Preparing for an EICR is mainly a matter of access, information and planning. The electrician carries out the inspection and testing. Your role is to help them understand the property, reach the equipment safely and agree how the visit will affect the people using it.
Start with the booking conversation, rather than waiting until the morning of the appointment. A locked cupboard, an undisclosed garden supply or equipment that cannot be interrupted may change the arrangements. Raising those points early gives everyone time to find a workable plan.
This guide concerns homes in England, including occupied rentals and flats in Portsmouth and Southsea. It is a preparation guide, not instructions for opening electrical equipment, carrying out tests or deciding whether wiring is safe.
EICR terms explained
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) records the findings of an inspection and testing of an existing electrical installation, within its stated extent and limitations. It helps the person responsible understand its condition and any recommended or required action. It is not a quotation for repairs.
The inspection extent describes which installation or parts are being assessed. A limitation records a restriction affecting that assessment. Remedial work means work to address identified defects; agree separately whether it is included in your booking. The IET’s inspection and testing guidance explains the role of the report, observations and inspector competence.
Confirm what you have booked
Check the address, property type and purpose of the visit. Explain whether you are the owner, landlord, tenant, buyer or managing agent. The person placing the order may not be the person who can provide access or authorise subsequent work.
Ask what the instruction covers. Does the property include a garage, loft conversion, garden office or separate supply? In a flat, establish whether communal equipment is outside the appointment. Mention solar panels, battery storage and vehicle charging even if you think they will need a separate specialist.
Agree what documents you expect afterwards and who will receive them. If an agent needs a report sent to an office address as well as the owner, arrange that clearly. Avoid sending a contractor conflicting instructions through several people.
For an explanation of the service itself, see what an EICR checks. Preparation should support the agreed inspection, rather than quietly changing its extent on the day.
Gather the records you already have
Look for the previous condition report, installation certificates, minor works certificates and records of repairs or alterations. Keep complete documents with their schedules and continuation pages, rather than sending only a photograph of the conclusion.
Label the files so their dates and property are obvious. If there have been changes since the last report, provide a brief chronology: for example, a kitchen refurbishment, consumer unit replacement or installation of a garden supply. You do not need to know the technical detail to explain what changed.
Do not manufacture missing information. If no previous report can be found, say so. If a certificate appears to cover only an extension, describe it that way rather than presenting it as a record for the whole house.
The IET’s model forms collection shows the different types of electrical documents. The title and described extent help identify what you have, but the inspector should interpret their relevance to the visit.
Give a short history of concerns
Write down symptoms in ordinary language. Include what happened, where, how often and whether it coincided with a particular appliance or activity. “The upstairs lights went off twice last week” is more helpful than an unsupported diagnosis.
Tell the contractor about previous faults even if they appear to have stopped. Mention temporary arrangements or work that remains unfinished. Providing that information is useful context; it does not mean you are expected to investigate the cause.
If a known problem needs specific fault finding, ask whether that is included or requires a separate instruction. A condition report and an open-ended investigation are not interchangeable bookings.
Do not wait for a routine appointment to raise an immediate safety concern. Contact an appropriate electrician promptly for advice about the circumstances. Avoid touching damaged equipment or attempting to recreate a fault to demonstrate it.
Walk through ordinary access
Check how the electrician will enter the building and reach the consumer unit, rooms and relevant outbuildings. Arrange keys, entry codes or permission through the person responsible. Confirm whether a door will be locked when a resident leaves for work.
Clear ordinary stored items and walkways where you can do so safely. Tell the contractor about heavy furniture, fixed units or other obstacles rather than attempting risky lifting. A cupboard may look accessible from the doorway while its contents prevent the equipment being reached.
Do not remove electrical covers, dismantle fittings or open sealed supply equipment. The purpose is to make normal access easier, not to expose electrical parts before the electrician arrives.
For lofts, high fittings or awkward locations, describe the access conditions in advance. Do not assume that a household ladder, improvised platform or partly boarded roof space provides suitable access for the work.
Make a specific plan for flats
A flat can involve more than one person’s keys and more than one electrical installation. Establish the location of the dwelling’s consumer unit and any relevant meter or supply cupboard. If access is controlled by a managing agent, arrange it with them before confirming the appointment.
Explain any uncertainty about what belongs to the flat. A communal light, door-entry system or shared corridor supply should not be assumed to be covered by an individual dwelling instruction.
Tell the electrician about building rules for contractors, visitor parking or timed access. If a concierge or caretaker is involved, provide an agreed contact and confirm their availability. Do not depend on an informal promise that somebody will probably be there.
Where access cannot be obtained, tell the contractor. A useful discussion identifies what can be assessed, what cannot and how the unresolved area will be recorded. A restriction should not disappear simply because nobody mentioned it at the booking stage.
Discuss electricity interruptions
Ask what interruptions are expected and how the electrician will communicate before isolating supplies. Do not assume that working Wi-Fi, a charged laptop or a particular socket will remain available throughout the appointment.
Plan work calls and other commitments accordingly. Save important computer work and follow the relevant equipment instructions when preparing for a planned interruption. Discuss alarms, heating controls, gates or other systems that may need attention when power returns.
Explain essential powered equipment before the visit is agreed. If somebody depends on medical or accessibility equipment, make that explicit so suitable arrangements can be considered with the appropriate people. Do not leave the issue to a hurried conversation at the door.
There is no single interruption plan suitable for every household. The useful outcome is a clear agreement about the actual property and occupants, including what happens if the inspection takes longer or reveals an urgent concern.
Coordinate the people using the home
Tell household members what has been booked, the arrival arrangements and the possibility of power interruptions. Discuss where children and pets can stay while work areas are in use. Make sure the electrician can raise a concern with an available adult.
If the property is rented, agree who communicates with the tenant and who handles access. An appointment in an agent’s calendar is not enough if the occupier has received different information. Confirm arrangements through the relevant authorised parties.
Avoid assuming that a tenant can approve a landlord’s expenditure, or that the owner can provide access to every room without coordination. Identify an appropriate contact for decisions and explain any limits on their authority.
Give one person responsibility for reconciling changes. If the appointment moves, that person should update the occupier, keyholder and contractor so an old message does not send somebody to an empty building.
Agree how findings will be handled
Ask how the electrician will communicate urgent findings during the visit and how routine observations will be explained afterwards. Provide a reliable contact method and ensure the person receiving the call understands the property and can make the necessary decisions.
Confirm whether the booking covers inspection and reporting only. If separate investigation or repair is needed, agree how its scope and price will be authorised. Do not presume that every repair can be completed within the original appointment.
For landlords in England, the government’s rental electrical safety guidance explains the relationship between reports, findings and required action. Preparing a decision-maker helps the landlord respond; preparation itself does not discharge those duties.
Keep a record of the instruction and significant communications. That makes it easier to distinguish a reported observation, an agreed quotation and evidence that work has actually been completed.
Keep technical preparation with the electrician
An EICR involves skilled inspection and testing. The IET’s inspection and competence guidance explains why knowledge and experience of installations matter.
You should not carry out your own tests, remove accessories or alter circuit labels to make the installation look ready. Tell the electrician if a label appears unclear. Do not guess a circuit’s purpose.
BS 7671 is the technical British Standard used for electrical installations and their verification. The applicable current version and reporting arrangements are matters the contractor should understand. Ask for clarification if the quotation or paperwork is unclear; buying a test instrument is not part of preparing your home.
Similarly, Part P paperwork for installation work is different from an EICR appointment. Bring records of relevant previous work, but do not assume that a new condition report recreates missing installation or Building Regulations documents.
Check these points the day before
Confirm the arrival window, address, parking or entry arrangements and the person providing access. Make sure relevant keys are available and the contact number works.
Put the records and short fault history somewhere easy to share. Check that household members know about the appointment and that any agreed arrangements for essential equipment are in place.
Leave the property in a condition that supports ordinary safe access. If circumstances change, such as an unavailable keyholder or another trade blocking an area, tell the electrician instead of hoping it will not matter.
Afterwards, keep the complete report and record the agreed next actions. Ask about any limitation you do not understand. A well-organised appointment is only useful if the findings are received and acted on appropriately.
Compare the service before comparing EICR prices
Before accepting an EICR quote, ask for a written scope, the total including VAT where applicable, and a clear description of the report and schedules you will receive. Ask when the report is expected and who will explain its findings. A short appointment or a low headline price does not tell you what assessment has been allowed for.
Give each contractor the same information: property size and use, known circuits if documented, outbuildings, previous reports, access restrictions and equipment that cannot readily be interrupted. Ask how those details affect the quote and appointment length. If the extent, access or reporting differs, the prices may describe different services.
Check how the contractor demonstrates relevant inspection and testing competence. The IET explains that inspection requires knowledge and experience of electrical installations. Ask who will carry out the work and sign the report, rather than relying on an unexplained badge or a promise of a guaranteed satisfactory result.
Agree what happens if access is unavailable, more investigation is needed or a defect requires attention. Confirm any revisit or additional-work charges before authorising that work. For an urgent finding, establish how the electrician will contact the decision-maker promptly; a normal quotation process must not delay necessary immediate safety action.
When requesting a VOLTIC quote, send your Portsmouth or Southsea property address, property type, approximate size, available records and preferred access arrangements through our EICR enquiry page. Describe known concerns without attempting your own electrical tests.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to empty the whole house? Usually the useful step is to discuss access to the actual equipment and areas involved. Ask the electrician what needs clearing. Do not move heavy items or dismantle fixed units without an agreed plan.
Can I leave a key and go out? Agree this with the contractor and the person responsible for the property. They may need information or a decision during the inspection, so confirm who will remain reachable and what they can authorise.
Should I unplug everything in advance? Ask for instructions for the particular visit and your equipment. Explain anything that cannot be interrupted. Avoid changing electrical arrangements based on a generic online checklist.
What if I cannot find the old report? Tell the contractor before the visit and provide whatever records are available. Missing records are information to discuss, not a reason to create a replacement document yourself.
For an EICR booking with VOLTIC, provide the property type, access arrangements, existing records and any concerns. Mention the practical constraints early so the visit can be planned around the people and installation involved.