An EICR “fails” — the proper term is unsatisfactory — when the inspection finds one or more C1, C2 or FI codes. A C3 (“improvement recommended”) does not cause a fail on its own. So the first thing to do with a failed report is look at which codes it actually contains, because that tells you how serious it is and what has to be put right.
Here’s what each code means, what fixing it usually involves, and how you get to a valid certificate.
The codes that cause a fail
| Code | Meaning | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present — risk of injury | Must be made safe immediately. A good electrician makes it safe on the spot. |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous | Must be put right as soon as possible. |
| FI | Further investigation required | Something needs looking into before it can be signed off. |
| C3 | Improvement recommended | Does not fail the report. Worth doing, not urgent. |
A report is marked unsatisfactory if it contains any C1, C2 or FI. Fix those, and it becomes satisfactory.
What “fixing it” actually involves
The remedial work depends completely on what was found. Some of the most common ones:
- “No RCD protection” (C2) — very common on older installations, and usually solved in one go by fitting a modern consumer unit with RCBO protection. That single job often clears the most frequent reasons a board fails.
- A damaged socket, accessory or bit of cable (C2) — a small, quick repair.
- No main protective bonding (C2) — adding earth bonding to the gas and water services.
- Something that couldn’t be fully assessed (FI) — investigated and either cleared or coded properly.
Because it ranges from a five-minute fix to a consumer unit replacement, there is no standard price for putting a failed EICR right. That’s why Aled quotes the remedial work separately and in writing after the inspection, so you see the number and decide before anything else happens.
You don’t usually pay for a whole new EICR
This is the bit that worries people most, and it shouldn’t. Once the remedial work is done, the electrician verifies the items that failed and updates the report to satisfactory — you don’t normally need to pay for a second full inspection from scratch. The EICR itself is a fixed £200 + VAT (£240 inc VAT) for a standard residential property; only the actual repairs are extra, and only if you go ahead.
If you’re a landlord in Wales
Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 and the 2022 fitness regulations, a rental home must have a satisfactory EICR, renewed at least every five years — and you must serve a copy on your contract-holder within 14 days of the inspection. So an unsatisfactory report isn’t just a safety issue, it’s a compliance one: the remedial work needs doing and the satisfactory certificate serving. The simplest route is one electrician who can test it, fix it and re-certify it without handing you off.
The straightforward way through it
- Read the codes, not just the word “unsatisfactory” — C3s alone don’t fail you.
- Get the remedial work quoted in writing so you know the real cost before committing.
- Have it fixed and re-verified by the same electrician, and get your satisfactory certificate.
Aled does all three — tests, quotes, fixes, and issues the updated certificate — so a failed EICR turns into a passed one with one phone call, not three.