Short answer: a commercial EICR in London costs from £220 for a small shop or office on a single-phase board, and is priced per circuit above that — £15 per circuit, so a 24-circuit unit is about £360 and a three-phase board with 40 circuits is about £600. Prices are labour-only. The report itself is the same document a landlord gets for a flat; what changes is the number of circuits, the type of supply, whether the premises can be switched off during the day, and how much of the installation has been altered by previous tenants. F & A Electrical (NICEIC registered, 9.32/10 from 242 reviews) inspects commercial premises across North and East London from Tottenham N15. Call 07407 627542 or WhatsApp a photo of the distribution board and we will give you a circuit count and a fixed price before you book.
Commercial EICR prices in London 2026 — by premises size
These are the figures we work to. The circuit count is what matters, not the floor area or the turnover of the business — how we count circuits is explained separately.
| Premises | Typical circuits | Our price (labour only) | Time on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiosk, small shop, single-room office, salon — one single-phase board | 6–12 | from £220 | 2–3 hours |
| Café, takeaway, larger shop, small office suite | 13–24 | £15 per circuit (≈ £360 at 24) | 3–5 hours |
| Restaurant or pub with commercial kitchen, three-phase board | 24–40 | from £400 | 5–7 hours, often split over two visits |
| Warehouse, workshop, light industrial unit | 30–60, three-phase, sub-boards | from £15 per circuit, £13 per circuit above 60 | 1–2 days |
| Multi-floor office or building with several distribution boards | 60–150+ | quoted per board after a walk-round | 2–4 days |
| Communal areas of a block of flats (landlord’s supply only) | 4–12 | from £180 | 2–3 hours |
Add-ons we quote up front rather than spring on you: out-of-hours or Sunday testing (needed where the business cannot lose power in trading hours) adds 25% to the per-circuit price — time-charged work outside a per-circuit EICR is instead £60 + VAT per half hour, and our out-of-hours and access cost guide explains which applies and what the permits and parking add; a second visit to finish a board that could not be isolated on the day is charged at our minimum of £108 (£90 + VAT); a written remedial quotation from the schedule of observations is free. Materials, where we fit anything, are itemised separately at trade cost. Compare this with the domestic figures on the EICR cost guide — a 3-bed flat at from £200 is essentially a 10-circuit job, which is why a small shop lands at a similar number.
Why commercial EICRs cost more than domestic ones
Four things. First, the circuit count: a three-phase board has three times the ways of a domestic consumer unit, and every one is tested. Second, isolation: in a flat we turn the power off for a few minutes per circuit; in a trading shop or a restaurant the freezers, the tills and the alarm have to stay on, so we test dead circuits in sequence and schedule the rest for before opening. Third, the paperwork is longer — a commercial report carries a schedule per distribution board and the observations are written against specific accessories so a facilities manager or insurer can act on them. Fourth, the history: commercial units in London change hands every few years and each tenant adds a circuit or two without a certificate. Tracing what a previous shopfitter did is where the time goes.
How often does a commercial property need an EICR?
There is no single legal interval in the way there is for private rented homes (five years). The duty comes from the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 — regulation 4(2) requires the electrical system to be maintained so as to prevent danger — and the periodic inspection is how you evidence that. The intervals below are the ones set out in the IET’s Guidance Note 3 and used by insurers and local authority inspectors in London; your insurer may specify a shorter one.
| Premises type | Recommended maximum interval | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shops, offices, commercial units | 5 years | Most common request we get |
| Restaurants, cafés, hotels, guest houses | 5 years | Kitchen equipment usually needs PAT alongside |
| Industrial units, workshops | 3 years | Three-phase machinery, higher wear |
| Places of public entertainment, theatres, cinemas | 1–3 years | Licensing authority may require annual |
| Launderettes, petrol filling stations, swimming pools | 1 year | Wet or hazardous environments |
| Schools, colleges, community halls | 5 years | Often demanded by the insurer or the hirer |
| Communal areas of residential blocks | 5 years | Freeholder or managing agent’s responsibility — see communal-area EICRs |
| Change of tenant or change of use | on the change | Most commercial leases require it at lease start |
Who asks for a commercial EICR in London — and why
In our experience across Haringey, Hackney, Islington and Enfield the request usually comes from one of five places. A new commercial lease — the tenant’s solicitor or the landlord’s agent wants a satisfactory report dated at the start of the term so responsibility for existing defects is clear. An insurance renewal — the insurer asks for a current EICR, sometimes with a shorter interval than five years. A premises licence or food hygiene inspection — licensing officers in Hackney and Tower Hamlets increasingly ask for one. A fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 that lists the electrical installation as a hazard to be evidenced. And a fault — the board keeps tripping, an RCD will not reset, or a smell of burning at a socket, and the owner wants the whole installation looked at rather than one repair. In all five cases the report is the same; what differs is how quickly it is needed, and same-week is normally possible for premises under 40 circuits.
What is inspected on a commercial EICR
Every circuit on every distribution board at the address: continuity of protective conductors, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current, and RCD operating times where fitted. Visually: the condition of the incoming supply and main switch, the board enclosures and labelling, fixed equipment connections (extract fans, hand dryers, water heaters, shop signage), emergency lighting and fire alarm supplies (the supplies — the systems themselves are separate tests), external and wet-area circuits, and the state of any work done without certification. Portable equipment (kettles, tills, laptops) is not part of an EICR — that is PAT testing, which we do at £5 per appliance on the same visit. The report codes findings C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended) and FI (further investigation), and is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory on that basis — the same codes explained on our C1/C2/C3 guide.
The findings we write up most in London commercial units
Un-fused spurs behind a shop counter feeding a fridge and a coffee machine off one 13 A socket (C2). Shopfitters’ extra circuits taken from a spare way with no RCD and no label (C2 plus FI). Three-phase boards where one phase carries most of the load and the neutral is warm (C3 with a recommendation to balance). No main earth bonding to the incoming gas or water — common in converted Victorian shops on Green Lanes, Kingsland Road and Stoke Newington High Street (C2). Extract fan supplies in commercial kitchens with heat-damaged flex (C1 where the conductor is exposed). Emergency lighting fed from a lighting circuit that trips with the rest. Most are repaired the same week from our minimum of £108 labour, and none of them require the whole installation to be replaced.
Who can carry out a commercial EICR?
A competent, insured electrician with the test equipment and the experience to inspect three-phase installations — the same requirement as domestic, but the practical bar is higher because a 415 V board and a running business are less forgiving. Ask whether the electrician is registered with a competent-person scheme (we are NICEIC registered), whether they carry out commercial work regularly, and whether they will issue the report in a format your insurer accepts (ours is the standard IET model form, issued as a PDF the same day). More on this in who can carry out an EICR.
Related: EICRs for railway arches and industrial units, which EICRs a shop with flats above needs, EICRs for nurseries and childminders and PAT testing at £5 per appliance (£108 minimum).
Frequently asked questions
How much is a commercial EICR for a small shop in London?
From £220 labour-only for a single-phase board with up to 12 circuits — a kiosk, hairdresser, newsagent or single-room office. Above 12 circuits it is £15 per circuit. A café with a 20-way board is about £300.
How much is a three-phase EICR?
From £400 for a three-phase board of up to about 24 circuits, then £15 per circuit. A restaurant with a kitchen and a 36-circuit board is typically £540. Multiple boards are quoted per board.
Can the EICR be done without closing the business?
Usually. We test what can be isolated in trading hours (lighting rows, spare sockets, external circuits) and do the freezers, tills and kitchen before opening or after close. Out-of-hours testing adds 25%.
How long does a commercial EICR take?
About 15 minutes per circuit including the paperwork, so a 12-circuit shop is a half day and a 40-circuit restaurant is a full day, sometimes two half-days — see how long an EICR takes.
Is a commercial EICR a legal requirement?
Not as a fixed-interval certificate in the way it is for rented homes, but the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require the installation to be maintained safely and an EICR is the accepted way to show that. Insurers, landlords’ leases and licensing authorities routinely make it a condition.
Does the EICR include PAT testing and emergency lighting?
No — those are separate tests. We do PAT at £5 per appliance and an emergency lighting function test on the same visit if you ask, with separate certificates for each.
Commercial EICRs from £220, three-phase from £400, remedials from £108, labour-only, across Haringey, Hackney, Islington, Enfield, Waltham Forest, Camden and East London — see all areas we cover and our commercial electrician page. Call 07407 627542 or 07500 721453, or WhatsApp a photo of the distribution board for a fixed price.