A commercial EICR is a periodic inspection and test of the fixed electrical installation in business premises, carried out to BS 7671. It is the usual way to show you are meeting the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, typically every 5 years. BritCertify tests London shops, offices, restaurants and communal supplies from £149 inc. VAT, with reports usually within 24–48 hours.
Is a commercial EICR a legal requirement?
No law names the EICR for business premises specifically, but the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical systems to be maintained to prevent danger. A periodic inspection and test to BS 7671, often called fixed wire testing, is the recognised way to show that duty is being met.
In practice, the report is also what insurers, landlords and managing agents ask to see. Who books it depends on who controls each part of the installation:
- Business occupiers usually look after the wiring within their own unit, particularly on full repairing leases.
- Commercial landlords generally remain responsible for shared supplies, landlord’s distribution boards and common parts.
- Freeholders, managing agents and RTM companies of residential blocks are responsible for the landlord’s supply feeding communal lighting, door entry, emergency lighting and fire alarm panels.
Read your lease before booking. It will usually say who carries out and pays for testing, and settling this first stops two parties paying for the same work.
How often should commercial premises be tested?
IET Guidance Note 3 gives a typical maximum of 5 years between inspections for commercial premises, and the electrician can recommend a shorter interval based on what they find. Age, condition, how hard the installation works and how often it is altered all count.
A restaurant kitchen running heavy three-phase equipment in heat and humidity is a very different risk from a quiet first-floor office, even though both start from the same headline interval. Your lease and insurance policy may set their own requirements too, so check both. Our reports are issued against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, the amendment published on 15 April 2026 that fully replaces the previous version from mid-October 2026.
What does the inspection involve?
A visual inspection of every accessible part of the installation, followed by dead and live testing of each circuit. The visual stage covers the condition of boards, enclosures, cable containment, isolators and accessories, and checks that warning notices and circuit charts are present and accurate.
Dead tests, with circuits isolated, confirm the continuity of protective conductors and measure insulation resistance. Live tests then measure earth fault loop impedance and prospective fault current, confirm polarity and phase rotation on three-phase supplies, and check that each RCD disconnects within the required time. The results are recorded circuit by circuit on the schedule of test results, which is the part of the report a future electrician relies on most.
What do we focus on in different types of premises?
Every commercial EICR covers the same core tests, but where our electricians look hardest depends on how the space is used.
| Premises | What we pay particular attention to |
|---|---|
| Offices | Floor boxes and dado trunking, circuits added during fit-outs, comms cabinets, sockets overloaded with multi-way adaptors |
| Shops | Window display and signage circuits, refrigeration, shared intakes with flats above, unlabelled boards in basements |
| Restaurants and takeaways | Three-phase cooking equipment, extraction fans, isolators within reach, cable damage from heat and grease |
| Salons and barbers | High loads from dryers and styling tools, sockets near basins, RCD protection |
| Communal areas of blocks | Landlord’s distribution board, stair and corridor lighting, door entry, supplies to fire alarm and emergency lighting |
| Workshops and light industrial units | Three-phase machinery, local isolation, emergency stop circuits and supplies to outbuildings |
How is a commercial EICR priced?
We price by the number of circuits and distribution boards, because that is what determines the time on site. Commercial EICRs start at £149 inc. VAT for up to 5 circuits on one board, and each additional distribution board is £65–£85.
A circuit is each outgoing way on a board that has a protective device fitted, whether a circuit breaker, RCBO or fuse. If you send clear photos of each board showing the devices and any labels, we can usually confirm the tier before booking. Larger sites with sub-mains feeding several floors or buildings are quoted individually.
How do we test without closing your business?
Testing means switching circuits off, so the visit is planned around the equipment you cannot lose. Before we arrive we agree:
- which circuits feed tills, card terminals, refrigeration, servers, CCTV and intruder alarms;
- when those circuits can be isolated, and for how long;
- access to riser cupboards, intake rooms, roof plant and locked areas, including keys held by the landlord or managing agent;
- which sensitive electronic equipment must be unplugged before insulation testing.
Non-critical circuits are tested first, and critical ones are grouped into short planned shutdowns. On larger installations, Guidance Note 3 allows the extent of testing, including any sampling, to be agreed in advance. Whatever is agreed, and anything we could not access, is recorded in the report’s limitations so there is no ambiguity later. Ask about Saturday appointments if weekday shutdowns are difficult.
What do we commonly find in London business premises?
The same handful of issues comes up again and again across London’s high streets and office buildings.
- Undocumented fit-out work. Circuits added for kitchen equipment, signage or extra desks without any certificate, often on boards whose charts no longer match what is installed.
- Mixed-use terraces. Shops in Victorian parades frequently share an intake position with the flats above, with no clear separation between the commercial and residential supplies.
- Ageing boards. Rewireable fuse boards and early circuit-breaker boards in basements, sometimes with no RCD protection on sockets that could supply equipment used outdoors.
- Damaged final circuits. Crushed cables behind kitchen equipment, scorched sockets under counters and flexible cables run through ceiling voids.
A commercial EICR covers the fixed installation only. Portable equipment is checked separately through PAT testing, and escape lighting under BS 5266-1 through an emergency lighting certificate. All three can usually be done on one visit.
What happens after an unsatisfactory report?
A C1 needs immediate action and a C2 urgent action, so plan the remedial work straight away. The fixed 28-day deadline that applies to rented homes does not apply to business premises, but continuing to use an installation known to be dangerous is hard to defend under the Electricity at Work Regulations, and your insurer may ask what has been done.
We send a prioritised list of observations with a fixed quote. Typical remedials include replacing damaged accessories, adding RCD protection, correcting labelling and, where a board is beyond economic repair, a distribution board replacement from £799 inc. VAT. Each completed job is certified, so your file holds the report, the work and the confirmation together.
Electrical inspections are carried out by NICEIC / NAPIT registered electricians, qualified to BS 7671, and we hold £5 million public liability insurance.
Commercial EICR prices in London (inc. VAT)
| Option | Price (inc. VAT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 circuits | £149 | One distribution board |
| 6–10 circuits | £199 | One distribution board |
| 11–20 circuits | £249 | One distribution board |
| Larger installations | Quote | Sub-mains, multiple floors or buildings |
| Each additional distribution board | £65–£85 | Added to the circuit tier |
All prices include VAT. Each additional distribution board is £65–£85. Central London parking or Congestion Charge may be added; we always confirm before booking.
Book this serviceWhat's included
- Inspection and testing of distribution boards, sub-mains and final circuits
- Isolation planned around tills, refrigeration and IT
- Testing of RCDs, earthing and protective bonding
- Schedule of test results for every circuit tested
- Digital EICR, usually within 24–48 hours
- Coded observations in order of priority
- Fixed-price quote for any remedial work
How it works
Share your board details
Send photos of your distribution boards or tell us the number of circuits. We confirm the tier price and any parking charges.
Plan the isolation
We agree which circuits are critical, when they can be switched off, and access to risers, intake rooms and roof plant.
Inspect and test
A NICEIC / NAPIT registered electrician inspects and tests to BS 7671, recording any agreed sampling and limitations.
Report and remedials
Your EICR is emailed, usually within 24–48 hours, with coded observations and a fixed quote for any remedial work.
Commercial EICR: frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for the EICR in a rented commercial unit?
It depends on the lease and on who controls each part of the installation. Business occupiers usually arrange testing of the wiring inside their unit, while landlords tend to keep responsibility for shared supplies and common parts. Check the repairing and compliance clauses in your lease, and agree who books and pays before the inspection to avoid duplicated work.
How much does a commercial EICR cost in London?
Commercial EICRs start at £149 inc. VAT for up to 5 circuits, £199 for 6–10 circuits and £249 for 11–20 circuits. Each additional distribution board is £65–£85, and larger installations are quoted individually. Central London parking or Congestion Charge may be added; we always confirm the total before booking.
Will we have to close during the inspection?
Usually not. We test non-critical circuits first and agree short, planned shutdowns for anything feeding tills, refrigeration, servers or security systems. Some installations need a brief full shutdown to test the main switch and incoming supply, which we schedule with you in advance. Ask about Saturday appointments if weekday interruptions would affect trading.
How long is a commercial EICR valid?
The report states when the next inspection is due. For commercial premises, IET Guidance Note 3 gives a typical maximum of 5 years, but the electrician may recommend a shorter interval for an older, heavily used or poorly maintained installation. Your lease or insurance policy may also set its own requirement, so work to whichever date comes first.
Does a commercial EICR include PAT testing and emergency lighting?
No. The EICR covers the fixed installation: boards, cables, sockets, fittings and hard-wired equipment. Portable appliances are inspected and tested separately, and emergency lighting is tested to BS 5266-1 with its own certificate. We can usually do all three on one visit, which keeps disruption and access arrangements to a minimum.
Do communal areas in a block of flats need an EICR?
The landlord's supply serving the common parts should be inspected and tested periodically. It typically feeds stair and corridor lighting, door entry, fire alarm panels and emergency lighting, all of which the building's fire safety depends on. Responsibility sits with the freeholder, managing agent or RTM company, and we price communal supplies on the same circuit-based tiers.
Sources and official guidance
Written and checked by the BritCertify technical team. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.