EICR in Gillingham

Periodic inspection and testing in Gillingham, what most people just call an EICR. The work covers a visual inspection of the consumer unit and accessible accessories, dead and live testing on every circuit, and a written report with each observation coded against BS 7671. Common drivers in Medway: a 5-yearly landlord check, a pre-sale or pre-purchase EICR, an insurer asking for current documentation, or a homeowner whose installation hasn’t been tested in a decade.

What EICR actually is

An EICR is a formal inspection and test of the fixed wiring in a property: the consumer unit, every circuit running off it, every accessible socket, switch, and light fitting. The output is a written report with observation codes against anything that’s not satisfactory: C1 for immediate danger, C2 for potentially dangerous (also a fail), C3 for improvement recommended, FI for further investigation required. A satisfactory report has no C1 or C2 observations. A property with C3 observations alone still passes. The report is what landlords need for the PRS regulations, what surveyors check on sale, and what insurers reference when validating a claim.

When you need EICR in Gillingham

Different reasons for different property types. Rented property in Gillingham runs on the 2020 PRS regulations: five years between inspections, plus a fresh report at the start of each new tenancy. The certificate is supplied to tenants and to the local authority on request. Owner-occupied property doesn’t have a statutory cycle. IET guidance is 10 years for domestic, but plenty of homeowners inspect more frequently, usually around major life events like buying, selling, or renovating. Insurance renewals also trigger it, especially on older properties or where there’s been a previous claim.

Standards and what compliance looks like

The technical standard for an EICR is BS 7671:2018+A2:2022, the 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations with Amendment 2. Any EICR signed off after January 2023 should reference that version. Older reports against earlier amendments are still valid for the cycle they were issued in but should be re-tested to current standards on the next inspection. The format of the report itself follows BS 7671 Appendix 6: schedule of inspections, schedule of test results, list of observations with codes. Reports formatted to that standard are accepted by every Medway local authority, every insurer, and every estate agent we’ve worked with.

Fittings and where they go

What gets inspected: the consumer unit (the main fuse board) is opened up and inspected with the cover off. We check the main earth and bonding, the protective devices (MCBs, RCDs, RCBOs), the labelling, and the condition of the connections. From there we work through every accessible accessory in the property (sockets, switches, light fittings, immersion isolators, cooker outlets), checking each for damage, wear, and correct fitting. Cable routing is checked where it’s accessible. Loft spaces, under-stair cupboards, airing cupboards, and outbuildings get a visual where reachable. Buried cables behind plaster are not opened up, but the live testing picks up any major issues on those circuits via insulation resistance and earth fault loop measurements.

Testing schedule and remedials

All testing uses calibrated multifunction test equipment: insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance, RCD operation, and continuity all measured against the BS 7671 pass criteria for each test. Calibration certificates are available on request; the equipment is calibrated annually to UKAS standards. On site, the work runs circuit by circuit. Each is isolated, dead-tested, restored, and live-tested before moving on. The customer is kept informed of what’s being tested and any brief power-downs are flagged in advance. Our standard practice is to leave the consumer unit and accessories exactly as we found them once testing is complete.

Why Gillingham property owners book CJA Electrical

Three things matter on EICR work and they all sit on the inspector: technical accuracy (the right observations coded correctly), report quality (clearly written, properly formatted to BS 7671 Appendix 6), and turnaround (the report in your hands inside 48 hours, not a week later). All three are why Medway clients keep coming back. On the practical side: same-day quote, scheduled inspection inside the working week, PDF report direct to your inbox or your agent’s, and remedial work quoted line-by-line against the report so you can decide what to action.

How the work runs

The flow is simple. First contact (phone, email, or WhatsApp) to confirm the property size, circuit count, and rough timing. A quote, fixed price for most Gillingham domestic EICRs, given on the call. A scheduled inspection visit, typically inside the working week. The written report supplied as a PDF inside 48 hours of testing completing. If anything is unsatisfactory, remedial work is quoted separately. Once remedials are done, the affected circuits are re-tested and a fresh, satisfactory certificate is issued. Most landlord and pre-sale jobs run start-to-finish in a working week; commercial and larger residential might take a fortnight including remedials.

What affects the price

EICR pricing is mostly driven by the size of the installation, circuit count more than floor area. A small flat with a single consumer unit and 6-8 circuits is at one end; a larger detached property with two consumer units, an outbuilding sub-board, and 20+ circuits is at the other. Most Gillingham three-bed homes come in as a fixed price after a brief chat about the property. What’s included: the on-site inspection, the testing, the written report, and certificate delivery as a PDF. Remedial work, if anything is unsatisfactory, is quoted separately so you can shop around if you want and so the inspection price stays clean and predictable.

FAQs

How quickly can I get a report after the inspection?

PDF inside 48 hours of testing completing. We can usually turn it around faster (same evening, next morning) if there’s a deadline (landlord renewal, sale exchange, insurance renewal) and we just need to know the deadline up front.

What if I disagree with an observation on the report?

Talk to us. Each observation has reasoning behind the coding, usually clear regulatory references, and we’ll walk through any specific item if you want to understand the call. Genuine reconsideration on borderline calls is fine; we don’t dig in for the sake of it.

Does an EICR cover gas, water, or appliances?

No. The EICR is a fixed-wiring inspection only: the consumer unit and circuits, plus accessories like sockets and switches. Gas certification is a Gas Safe registered engineer’s job; water leak detection is a plumber’s; appliance testing (PAT testing) is a separate service. We can refer to trusted local trades for any of those.

What if my property has more than one consumer unit?

Common in larger Gillingham properties: main board plus a garage or outbuilding sub-board, occasionally a separate board for a flat conversion or annexe. Each board is inspected separately and gets its own schedule of test results. The price reflects the additional testing time; we’ll confirm a fixed all-in number at quoting stage.

Can the report be supplied to my agent or council directly?

Yes. The PDF can go to you, your letting agent, your council, your insurer, or all of the above. Medway Council accepts the standard BS 7671 Appendix 6 format, as do all the major letting agents and managing agents we’ve worked with.

How long does an EICR take?

Half a day for a typical Gillingham three-bed home. Smaller flats can be done in a couple of hours; larger properties with multiple consumer units or extensive outbuildings can take a full day. We give a realistic estimate at quoting stage based on circuit count and access.