An EICR lands, it says unsatisfactory, and the instinct is to price every line. That is rarely the right move. Only some codes affect the outcome of the report, and treating them all equally inflates the cost of compliance without improving safety.
The four codes in plain terms
- C1 — danger present, risk of injury now. The electrician should make it safe on the day and tell you immediately.
- C2 — potentially dangerous. No immediate risk, but it must be corrected for the report to become satisfactory.
- C3 — improvement recommended. It does not make the report unsatisfactory and can be planned in with other works.
- FI — further investigation required. Something could not be assessed and the report stays unsatisfactory until it is.
What makes a report satisfactory
Only C1, C2 and FI observations affect the outcome. Clearing those and obtaining written confirmation from the contractor is what turns the report round. C3 items are worth collecting into the next planned electrical programme rather than mobilising for separately.
For rented residential property in England, remedial work identified as C1, C2 or FI must be completed within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies, with written confirmation supplied to the tenant and to the local authority on request.
Where portfolio costs actually go
Across the blocks we work on, the recurring spend is rarely the headline consumer unit change. It is bonding, missing RCD protection on socket circuits, junction boxes buried behind finishes and landlord supplies that no one can positively identify.
Getting the distribution boards labelled and schematics recorded once removes a surprising amount of future FI coding, because the next inspector is not guessing what feeds what.