EICR Certificate Example. What a Completed Report Looks Like

You've been told you need an EICR, or you've just received one, and now you're staring at pages of codes and observations wondering what any of it actually means. Searching for an eicr certificate example is usually the fastest way to make sense of a document that's written for electricians, not homeowners or landlords.

So what does an eicr certificate look like in practice? A genuine report follows a set structure: property and installation details, an overview of the consumer unit and circuits, a schedule of test results, and a list of observations coded C1, C2, C3 or FI depending on severity. Once you know what each section is supposed to contain, the whole document stops looking like jargon and starts telling you exactly what state your electrics are in.

In this guide, we'll walk through a completed EICR section by section, explain what the classification codes mean for your safety and compliance, and show you how to read the overall result. We test and certify properties across London and the South East every week, so this is based on real reports, not theory.

Why it matters to know what an EICR looks like

Most people only look up an eicr certificate example once they're holding a real one, usually because a letting agent, mortgage lender, or workplace has just asked for it and the document itself doesn't explain anything. That's the wrong moment to be learning what a satisfactory result looks like versus an unsatisfactory one. Knowing the format in advance means you can check your own report the moment it lands in your inbox, rather than taking someone else's word for what it says.

Spotting problems before they become expensive

Understanding the layout lets you catch issues while they're still cheap to fix. A report with three or four C3 codes and no C1 or C2 findings is a very different situation from one flagged unsatisfactory with a dangerous circuit needing immediate attention. If you can read the schedule of test results and the observations table yourself, you know within minutes whether you're looking at routine maintenance or something that needs a qualified electrician on site this week.

An EICR only protects you if you can actually read what it's telling you.

Protecting yourself as a landlord

Landlords in England have had a legal duty to hold a valid EICR for every rented property since the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 came into force, and local authorities can issue fines of up to £30,000 for failing to meet EICR requirements for landlords. If you don't know what the certificate should contain, you can't tell whether your electrician has actually done a thorough job or just filled in a template. Reviewing a sample report against your own gives you a benchmark for:

• Whether every circuit in the property has been tested and listed, not just a sample

• Whether the overall assessment (satisfactory or unsatisfactory) matches the codes listed underneath it

• Whether recommended remedial work has clear timescales attached

• Whether the electrician's registration number and qualifications are stated, as required by Gov.uk's private rented sector guidance

Making sense of a report before you complete on a property

Homebuyers often receive an EICR as part of the conveyancing process, or commission a domestic EICR in London themselves before exchanging contracts. Reading it properly can be the difference between negotiating a fair price reduction and moving into a house with a consumer unit that needs replacing within months. If the report shows C1 or C2 codes on the schedule, that's leverage at the negotiation table, not just paperwork to file away. Buyers who don't understand the format tend to either panic over minor C3 observations or, worse, miss genuine safety defects buried in dense technical language.

Catching a poor-quality or fraudulent report

Unfortunately, not every EICR in circulation is trustworthy. Some are generated by unqualified individuals using downloaded templates, with vague observations, missing circuit details, or no proper coding at all. Comparing what you've been given against a genuine, correctly formatted report is one of the fastest ways to tell whether the person who tested your property actually knows what they're doing. A properly completed EICR always includes a unique certificate number, the engineer's qualifications, and a fully itemised schedule of test results, none of which should be skipped or summarised away.

Once you've seen a few real examples, these gaps become obvious. That's exactly why we'll break down each section of a genuine report next, using the same structure our engineers use when they carry out an EICR across London and the South East, so you know precisely what to expect from yours.

How to read an EICR certificate section by section

A genuine EICR certificate example always follows the same skeleton, whichever electrician or software produced it, because the inspection is carried out step by step the same way every time. Once you know what sits in each part, you can scan a real report in minutes instead of reading it cover to cover looking for the bit that actually matters.

The summary and client details

Every report opens with the basics: the property address, the client's name, the date of inspection, and the date the next inspection is due. This section also carries the overall assessment, either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, and it should never be left blank or ambiguous. Right below it you'll find the engineer's name, their qualifications, and their registration number with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT. If any of this is missing, treat the whole document with suspicion.

If the summary page doesn't clearly state satisfactory or unsatisfactory, the report hasn't done its job.

Extent and limitations of the inspection

Next comes a section stating exactly what was and wasn't tested, known as the extent and limitations. A thorough EICR lists every circuit, distribution board, and area of the property covered, along with anything the electrician couldn't access, like a locked outbuilding or a boxed-in socket behind furniture. This part matters more than most people realise, because a report can only be as reliable as what it actually inspected.

Schedule of inspections and schedule of test results

After the limitations, you'll hit the technical core: the schedule of inspections and the schedule of test results. The inspections schedule works through the visual checks an EICR covers against wiring regulations, things like whether cables are correctly supported or consumer units are suitably enclosed. The test results schedule is more numerical, recording readings for each circuit such as insulation resistance, earth loop impedance, and RCD trip times.

Observations and recommendations

Finally, the observations table lists every defect found, each tagged with a classification code and a plain-English description. This is where the report tells you what's actually wrong, and it's the section we'll unpack properly next, because the codes are where most confusion starts.

Understanding EICR codes and what they mean

Codes are the part of an eicr certificate example that people fixate on, and for good reason. Every observation in the schedule gets tagged with one of four classifications, and that single letter or number tells you how urgently it needs sorting. Get the code wrong and you either panic over something minor or ignore something dangerous.

The four classification codes

BS 7671, the wiring regulations that every EICR is measured against, sets out four possible codes, and what each EICR code means legally follows directly from them. Here's what each one actually means in practice:

A single C1 or C2 code is enough to make an entire EICR unsatisfactory, no matter how good the rest of the report looks.

Why the mix of codes matters more than the count

Getting eight C3 codes on a report is nothing to worry about. They usually flag things like a missing circuit label or an older but still functional accessory, issues that don't put anyone at risk. One C2 code, on the other hand, is a different conversation entirely, because it means something like an exposed live part or inadequate earthing has been found. Landlords and homebuyers often make the mistake of counting codes rather than reading what they're attached to, when a single serious finding outweighs a dozen cosmetic ones.

What FI actually means

An FI code doesn't mean something is broken. It means the engineer couldn't confirm the state of a circuit or component during the visit, often because access was blocked or a test couldn't be safely completed. It gets treated with the same urgency as the underlying concern until someone investigates properly, so don't dismiss it just because it isn't a C1 or C2.

Reading codes alongside the overall assessment

Once you've spotted the codes, cross-check them against the summary page from earlier. Any C1 or C2 automatically makes the report unsatisfactory, and the observations should say what remedial work is needed and by when. If your report lists C1 or C2 findings without a clear next step, that's a gap worth raising with whoever carried out the inspection, or arranging remedial electrical work to close it out properly before renewing tenancies, exchanging contracts, or opening for business.

Example EICR reports: satisfactory vs unsatisfactory

Seeing two real outcomes side by side makes the whole scoring system click. A satisfactory EICR and an unsatisfactory EICR can look almost identical at first glance, same layout, same headings, same schedule of test results. The difference sits entirely in the observations table and the codes attached to it, so it pays to know what each version actually looks like before you're staring at your own.

What a satisfactory report typically shows

Picture a two-bedroom flat rewired eight years ago. The engineer lists eleven circuits, all tested and passing, with two observations: a C3 for a socket without an RCD in a room where one isn't strictly required, and another C3 for missing circuit labelling on the consumer unit. Neither code carries a legal obligation to act. The summary page reads "satisfactory", the next inspection date is set five years out, and the certificate number, engineer details, and scheme registration are all filled in properly. This is what most well-maintained rented flats and recently renovated homes come back with.

What an unsatisfactory report typically shows

Now take a Victorian terrace with its original 1970s consumer unit. The schedule flags a C2 for a lack of RCD protection on socket circuits, a C1 for exposed live conductors behind a light fitting, and an FI because the engineer couldn't access the loft to check the wiring feeding an extension. Any one of those three findings alone forces an unsatisfactory result, and what happens when an EICR fails matters here, because all three together point to a property that's overdue a full rewire or at least a consumer unit upgrade. The summary page states "unsatisfactory" in plain terms, and the recommendations section specifies that the C1 needs immediate action and the C2 needs urgent attention within a defined timescale.

One serious code is enough to turn a clean-looking report into an unsatisfactory one, regardless of how many circuits passed.

Lining your own report up against these two patterns tells you almost everything you need to know within a minute of opening the document. If your codes and summary match the unsatisfactory example above, don't wait for a renewal deadline to act on it.

What happens after you receive your EICR

Getting the document is only step one. What you do with it next depends entirely on whether it came back satisfactory or unsatisfactory, and there's a clear sequence to follow either way rather than just filing it away or panicking.

If your report is satisfactory

A satisfactory result with only C3 or FI observations still needs a follow-up plan. Book your next inspection for the date stated on the summary page, usually five years for a domestic property or sooner for rented and commercial premises. Any C3 items are worth scheduling in as routine maintenance even though there's no legal deadline attached. Keep the certificate somewhere accessible, because landlords need to show it to tenants within 28 days of the inspection under the Electrical Safety Standards regulations, and homeowners will want it on hand for insurance queries or a future sale.

If your report is unsatisfactory

Unsatisfactory means action, not just noting the outcome. C1 findings need addressing immediately, often the same day if the danger is serious enough that the engineer isn't comfortable leaving the circuit live. C2 findings need urgent remedial work within the timescale the report specifies, typically a matter of weeks rather than months. Once the work is done, you need a follow-up EICR or a minor works certificate confirming the defects have been corrected, because the original unsatisfactory report stays on record until there's paperwork showing the problem was fixed.

An unsatisfactory EICR isn't the end of the process, it's the start of a fixed, time-bound to-do list.

Getting remedial work sorted properly

Don't just hand the report to any electrician and hope for the best. Whoever carries out the remedial work should be registered with a competent person scheme and ideally familiar with the original findings, so nothing gets missed or duplicated. Ask for:

• A written quote itemising each C1 and C2 item separately

• A realistic timeframe matching the urgency stated in the report

• Confirmation of what certification you'll receive once the work is finished

We handle this end to end for landlords and homeowners across London, moving from the original EICR straight into remedial electrical work and its costs without a second inspection call-out, which keeps costs down and closes the compliance gap faster. Whatever route you take, don't let an unsatisfactory report sit unresolved. Local authorities can and do check landlord compliance, mortgage lenders can withdraw offers over unresolved C1 findings, and insurers can decline claims linked to known, unaddressed electrical defects.

Reading your EICR with confidence

Once you've seen a genuine eicr certificate example, the document stops being a wall of jargon and becomes something you can actually use. You know where the overall assessment sits, what each code means, and whether the schedule of test results matches what's written above it. That's the whole point of learning the format: catching a serious C1 or C2 finding immediately, rather than discovering months later that it was buried in plain sight.

Whether your report came back satisfactory or not, don't leave it unread in an inbox. Compare it against what we've covered here, check the codes, and act on any timescales stated for remedial work. If anything looks unclear, missing, or you need testing carried out by engineers who format reports properly the first time, get a quote from our team and we'll talk you through exactly what your property needs.