Electrical Services
Electrical Testing and EICRs
An Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR, records the assessment of an existing installation within a defined scope. It supports decisions about condition and remedial work. It is different from the documentation issued for a new installation or alteration.
Discuss your requirementsDefined services, clearly scoped.
Overview
An enquiry can follow a review date, change of use, inherited building records or concerns about deterioration. Establish the purpose and applicable requirements before selecting a programme. There is no single interval suitable for every commercial installation, and a fault requiring prompt attention should not wait for a routine inspection date.
What the work can include
The appointment defines the installation extent, inspection and testing, access arrangements and report. It identifies circuits, distribution equipment and agreed limitations. Available drawings and earlier reports help establish the starting position, but their accuracy needs to be considered against the actual installation.
The report records findings and the actions they indicate. Remedial work and any further investigation are identifiable follow-on requirements. They should not be silently included in, or confused with, the inspection outcome. A report covering selected areas does not establish the condition of excluded systems.
Choosing the scope and handling limitations
Agree the extent with the inspecting professional before work begins. A complex estate needs clear site and installation boundaries, especially where landlords, tenants or specialist equipment suppliers retain parts of the system.
Access restrictions can affect what can be assessed. Record significant exclusions and their consequence; do not allow a broad report title to conceal them. If a necessary area cannot be inspected, identify the follow-up rather than presenting an incomplete view as a full assessment. Practical access preparation improves the usefulness of the report.
The observation codes distinguish the action needed: C1 identifies a present danger needing immediate action; C2 identifies a potentially dangerous condition needing urgent repair; C3 recommends an improvement. The inspector explains each finding and any further investigation. Electrical Safety First explains the classification codes.
Assessment and preparation
Provide previous EICRs, installation certificates, circuit schedules and details of completed remedial work. Explain alterations since the last assessment, critical equipment and operating hours. Identify the contact able to agree shutdowns and resolve access issues.
Inspection and testing can require supplies to be interrupted. Coordinate affected departments, equipment shutdown and restart, alarms and other connected systems. Do not assume that an occupied building can be fully assessed without disruption simply because the work is described as testing.
How the work proceeds
We establish the scope and purpose, confirm records and arrange the work window. The inspecting electrician assesses the installation using appropriate methods and records observations, test information and limitations. Significant findings are communicated through the agreed route rather than waiting for an ordinary management review.
The completed report explains the assessed condition and recommendations. Follow-on work is scoped against the actual findings, with the relevant evidence retained after repair. Where testing reveals an installation detail inconsistent with the records, that discrepancy needs correction so future maintenance uses dependable information.
Cost, timing and disruption
Circuit quantities, installation complexity, record quality and access determine the effort required. A quotation based only on floor area can miss the number of boards, circuits and restricted spaces. Provide the best available electrical information and agree how differences discovered on site will be handled.
Working hours, escorts, repeated access and shutdown phasing affect programme and price. The report preparation and explanation are part of the service, not simply the time spent on site. Remedial repairs and additional investigation need their own identifiable costs and instructions.
Sector applications
Offices need landlord and occupier circuit boundaries established. Industrial premises need testing coordinated with machinery and production. Education needs access, occupancy and planned closure periods considered. The inspection scope must fit the installation in each case. Explore all sectors.
FAQs
Is an EICR the same as PAT testing?
No. An EICR assesses the defined fixed installation. Portable appliance inspection and testing addresses electrical equipment under a different scope. One does not automatically replace the other.
Does the report include repairs to every observation?
The inspection identifies findings. Repairs and further investigation are separate tasks with a defined instruction and completion evidence. Agree how urgent findings and additional work will be handled.
Can testing be completed while the building operates?
Some activities can be coordinated around occupation, but interruptions need planning. The actual installation and inspection scope determine the shutdowns and access required.
What should happen after an unsatisfactory report?
Review the findings with the inspecting electrician, establish priorities and arrange the required action. Keep remedial evidence linked to the original observations and retain any unresolved investigation clearly.
Related work and enquiry
Explore Electrical Services, Commercial Electrical Repairs, Statutory Maintenance and Compliance Remedial Works. Browse all services, maintenance, projects, sectors and locations.
Contact Black & White Facilities with the site, inspection purpose, previous reports and access constraints. Include known circuit information and operating requirements so the inspection can be scoped and programmed properly.