Short answer: an EICR covers every circuit in the property. A domestic Electrical Installation Condition Report in England is a 100% inspection — every circuit on every consumer unit is tested, not a sample. What changes from one property to the next is how many circuits there are, and that number — not the bedroom count — is what actually drives the price and the time on site. F & A Electrical (NICEIC registered, 9.32/10 from 242 reviews) issues EICRs across North and East London from £140, labour-only. Call 07407 627542 or WhatsApp a photo of the fuse board and we will tell you the circuit count and the price before you book.
What counts as a circuit on an EICR?
A circuit is one protective device — a fuse, MCB or RCBO — and everything wired from it. On a typical London consumer unit that means one row of the report per breaker: the cooker, the shower, the upstairs sockets, the downstairs sockets, the upstairs lights, the downstairs lights, the immersion heater, the boiler, and so on. A 10-way board with eight breakers in use is eight circuits; the two spare ways are noted but not tested. If there is a second board — a garage sub-board, a loft sub-board, a landlord’s supply for communal lighting — every circuit on that board is tested too and gets its own line on the schedule. The outbuilding EICR guide covers when a garden office or garage is in scope.
Typical circuit counts by London property type
| Property | Typical circuits | Usual make-up |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bed flat (electric heating) | 4–6 | Sockets, lights, cooker, shower or immersion, storage heaters, boiler |
| 2-bed flat or maisonette | 6–8 | 2 × sockets, 2 × lights, cooker, shower, boiler, immersion |
| 2–3 bed Victorian terrace | 8–11 | Adds kitchen ring, outside socket, loft or extension circuit, smoke alarms |
| 3–4 bed 1930s semi or Edwardian house | 10–14 | Adds second shower, garage, garden, EV charger, multiple lighting circuits |
| 4–5 bed house with loft and side return | 14–18 | Often two boards; underfloor heating, hob and oven separate, EV, garden office |
| HMO (5–7 lets, shared kitchen) | 12–20 + landlord supply | Per-room sockets, fire alarm, emergency lighting, communal board |
| Small shop / café / office | 10–24 | Three-phase board, distribution boards per floor, refrigeration, signage |
The pattern to notice is that a converted Victorian flat in Hackney can have more circuits than a new-build two-bed in Stratford, because it has been added to piecemeal for a century. That is why we ask for a photo of the board rather than the number of bedrooms.
EICR cost per circuit in London (2026)
Most London electricians — including us — price EICRs in bands that map to circuit counts, then add a per-circuit rate above the band. Our labour-only pricing:
| Circuits | Typical property | F & A price (labour-only) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 8 | Studio to 2-bed flat | from £140 |
| 9–12 | 2–3 bed house, larger flat | from £180 |
| 13–16 | 3–5 bed house, two boards | from £220 |
| Each circuit above 16 | Large houses, HMOs | + £10 per circuit |
| Second consumer unit / sub-board | Garage, loft, landlord supply | + £30–£50 depending on circuits |
| Commercial, three-phase | Shops, offices, restaurants | from £15 per circuit, minimum £220 — quoted per board |
Minimum charge on any job is £108 (£90 + VAT). Every figure is labour-only and there is no zone premium anywhere in our coverage area. Full band pricing and what pushes a job up a band is on the EICR cost guide; if you are comparing quotes, ask each electrician whether their “from” price is for a fixed number of circuits, because a £99 headline for “up to 6 circuits” is rarely what a London terrace ends up paying.
How long does each circuit take to test?
Allow roughly 12–20 minutes per circuit for the dead and live tests once the board is open, plus 30–45 minutes of fixed time for the visual inspection, the board and earthing checks, and the paperwork. That gives a 6-circuit flat about 1.5–2 hours and a 14-circuit house 3.5–4.5 hours, which matches the timings in how long does an EICR take. On each circuit the inspector records continuity of protective conductors, ring continuity where it is a ring, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance (Zs), and RCD operating time where an RCD protects it. Older properties take longer per circuit because junction boxes have to be found, not because there are more tests.
Does the EICR test every socket and light?
Every circuit, yes; every point on the circuit, no. The regulations allow sampling of accessories within a circuit — the inspector checks the terminations at the board, tests at the furthest point and at a representative sample of sockets and switches, and opens more if something looks wrong. A schedule of inspections is completed for the whole installation, but the schedule of test results is one line per circuit. If you want every socket opened, that is a different (and much longer) job and is not what a landlord’s EICR requires. The EICR vs PAT testing guide explains why appliances are outside the EICR entirely.
Circuits that are excluded or limited
An EICR can list “agreed limitations” — circuits or areas not tested and why. Legitimate ones are a locked room the tenant would not open, a circuit that cannot be isolated without losing a freezer or a server, or an outbuilding with no safe access. Illegitimate ones are the reason cheap reports exist: “all circuits sampled at 20%”, “no insulation resistance tests carried out”, “no RCD tests”. A council or lender can reject a report with limitations like that, and it does nothing for you if there is a fire. Ours list every circuit with full results; where a circuit genuinely could not be tested it says so in plain English and we return to complete it, usually at no extra charge.
What if there are more circuits than the electrician expected?
It happens on most Victorian houses. We confirm the count when the board cover comes off and tell you before we test if it changes the band — you do not get a surprise on the invoice. If you send a photo of the open board when booking (breakers visible, labels readable), the price we give on the phone is the price you pay. Who is allowed to carry out the inspection and sign it is covered in who can carry out an EICR.
See also what an EICR actually checks and what a limitation on an EICR means.
Frequently asked questions
Does an EICR cover all circuits or just a sample?
All circuits. Domestic EICRs in England are a 100% inspection of circuits. Sampling applies only to accessories within a circuit, and to some large commercial installations under an agreed sampling plan.
How many circuits does a 3-bed house have?
Usually 8–12 in London: typically two socket circuits, two lighting circuits, cooker, shower, boiler, immersion or heating controls, and then whatever has been added — extension, loft, outside socket, EV charger.
Is an EICR priced per circuit?
In bands. Ours starts at £140 for up to 8 circuits and £180 for 9–12; above 16 we add £10 per circuit. Commercial boards are quoted per circuit from £15, minimum £220.
Do spare ways on the fuse board count?
No. Only circuits with a protective device fitted and a cable connected are tested and charged. Spare ways are noted.
Does a second fuse board make it two EICRs?
No — one report covers the whole installation at that address, including sub-boards. The extra circuits on the second board are added to the count.
Does the EICR cover the meter and the supply cable?
The supply cut-out, meter and tails up to the consumer unit are inspected visually and the external earth loop impedance is measured, but the supplier’s equipment itself is not tested — it belongs to the network operator.
EICRs from £140, remedials from £108, labour-only, across Haringey, Hackney, Islington, Waltham Forest, Enfield, Camden and East London — see all areas we cover. Call 07407 627542 or 07500 721453, or WhatsApp a photo of the board for a circuit count and fixed price.
Commercial premises? Shops, offices, restaurants and industrial units are priced per circuit — see commercial EICR cost in London 2026 (from £220, three-phase from £400, inspection intervals by premises type).