People often search for an electrical installation certificate when they are selling a house, when a solicitor asks for one, or when building control wants proof that work was done correctly. The EIC is a specific document with a specific job. It is not the same as a condition report on an existing installation, and it is not the same as the smaller form issued for minor additions. Knowing which is which saves a lot of back and forth.
The short answer
An EIC is issued when new electrical work is carried out, such as a rewire, a new circuit or a replacement consumer unit. It confirms that the work meets the wiring regulations at the time it was done, and it includes the test results that prove it. You should receive it when the job is finished. It covers only the work described on it, not the rest of the house.
When an EIC is issued
The rule of thumb is simple: new circuits get an EIC. Smaller changes to an existing circuit, such as an extra socket or a moved light, usually get a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate instead. An inspection of existing wiring gets a condition report. Three documents, three purposes.
- Full or partial rewire
- New consumer unit
- New circuit for a kitchen, shower, cooker or outbuilding
- Wiring for an extension or loft conversion
- Dedicated circuit for an EV charger
What is on the certificate
An EIC has several parts. The first describes the extent of the work, so you can see exactly what it covers. The next records the supply characteristics and earthing arrangements of the property. Then come the declarations for design, construction, and inspection and testing, each signed by the person responsible. On most domestic jobs one electrician signs all three.
Attached to the certificate are the schedule of inspections, which is a checklist of what was looked at, and the schedule of test results, which records measured values for each circuit. Those numbers are what make the certificate meaningful. A certificate with no test results is not complete.
How it links to building control
In England, much new electrical work is notifiable. When a registered electrician does it, they notify it through their scheme, and a building regulations compliance certificate follows separately. That compliance certificate and the EIC are different documents. A buyer's solicitor will normally want both for notifiable work, so keep them together.
Checking your certificate
You do not need to understand every number to sanity check an EIC. Make sure the address is right, the description matches the work you paid for, the dates are sensible, all declarations are signed, and there is a schedule of test results for every circuit listed. If anything looks missing, ask the electrician straight away, while the job is fresh.
If the certificate is missing
If work was done without an EIC, or the paperwork has been lost, first contact the electrician who did it. If that is not possible, an electrician can inspect and test the affected circuits and report on their condition. That report describes the state of the wiring as found. It cannot retrospectively certify how the original work was designed and installed, but it gives you, and any buyer, a clear picture of whether the circuits are safe.
Keeping it safe
Store the EIC with the house deeds or other property documents, and keep a digital copy. Future electricians use the recorded test results as a baseline, which makes later fault finding and inspections quicker and cheaper.
Common questions
- Is an EIC the same as an EICR?
- No. An EIC certifies new work. An EICR reports on the condition of an existing installation. They look similar but answer different questions.
- Do I get an EIC for adding one socket?
- Usually not. Adding to an existing circuit normally gets a minor works certificate. New circuits get an EIC.
- Does an EIC expire?
- No. It records the work as it was when completed. The installation should still be inspected periodically during its life.
- Who can issue an EIC?
- The competent person who designed, installed and tested the work. On most domestic jobs that is the electrician who carried it out.
Having new circuits fitted? Ask us for a free written quote, with certification included.
Related guides
- Electrical Certificates: Which One You Should GetThe right certificate depends on whether work was new, altered or merely inspected.
- Part P Explained for HomeownersPart P is about electrical safety in dwellings. It is shorter and simpler than most people expect.
- What Electrical Work Needs Building Control Sign OffSome electrical work has to be notified to building control. Plenty does not.