Electrical Testing and Inspection Pricing UK — EICR, PAT Testing and Circuit Test Costs (2026)

EICR Pricing by Property Size

The Electrical Installation Condition Report is the bread-and-butter testing job for residential electricians. Landlords are legally required to hold a valid EICR for every rented property in England, renewable every five years, and demand is entirely non-discretionary. The following 2026 benchmarks apply to straightforward domestic properties with reasonably modern wiring and good access:

• 1-bed flat: £100–£150. Typically 8–12 circuits, 1.5–2 hours on site. The lower end suits fast-access properties with a modern consumer unit; the upper end where access is poor or the installation is older.
• 2-bed flat or terraced house: £120–£175. Usually 10–16 circuits, around 2–3 hours. More circuits to test, more accessories to inspect, often a more complex ring main arrangement.
• 3-bed house: £150–£220. The most common landlord EICR you will be asked to quote. Allow 2.5–4 hours; add time if there are outbuildings, garages, or garden circuits.
• 4-bed-plus house: £200–£300. Larger properties often have more circuits, more accessories, harder-to-access areas, and a higher probability of finding faults that require investigation. Never quote a flat rate — scope it first.
• Commercial premises: typically priced per circuit (around £8–£15 per circuit) rather than a flat fee, because circuit counts vary so widely. A small office with 20 circuits is very different to a factory unit with 80.

Three factors will push your price above these ranges. First, the age of the installation: pre-1980s wiring takes longer to test because insulation resistance values are more variable, bonding is often non-existent, and circuit arrangements are non-standard. Budget extra time and price accordingly. Second, access: a consumer unit in a locked cupboard you have to wait to be unlocked, floorboards that need lifting to access junction boxes, or loft voids without boards all slow you down. Third, circuit count: always confirm the approximate number of circuits before quoting. A 3-bed house with a 10-way consumer unit is a very different job to one with a 20-way board and a separate garage supply.

PAT Testing Pricing

Portable Appliance Testing is technically a business-to-business service — employers have a duty under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 to maintain portable electrical equipment in a safe condition, and PAT testing is the most common way of demonstrating compliance. The pricing model differs from EICR work.

• Per-item rate: the standard approach for larger volumes. In 2026, expect £1–£3 per item depending on volume, appliance type, and your location. Class I items (earthed equipment: kettles, microwaves, extension leads) take longer than Class II (double-insulated: laptops, phone chargers) and should be priced at the higher end. Very large appliances, industrial equipment, or those requiring secondary testing (earth bond tests on three-phase equipment, for example) attract a premium.
• Minimum call-out charge: always apply one. A minimum of £50–£100 prevents you being called to a small office to test four items and earning less than your travel costs. Most clients with fewer than 30–40 items will end up paying the minimum rather than the per-item rate, and that is the right outcome commercially.
• Annual PAT contracts: the most profitable PAT model. Quote a fixed annual fee for returning to the same premises on a rolling 12-month basis. A business with 80 items at £1.50 per item is a £120 annual contract. Lock in 20 of those contracts and PAT testing becomes a reliable £2,400 of recurring revenue with very low client acquisition cost in years two onwards. Include certificate issuance, appliance labelling, and a digital or printed register in the contract price — these are what clients actually want, not just the test itself.

Everything with a plug and connected to the mains supply technically falls within scope for PAT testing: computers, monitors, kettles, toasters, extension leads, desk lamps, heaters, power tools, and chargers. Exempt items include fixed appliances that are part of the building's fixed wiring (ovens, dishwashers plumbed in to a fused connection unit) and battery-powered equipment. When quoting, always ask the client to confirm what they want tested and walk the site first before committing to a per-item price — you will occasionally find a building with 200 items where you expected 60.

Circuit Testing and Fault Finding

Fault-finding is the testing work that trips electricians up on pricing more than anything else. A client calls because a circuit has tripped and won't reset, or sockets on a ring have gone dead. You do not know whether it will take 30 minutes or 4 hours to diagnose and fix. Quote too low and you lose money; quote too high and you lose the job.

The standard approach for diagnostic work is an hourly rate rather than a fixed price. In 2026, electrician hourly rates for diagnostic and fault-finding work run £60–£100 per hour depending on location (London and the South East at the upper end, regional towns at the lower). Be explicit in your quote: “Fault-finding charged at £75 per hour. Once the fault is diagnosed, we will provide a fixed price for the repair before proceeding.” This two-stage approach protects you from open-ended exposure and gives the client a decision point once they know the cost.

Fixed-fee fault finding only makes sense when you have inspected the installation and have a confident view of the likely cause. If a client describes symptoms that strongly suggest a failed RCD or a known circuit configuration issue, you can quote a fixed fee with a confidence. If it is genuinely unknown, daywork is the right model. The risk of guessing wrong on a fixed-fee fault-find and spending six hours on a job you quoted £150 for is too high.

For straightforward circuit testing outside of fault-finding — continuity tests, insulation resistance, loop impedance on a single circuit as part of a Minor Works Certificate job — include the cost of testing in your installation price rather than itemising it separately. Clients rarely want to see a testing line on a quote; they want to see the total cost of the job done correctly.

Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) Issuance

An Electrical Installation Certificate must be issued for any new installation or significant alteration to an existing circuit. In most cases the EIC is produced as part of the installation job and its cost is bundled into your quote. But there are scenarios where an EIC needs to be issued separately from the installation work — most commonly where a previous electrician completed work but did not issue the certificate, where a client needs retrospective documentation for a property sale, or where work was done by an unqualified person who is now seeking sign-off.

If you are issuing an EIC for work you did not carry out yourself, you will need to carry out sufficient testing to satisfy yourself that the installation is safe and compliant before putting your name to it. That means a full set of test results — continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, loop impedance and RCD tests as applicable — plus a visual inspection. Charging £80–£150 for this as a standalone service is reasonable, depending on the complexity of the installation and the time involved. Never issue a certificate for work you have not personally inspected and tested. The certificate carries your name and registration number and makes you liable.

For straightforward Minor Works Certificates (MWC) — issued when you add a socket, extend a circuit, or replace a consumer unit — the certificate cost is part of the job and should not be broken out separately. The administrative cost of issuing an MWC is negligible; build it into your labour rate and move on.

Consumer Unit Replacement: Testing Included

A consumer unit replacement is one of the most common jobs that generates a full set of test results as a by-product of the installation. Before energising the new board, you will already have carried out dead tests on every circuit — continuity checks, insulation resistance, and ring main end-to-end measurements. Once energised, you will carry out live tests: earth fault loop impedance and RCD tests on every protective device. All of this is part of doing the job correctly, not an add-on.

Do not itemise testing separately on a consumer unit quote. Quote the job as a complete price that includes supply and fit of the consumer unit, all circuit connections, labelling, testing, and issue of an Electrical Installation Certificate. The testing is what validates the installation — separating it out looks like padding and creates confusion. In 2026, a standard consumer unit replacement on a domestic property with 10–16 circuits should be quoted at £500–£900 all-in, including the certificate.

Where a consumer unit replacement is triggered by a failed EICR, there is an opportunity to bundle additional remedial work — bonding upgrades, socket replacements, circuit additions — into the same visit. Quote the CU replacement as the anchor job and itemise additional remedials separately. Clients who have already committed to the CU job are far more likely to approve additional items when they are presented at the same time rather than as a separate follow-on visit.

Thermal Imaging for Electrical Surveys

Thermal imaging is used in electrical surveys to identify hotspots in distribution boards, cable connections, motor starters, and switchgear without taking equipment out of service. It is primarily a commercial and industrial tool — the cost and time investment is rarely justified on a domestic EICR, but it can be transformative in a commercial or industrial context where a loose connection in a main distribution board could cause a fire or a production shutdown.

A decent thermal imaging camera costs £500–£3,000 depending on resolution and sensitivity. Higher-specification cameras that meet the requirements for formal thermographic surveys (typically FLIR or similar with a sensitivity of 0.05°C or better) sit toward the upper end. If you are acquiring equipment specifically to offer thermal surveys commercially, that capital cost needs to factor into your pricing.

The price premium for thermal imaging surveys over a standard electrical inspection varies, but a 30–50% uplift on the base inspection price is a common market position for commercial premises. A switchboard thermal survey that would be priced at £300 as a standard visual inspection might be quoted at £400–£450 with thermal imaging included. For large industrial sites where a formal thermographic report is required for insurance purposes, the pricing moves into day-rate territory: £600–£1,200 for a full-day thermal survey with a detailed written report.

The business case for investing in thermal imaging capability is strongest if you already have commercial maintenance contracts or are actively targeting industrial clients. A single contract renewal secured because you can offer thermal imaging that a competitor cannot will pay back the equipment cost within months.

What Is Included in a Standard EICR

Clients — particularly landlords — often ask what they are actually paying for when they commission an EICR. Understanding what is included helps you justify your price and distinguish your service from a competitor who is clearly cutting corners.

A properly conducted domestic EICR includes:

• Visual inspection: systematic inspection of the consumer unit, all visible wiring, accessories (sockets, switches, light fittings), earthing and bonding arrangements, and any hard-wired appliances. Checks for signs of damage, deterioration, overheating, incorrect installation, and non-compliance with current regulations.
• Dead testing — insulation resistance: tests the integrity of cable insulation by applying a high DC voltage between conductors. Detects degraded insulation that could cause earth faults or short circuits. Carried out circuit by circuit with loads disconnected.
• Dead testing — earth continuity: confirms that every accessible metallic part that should be earthed actually has a continuous low-resistance connection to earth. Checks protective conductors back to the main earthing terminal.
• Live testing — earth fault loop impedance: measures the impedance of the complete fault loop (supply, distribution, circuit conductors, earth return) to confirm that in a fault condition, sufficient current will flow to operate the protective device within the required disconnection time.
• Live testing — RCD tests: tests every residual current device under load to confirm it trips within the required time at the rated trip current (typically 30mA for life protection). Uses a calibrated test instrument, not the press-to-test button.
• Schedule of circuits: a completed circuit schedule recording all test results, circuit descriptions, protective device types and ratings, and cable types for every circuit in the installation.
• EICR report: the formal report document with all observations coded (C1, C2, C3, FI) and an overall classification (satisfactory or unsatisfactory). Issued to the client and retained on file.

A thorough EICR on a 3-bed house should take a minimum of 2.5–3 hours. If a contractor claims they can complete it in an hour, they are either skipping tests or working on a very small, modern property. The report is the legal document the landlord hands to their tenant — it needs to be correct.

Remedial Works After an EICR: How to Price C1, C2 and C3 Items

A failed EICR creates immediate demand for remedial work, and if you conducted the inspection, you are the natural first choice for the remedials. How you handle this commercially affects both your revenue and your client relationship.

• C1 — Danger present: treat as an emergency job. Clients with a C1 on their EICR have a legal obligation to act immediately, which means you can legitimately charge emergency or priority rates. Quote the remediation separately from the inspection fee. Common C1 items include exposed live conductors, failed insulation on a circuit in active use, and absent protective conductors on circuits with accessible metalwork.
• C2 — Potentially dangerous: the client has 28 days to remediate. Quote the C2 items within 24–48 hours of issuing the EICR report while the conversation is live. Common C2 remedials and 2026 pricing benchmarks: earth bonding upgrade to gas/water services (£80–£150); RCD upgrade to circuits without protection (£150–£300 depending on scope); socket or accessory replacement where damaged (£25–£60 per item); outdated or dangerous consumer unit (£500–£900 for full replacement).
• C3 — Improvement recommended: these are not mandatory but worth quoting. Present C3 items as a separate optional quotation with a note that they are not legally required but represent an improvement over the current standard. Clients who trust you are more likely to proceed with C3 work if it is presented clearly and priced fairly. Do not bundle C3 items into the mandatory remediation quote — clients resent being pushed to spend money they are not legally required to spend.

Whether to quote remedials separately or include them in the inspection price depends on your model. For residential landlord work, a separate remedials quote is almost always the right approach — it keeps the inspection price competitive, maintains transparency, and creates a clear paper trail for compliance purposes. For commercial clients on a maintenance contract, including a minor remedials allowance in the annual contract fee can simplify administration and make the contract more attractive.

How to Structure an Electrical Testing Quote

A poorly structured testing quote costs you jobs. Landlords and facilities managers receive multiple quotes for EICR and PAT work; what they are comparing is not just price but confidence. A quote that clearly sets out what is included, how long it will take, and what the deliverables are wins jobs that a vague “EICR — £150” quote loses.

• Scope: specify the property address, number of circuits (estimated), and what is included (visual inspection, full test results, circuit schedule, EICR report). If there are any known exclusions (garage not accessible, outbuilding circuit deferred), state them.
• Price: quote a fixed price for the inspection and report. If remedials are not yet known, note that remedial work will be quoted separately on completion of the inspection.
• Turnaround: state when the client will receive the report. Landlords often have tenant move-in deadlines. “Report issued within 48 hours of inspection” is a differentiator. Sending the report three weeks later is not.
• Certification: confirm you are registered with NICEIC or NAPIT and that the certificate will carry your registration number and be issuable to the client for compliance purposes. Some landlords have been caught out with reports that do not meet the Regulations' requirements for competent person certification.
• Failed EICR process: if the EICR is unsatisfactory, explain briefly in your quote what happens next — remedials will be quoted separately, and upon completion you will issue a minor works certificate or EIC as appropriate. Clients who know the process in advance are less likely to be difficult about it later.

For PAT testing quotes, include a per-item rate, the minimum charge, what the deliverables are (test register, labels, certificate), and the lead time for the visit. A PAT certificate without a test register is nearly useless for a business trying to demonstrate compliance — make sure your quote makes clear you are providing the full package.

Building a Testing-Focused Electrical Business

Testing and inspection work is uniquely well-suited to building recurring revenue. Unlike installation work which is one-off and unpredictable, testing work repeats on defined cycles: EICRs every five years, PAT annually, gas interlock tests annually for commercial catering. Once you have a client on a testing cycle, you have a relationship that renews without the cost of re-acquiring them.

The highest-leverage area for residential testing work is letting agents. A single letting agent managing 100 properties represents 20 EICR renewals per year on the five-year cycle, plus PAT testing on furnished properties, plus remedials on failed EICRs. Agents who trust a reliable EICR contractor are loyal — they do not want the administrative risk of using different electricians. Approach your local letting agents with a bulk pricing offer: typically a 10–15% discount on standard EICR rates in exchange for a preferred supplier agreement. At volume, you are still making good margins, and you are filling your diary with predictable, bookable work.

Landlord portfolios work similarly. A landlord with eight properties has eight EICRs to manage. Position yourself as the person who tracks their renewal dates and reminds them when the next inspection is due. That proactive approach transforms you from a supplier into a trusted trade partner, and means you are never having to compete on price for their business.

For commercial PAT work, target businesses that take Health & Safety compliance seriously: schools, care homes, offices with large IT estates, factories with production equipment. Annual PAT contracts with these clients produce reliable monthly or quarterly revenue and are often renewable without re-quoting if the relationship is good. Include an annual price review clause when writing the contract so you can adjust for inflation without awkward renegotiations.

Commercial block contracts — maintenance agreements with landlords or facilities managers covering multiple units in a block — give you the most leverage of all. An agreement to cover all EICR renewals, PAT testing, and remedials for a 50-unit block of flats eliminates 50 individual client relationships and replaces them with one conversation, one invoice, and one renewal date. Price these at a meaningful discount to your standard rate in exchange for the certainty, and make sure the contract specifies a minimum volume commitment so you are not left holding a block agreement that generates three jobs a year.