Whether you need a landlord electrical safety certificate or an EICR you are going to need to hire a qualified electrician. How much they charge depends on the size of your property and the type of certificate that you require. The cost of your certification is usually calculated on the amount of rooms in your property.
The price quoted for your electrical safety certificate will typically include the cost of the certification and the electricians labour. These prices are estimates and there are multiple factors that may affect the price that you are quoted by an electrician.
The cost of hiring a local electrician to carry out an electrical safety report on a property will often vary greatly, depending on the property size and the complexity of the job. The average cost of acquiring an Electrical Safety Report in the UK usually ranges between £175-£350.
It is recommended that all homeowners and landlords invest in acquiring an electrical safety certificate.
Property owners, including landlords, must understand the importance of acquiring an Electrical Safety Certificate. An Electrical Safety Certificate or an electrical installation condition report (EICR), is a report declared by an accredited electrician to declare that all appliances and electrical circuits in a property are in safe and working order.
These safety reports are commonly known as domestic electrical installation checks and can only be issued by a certified, registered electrician. While it is not currently a legal requirement for homeowners in the UK to have an electrical safety certificate, landlords are governed to provide evidence that a property's electrical environment is safe to use.
Only a certified and registered electrician has the authority to administer an electrical safety report. Therefore, you must consider the cost of the tradesperson's labour when you are outlining your budget.
The total cost of your project should include their labour, the testing of all electrical points, fixings, appliances and consumer units. The electrician must not charge any additional fees for producing a written electrical report, as this should be covered by the standard, fixed cost.
Reports carried out on older properties commonly cost more than a report taken on a newer home. This is due to more complicated and outdated wiring techniques that can make the inspection more complex.
It is recommended that you acquire an electrical installation certificate report every 5 years. This rule commonly applies to commercial, offices, retail establishments and rented accommodation. However, homeowners are advised to follow this guideline to reduce the risk of a fire occurring within their homes.
| Job Description | House Type | Timeframe | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Safety Certificate | 3 Bedroom New Build | 1-2 Hours | £175 |
| Electrical Safety Certificate | 5+ Bedroom New Build | 3-4 Hours | £250 |
| Electrical Safety Certificate | 3 Bedroom Older Home | 2-3 Hours | £200 |
| Electrical Safety Certificate | 5+ Bedroom Older Home | 4-5 Hours | £350 |
Hiring an electrician to carry out an electrical inspection on your property is usually a simple process, that takes no more than 2-4 hours to complete. A local, registered electrician will visit your property first to assess the complexity of the job, from which they will then provide you with an overall cost quotation.
You will then need to schedule a time and date for your Electrical Safety report testing to be carried out. Usually, you will need to be at home on the day of the inspection as you will have to allow the electrician access to your home. Consider that you may need to take time off work to allow for the inspection.
Your electrician will test all of your property's power sockets, light fittings and electrical appliances to verify that they are working and safe to use. Your registered electrician will also recognise if there are any safety hazards present such as faulty appliances or overloaded electrical points.
They will determine whether existing electrical circuits have been properly connected and that all appliances are in a healthy working state. Fire alarms and other safety electrical devices will also be examined to ensure they are working correctly.
In some cases, particularly with older homes, you may need to provide a history of your properties electrical condition. This can include evidence of previous servicing and any existing electrical safety reports.
Complex and outdated electrical circuits can be particularly difficult to examine, so your electrician may require additional details in order to check them correctly. Once your electrician has inspected the entire property, they will conclude their findings and determine whether your home has passed or failed the safety report checks.
In some cases, minor repairs or replacement re-wiring may be necessary to ensure that your home is in a safe electrical state.
In the UK, the law states that a legal electrical safety certificate or electrical installation condition report can only be generated by a licenced, certified electrician.
You will not be able to legally produce your own electrical test certificate for your home, without seeking the services a registered electrician. While it is not illegal to carry out the testing of your own electrical connections, you cannot legally acquire the appropriate documentation unless you are a registered electrician.
It is never advised that you attempt the inspection or installation of any electrical work within your property if you are not a qualified electrician. Electrical work is extremely dangerous and if improperly handled can result in serious injuries or even death.
No electrician will be willing to sign off any electrical works that have not been carried out by an experienced professional. There are, however, steps that you can take to maintain a healthy electrical state within your property such as regularly monitoring all appliances and keeping up to date with electrical servicing and inspections.
As with any DIY project, there are risks associated that can lead to serious harm to yourself or your property. However, electrical works are something that is never recommended to be attempted by anyone other than a qualified professional.
Attempting to install or inspect your own electrical circuits means you will face suffering electrocution, severe injuries and even death. You will also increase the threat of a fire occurring within your property, as your electrical systems will be deemed unstable.
The safest way to achieve a high-quality electrical installation is to hire the services of a local electrician.
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Here is a list of commonly asked questions regarding getting an electrical safety certificate.
This usually depends on your property and how complicated your electrical system is. The more rooms, sockets and appliances that require testing, the longer the process will take. Often, this takes no more than one working day to complete.
The process involves a certified electrician visiting your property to inspect any present electrical circuits and appliances. They will ensure that all electrical connections are in a safe and working condition.
Every 5 years. It is recommended that you maintain regular inspections of your property's electrical condition to eliminate serious risks.
NICEIC is an accredited certification available to various areas of the building sector. Electricians who become registered with NICEIC confirm their liability to the condition of an inspected electrical system within a property.
Legally, you do not need an electrical safety certificate in order to sell a property. However, maintaining regular safety inspections does make the selling process easier and more appealing to buyers.
