Electrical certificate software: what UK sparks should look for

Published 22 April 2026 · updated 10 June 2026 · SparkCerts guides for UK electricians

There are two ways to produce an electrical installation certificate in 2026: a pad of carbon-copy forms from the wholesaler, or software. The pad never crashes, and that is the end of its advantages. The software question is really about which kind to buy, because the market splits into cert-only apps and big field service suites, and both leave something on the table for a small firm.

What certificate software has to get right

• The model forms, properly. EIC, EICR and Minor Works laid out the way BS 7671 sets them out, because that is what scheme assessors look for at assessment time.
• Readings checked as you type. A Zs lower than Ze is physically impossible. An RCD that took 350 ms failed, whatever the rest of the form says. Software that flags an implausible reading while the meter is still in your hand saves the embarrassing phone call after the assessor reads the PDF.
• Works in a basement. Plenty of boards live where signal does not. On-site forms that need a connection to save are a liability.
• A PDF the customer actually receives. The certificate should leave for the customer's inbox the moment it is signed, ideally stapled to the invoice, because the certificate is usually what the customer is really paying for.
• Finds the retest for you. Every EICR carries a next inspection date. Software that surfaces those dates turns each certificate into booked work in five years instead of a PDF in a folder.

Cert-only apps against full job software

Cert-only apps (the iCertifi and Easycert end of the market) produce good forms and stop there. Your quotes live in WhatsApp and your invoices live somewhere else, so every job is stitched together across three tools. The big suites (Tradify, Commusoft, Simpro) run the whole business and are priced for one: £30 to £60 per user each month, and several still need a separate cert app bolted on. If you run vans and an office, buy a suite. If you are a one-man band or a two-man firm, you are the gap in that market.

Where SparkCerts sits

We built SparkCerts for that gap: quoting, invoicing and the certificate in one record, £12 a month, three jobs free to see if it earns its keep. You price the job on your phone, the customer accepts by tapping a link, the certificate validates readings as you fill it in on site, and the invoice goes out with the cert attached. Our guide to electrician software for a one-man band covers the wider toolkit question honestly, including when we are the wrong answer.

Questions to ask before you pay for any of them

• Can I export every certificate as a standard PDF if I leave?
• Does it validate test readings, or just store whatever I type?
• What happens on site with no signal?
• Does the EICR remind me when the next inspection is due?
• What does it cost once the introductory price ends?

Any tool that fails the first question fails the lot. Certificates are legal documents with your name on them, and they belong to you and your customer, whatever software produced them.

Common questions

Can I do electrical certificates on my phone?

Yes. Certificate software fills in EIC, EICR and Minor Works forms on a phone or tablet on site, and produces a signed PDF. The forms follow the BS 7671 model forms, and you remain the qualified signatory.

Are digital electrical certificates accepted by NICEIC and NAPIT?

Scheme providers assess against the BS 7671 model forms, which is what good certificate software produces. The testing and the signature remain your responsibility, exactly as with a pad of paper forms.

What does electrical certificate software cost?

Cert-only apps run roughly £10 to £30 a month. Full field service suites that include certificates start around £30 per user. SparkCerts bundles certificates with quoting and invoicing at £12 a month.