to-date circuit charts, previous reports and distribution schedules is faster to test. A poorly labelled installation adds tracing time.
- Access and shutdown. Dead testing requires circuits to be isolated. Care homes, hotels, data rooms, retail trading floors and 24-hour operations push work out of hours, which adds cost. Where isolation is not possible, the contractor will note limitations, which reduces the value of the report.
- Age and condition. Older installations produce more observations, which take longer to record and photograph.
- Number of sites. Portfolio pricing spreads mobilisation cost across sites.
- Report format. Portal-based reports with photographs against each observation cost more to produce than a PDF and are worth more when managing remedials.
Reading the report: the observation codes
The cost conversation after the inspection is driven entirely by the codes. BS 7671 defines them as follows.
- C1 Danger present. Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action required. The contractor should make safe before leaving site and tell you in writing.
- C2 Potentially dangerous. Urgent remedial action required.
- C3 Improvement recommended. Not a failure.
- FI Further investigation required without delay.
An installation with any C1, C2 or FI is unsatisfactory. An installation with only C3 observations is satisfactory. The report is a condition statement, not a specification for works, so the remedial quote must translate each coded observation into a priced item.
Splitting inspection cost from remedial cost
The single most effective way to control total spend is to treat the report and the remedials as two purchases.
- Procure the report alone. Fixed price against stated quantities and sample. The deliverable is the report and the schedule of observations.
- Review the observations. Check each C2 against the observation text. Ask the inspector to justify borderline codes. A C3 does not require remediation to achieve a satisfactory outcome.
- Quote the remedials per observation. Each line item should reference the observation number, the code, the location and the work proposed. Bundled "remedial works" figures without that mapping should be rejected.
- Invite a second quote. The inspecting contractor is often best placed, but a second price against the same observation schedule keeps coding honest and pricing competitive.
- Sequence by code. C1 immediately, C2 within a defined period, FI investigated before decisions, C3 programmed into planned maintenance if you choose to do them at all.
- Obtain certification for the remedials. Works must be certified with a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate or an Electrical Installation Certificate as appropriate, and the report should then be re-issued or endorsed as satisfactory.
Red flags in a commercial EICR quote
- A price with no circuit or board count behind it.
- No sample percentage stated, or a sample offered on an installation with no records.
- A remedial estimate given before the inspection has happened.
- No competent person scheme stated. Ask for the NICEIC, NAPIT or ECA registration number and check it on the scheme register.
- No limitations section discussed in advance. Every report has limitations; you need to know which areas will not be tested and why.
- A very short duration for a large or undocumented installation.
- No plan for C1 findings on the day. The contractor should state how they will make safe and notify you.
Related reading: PAT testing requirements for commercial premises and the care home compliance checklist.
Working with TICDesk
TICDesk is a UK procurement desk for testing, inspection and compliance work. Tell us the circuit and board count if you have it, the premises type, the access constraints and your deadline, and we introduce up to three vetted electrical contractors, typically within 48 hours, each quoting against the same stated quantities and sample basis. The service is free to the client; TICDesk earns a success fee from the contractor. Visit our electrical desk, read our hotel compliance checklist for how the EICR fits alongside the other statutory inspections, or open a brief.
Frequently asked
How much does a commercial EICR cost?
There is no sourced national average for commercial EICR pricing, and quotes vary with the number of circuits, distribution boards, sampling percentage, access restrictions and whether testing can be done during working hours. Contractors typically price per circuit, per distribution board or as a day rate. Ask for the circuit and board count the price is based on, so you can compare quotes on the same basis rather than on the headline figure.
Is an EICR a legal requirement for commercial premises?
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Regulation 4(2), require electrical systems to be maintained so as to prevent danger. The regulations do not name the EICR, but periodic inspection and testing to BS 7671 with a condition report is the recognised way to demonstrate compliance. The IET Guidance Note 3 recommends maximum intervals between inspections, commonly five years for offices, shops and hotels and three years for industrial premises.
What is the difference between per circuit and per distribution board pricing?
Per circuit pricing charges a rate for each final circuit inspected and tested, so cost tracks the actual size of the installation. Per distribution board pricing charges a rate for each board including all its circuits, which is simpler but can penalise you if boards are lightly loaded or reward the contractor if they are heavily loaded. Day rate pricing charges for engineer time. Any method is acceptable if the quantities are stated and the sampling basis is agreed.
What do the codes C1, C2, C3 and FI on an EICR mean?
C1 means danger present, risk of injury, immediate action required. C2 means potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required. C3 means improvement recommended, not a failure. FI means further investigation required without delay. An installation is reported as unsatisfactory if any C1, C2 or FI observation is recorded. C3 items alone produce a satisfactory report. Remedial quotes should list each item against its code and observation number.
Should the same contractor do the EICR and the remedial works?
Not necessarily. Using the same firm is convenient and avoids a second mobilisation, but it creates an incentive to code observations more severely than warranted. A sound approach is to have the report priced and delivered as a separate contract, review the observations, and then invite the inspecting contractor and at least one other to quote for the C1 and C2 remedials against the report. TICDesk can arrange that second quote.
Can a commercial EICR use sampling?
Yes. IET Guidance Note 3 permits periodic inspection to be carried out on an agreed sample of the installation, particularly for large installations with good records and a history of satisfactory results. The sample percentage must be agreed in writing before work starts and stated on the report. If the sample reveals problems, the sample should be extended. A contractor who quotes a low price without stating the sample basis is likely to be under-scoping.
How often does a commercial property need an EICR?
IET Guidance Note 3 recommends maximum intervals by premises type, with five years for most commercial, office, retail, educational and hotel premises and three years for industrial premises, leisure complexes and places of public entertainment. These are recommendations, not statutory periods, and the previous report may recommend a shorter interval. Insurers and landlords' leases often impose their own requirements, and a change of occupier should trigger an inspection regardless of the calendar.
Sources & further reading
