"EICR" is a single document title covering four distinct inspection variants. The certificate cover page is identical across all four — the same BS 7671 Appendix 6 layout, the same C1/C2/C3/FI coding key, the same NICEIC enrolment stamp. What differs is the inspection methodology, the sample density, the statutory inspection interval, and the legal framework behind the obligation to inspect.
A single-dwelling domestic EICR is performed under IET Guidance Note 3 sampling: 100% at the consumer unit, a representative 10–20% sample of accessories. A House in Multiple Occupation EICR is typically 100% at the board and 100% across every accessible accessory — the higher occupant density justifies the higher inspection density. A three-phase commercial EICR adds phase rotation, balance, prospective short-circuit current and transformer earthing checks the domestic inspector never touches. A communal block EICR covers the common parts only: landlord lighting, intercom systems, fire alarm supply, lift supply and the riser cabling.
The legal frameworks diverge sharply. Rented homes fall under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 — every 5 years, £30,000 civil penalty per breach. Workplaces fall under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 — risk-assessed interval, typically 3–5 years. HMOs add HMO licensing conditions on top of the PRS Regs. Communal blocks fall to the landlord (freeholder or RMC), with leases typically requiring 5-yearly inspection. The right EICR is the one matched to your legal duty.
Why Electrician London
Domestic NICEIC EICR
Single-dwelling sampling per IET Guidance Note 3. From £89.99 for a 1–2 bed flat. Required every 5 years for rented homes, every 10 years recommended for owner-occupied.
HMO multi-unit EICR
100% accessory testing, per-room circuit identification, supplementary fire alarm interconnection check. Required every 5 years by the Management of HMOs Regulations and most London borough licence conditions.
Three-phase commercial EICR
Phase balance, rotation, prospective short-circuit current, transformer earthing. Performed under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. Typical interval 3–5 years risk-assessed.
Communal block (common-parts) EICR
Landlord supply for stair lighting, intercom, fire alarm, lift, riser cabling. Performed for freeholders, RMCs and managing agents. Lease-condition driven, typically 5-yearly.
EICR pricing across all types
Indicative — actual price set on the number of circuits and accessories, not floor area.
Domestic 1–2 bedroom
£89.99
Domestic 3–4 bedroom
£99.99
HMO 5–7 bedroom
Per-room accessory testing, fire alarm interconnection check, NICEIC certificate
From £180
Three-phase commercial
Per distribution board, additional boards quoted on the day
From £350
Communal block (common parts)
Landlord supply only — does not cover individual flats
From £225
How the four EICR variants compare
- Domestic — 100% at consumer unit, 10–20% accessory sample
- Domestic — covered by PRS Regs 2020 (rented) or recommended every 10 years (owner-occupied)
- HMO — 100% accessory testing across every room
- HMO — supplementary fire alarm interconnection and emergency lighting check
- Three-phase commercial — phase rotation, balance, PSCC at origin
- Three-phase commercial — covered by Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
- Communal block — common-parts only (stair lighting, intercom, fire panel, lift, risers)
- Communal block — lease-condition driven, typically 5-yearly cycle
- All four — BS 7671:2018 + Amendment 4 schedule of test results
- All four — NICEIC enrolment stamp, digital certificate, lodged on the NICEIC registry
Frequently asked questions
What is the methodology difference between a domestic and HMO EICR?
Sampling density is the headline difference. A domestic EICR tests 100% of circuits at the board and a 10–20% representative sample of accessories per IET Guidance Note 3. An HMO EICR tests 100% of accessories — every socket, every switch, every shaver point, in every let room — because the occupant density (and the per-tenant exposure) is materially higher. An HMO inspection on a 6-bed property typically runs 5–7 hours against 2–3 hours for the equivalent single-let house.
Who actually needs a three-phase EICR?
Any commercial premises drawing 100A per phase or above on a 415V supply — most restaurants, retail units with refrigeration, small workshops, gyms with electric heating, and any HMO running an industrial-spec lift. Three-phase EICRs are also typical for the landlord supply on residential blocks of 6+ units, even where the individual flats are single-phase. If you don't know your supply, check the meter — three phase reads as a 415V incoming, single phase 230V.
Sample versus 100% — when does each apply?
Sample testing per IET Guidance Note 3 applies to lower-risk installations: single-dwelling residential, low-occupancy commercial offices, retail without specialist plant. 100% accessory testing applies to HMOs, three-phase commercial, restaurants and food premises, public-access venues, schools, care homes, and any installation where the consequences of a missed defect are severe. The cover page of the certificate records which methodology was used.
Communal block versus individual flat EICR — what is the difference?
A communal block (common parts) EICR covers only the landlord-controlled supply — stair lighting, lobby sockets, intercom, fire alarm panel and supply, lift supply, and the riser cabling. It does not cover any individual leaseholder's flat. Each flat needs its own EICR, commissioned by the leaseholder or letting landlord. Confusing the two is a common reason councils reject HMO licence applications on otherwise-compliant blocks.
How does a periodic inspection differ from an EICR?
There is no difference — 'EICR' is the modern name. Periodic Inspection Report (PIR) was the title used until BS 7671:2008 standardised on 'Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)'. Anyone still issuing a 'PIR' is either using legacy software or has not updated their certificate template since the 17th edition. The content and coding are identical; only the cover-page title changed.
EICR versus Minor Works certificate — when does each apply?
An EICR is the audit document for an existing installation, issued on a 5-yearly cycle. A Minor Electrical Installation Works certificate (MEIWC) is the as-built certificate for a small alteration — a new socket on an existing ring, a new fan on an existing lighting circuit, an RCBO swap. Larger new work (consumer unit replacement, new circuit, new sub-board) requires an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) instead. EICR covers the whole installation; the others cover specific new work.
EICR versus PIR — is there a historical difference?
Purely a naming change. Before BS 7671:2008 the document was a Periodic Inspection Report (PIR), with codes 1, 2, 3 and 4. From 2008 onward it became the EICR with codes C1, C2, C3 and FI. A PIR certificate is still legally valid on file, but you cannot issue a new PIR — the form left the standard 18 years ago, and BS 7671:2018 Amendment 4 (April 2026, mandatory new work from October 2026) further entrenches the EICR layout.
Do I need a new EICR after a partial rewire?
Yes — and the cleaner path is a full re-inspection rather than relying on Minor Works certificates layered on top of the existing report. Partial rewires typically touch the consumer unit, alter circuit identification, and introduce new RCBOs that need full live testing. The fresh EICR resets the 5-year clock and gives the next inspector (and the next mortgage application) a clean baseline.
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