EIC vs EICR: which electrical certificate do you need?

An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) confirms that new electrical work, such as a rewire, new circuit or consumer unit, meets BS 7671. A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate covers small alterations without a new circuit. An EICR reports on an existing installation's condition. Landlords in England need an EICR at least every five years. Checked October 2026.

The three documents look alike and are often called "the electrical certificate", which is where the confusion starts. They answer different questions. Two are about new work: was this job done to the standard? The EICR asks whether an installation that already exists is still safe to use. This guide sets out which one a landlord, a seller and a buyer needs, and where Building Regulations come in. We are EliteShires Property Services, based in Kenton, and our electricians and EICR inspectors work across Harrow, Kenton, Stanmore and Edgware.

What is the difference between an EIC, a Minor Works Certificate and an EICR?

An EIC and a Minor Works Certificate certify new work; an EICR reports on the condition of what is already there. All three are model forms published with BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, and the current edition is BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.

EIC, Minor Works Certificate and EICR compared (BS 7671 model forms, checked October 2026)

The IET's notes on the forms are direct. The EIC "can not be used for the inspection and testing of an existing electrical installation" and is "not to be used for periodic inspection and testing". The Minor Works Certificate is for work that does "not extend to the provision of a new circuit", and not "for the replacement of consumer units, distribution boards or similar items". So a board change always comes with an EIC.

Which certificate do you need for your job?

Start with what is happening to the installation. If nothing new is being installed and you want to know whether it is safe, you need an EICR. If work is being done, the size of the job decides between an EIC and a Minor Works Certificate. Building Regulations then decide whether a compliance certificate follows as well.

When does Building Regulations notification come in?

When the work is notifiable under Part P. Regulation 12(6A) of the Building Regulations 2010 lists three kinds of electrical work in a home that must be notified: installing a new circuit, replacing a consumer unit, and any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location. A special location is the space around a bath or shower, or a room with a swimming pool or sauna heater.

There are two routes for notifiable work:

1. A competent person scheme electrician self-certifies the work. The regulations require a copy of their certificate to the occupier, and notice to building control, within 30 days of completion (Building Regulations 2010, regulation 20). GOV.UK tells homeowners to expect the certificate within 8 weeks of completion, so chase it if it is late. GOV.UK adds that the certificate "will also show up in solicitors' searches if you come to sell your home".
2. Building control. Where the installer is not in a scheme, a building notice or full plans application goes to the council's building control or a registered approver, and a completion certificate follows.

The compliance certificate is a separate document from the EIC. The EIC shows the work meets the wiring standard. The compliance certificate shows building control was told. You want both.

Which certificate does a landlord need?

An EICR, at least every five years or sooner if the report says so (Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 3). There are two cases where an EIC does the job instead. Our guide to how long an EICR lasts covers the dates in full. If the gas safety check falls due around the same time, one visit for both certificates is an option.

• New build or full rewire. GOV.UK guidance says the landlord can give the tenant a copy of the EIC. No further report is needed "for 5 years after the EIC has been issued".
• After remedial work. GOV.UK lists a satisfactory EICR, an EIC or a Minor Works Certificate as acceptable written confirmation that the work is done. Our guide to the paperwork after EICR remedial work explains who gets which document, and when.

An EIC for one part of the installation is not a new EICR for the rest. If your consumer unit is replaced, the EIC covers the new board. In our view, the five-year clock for the whole installation still runs from your last EICR. Our guide to when a rental needs a new consumer unit explains when a board change is genuinely required.

Which certificate does a seller or buyer need?

None is a legal requirement for a sale in England, but buyers' solicitors ask for certificates for past work. The Law Society's TA6 property information form asks about electrical installation work and certificates in questions 11.1 and 11.2. Its explanatory notes explain that electrical work has had to follow Building Regulations since 1 January 2005, and that most electrical work requires one of three documents:

• a building control completion certificate;
• the installer's Building Regulations Compliance Certificate; or
• the BS 7671 Electrical Installation Certificate.

The same notes say an EICR "is not a legal requirement for the sale of property". A buyer who intends to let will want to see a current one. Our guide to the certificates needed to sell a house goes through the rest of the form.

For buyers, Electrical Safety First recommends a periodic inspection before buying a previously occupied home. Certificates show that past jobs were done properly when they were done. An EICR tells you how the whole installation stands today.

What if the certificate for past work is missing?

Ask the installer or their scheme for a copy first. Building control bodies must store the notices and certificates they receive (Building Regulations 2010, regulation 20(3A)). The council's building control team for the address, whether Harrow, Brent or Barnet, may be able to confirm what was notified.

An electrician cannot issue an EIC for work they did not design, install and test. If the paperwork cannot be found, an EICR records the installation's current condition. Where notifiable work was never notified, the owner can apply to the council for a regularisation certificate under regulation 18 of the Building Regulations 2010. Your conveyancer will advise on how a missing certificate affects a sale.

Who can issue these certificates?

The person who designed, installed and tested the work signs an EIC or Minor Works Certificate. A qualified and competent person carries out an EICR. For notifiable work, choose an electrician registered with a competent person scheme, which you can check on the Electrical Competent Person Register. Our guide to checking an electrician's registration shows where to look.

When we install or alter wiring, you get the right certificate for the job, an EIC or a Minor Works Certificate, and notifiable work is notified to building control. A board change is a defined job at a fixed price confirmed before we attend. Smaller repairs are hourly, with the rate and an estimate confirmed first. Our rewiring page explains how we approach a full rewire and the EIC that follows it.

What changed with BS 7671 Amendment 4?

The IET and BSI published BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 on 15 April 2026, and the previous version was withdrawn on 15 October 2026. The IET has published updated EIC, Minor Works and EICR forms for it. Certificates already issued under earlier editions are still the record of that work. A later EICR judges the installation against the edition current at the time of the inspection. On the EICR, an FI code on its own no longer makes the overall result unsatisfactory; if the report says further investigation is required, the 2020 regulations still give a landlord 28 days.

To book locally, see electrician in Harrow, electrician in Kenton, electrician in Stanmore, electrician in Edgware, or an EICR in Harrow.