How much does an EICR cost in 2026? Honest numbers from the trade
In short: In 2026 an EICR typically costs £120 to £180 for a flat, £180 to £300 for a 3 bed house and £250 to £400 for a larger property, plus VAT where the firm is registered. The price tracks circuit count, access and region rather than bedrooms, and a quote far below the local market usually means a heavily sampled inspection.
Ask three electricians what an EICR costs and you will get three numbers and an argument. All three can be right, because the price tracks the size of the installation, the region, and how thorough the inspection actually is. Here is how the numbers look in 2026, from the side of the trade that writes the reports.
Typical EICR prices in 2026
| Property | Typical range |
|---|---|
| 1 to 2 bed flat | £120 to £180 |
| 3 bed house | £180 to £300 |
| 4 to 5 bed house | £250 to £400 |
| HMO or larger rental | £300 upwards, priced per board and circuit count |
London and the South East sit at the top of each range, Scotland, Wales and the North usually towards the bottom. VAT registered firms add 20 percent to all of it.
What actually drives the price
- Circuit count, not bedrooms. Bedrooms are a proxy. A 3 bed house with one board and eight circuits is a different day from a 3 bed with a garage board, a loft conversion and an EV charger.
- Access. Furniture against every socket, no loft ladder, a tenant who works nights. Time on site is the cost.
- The age and state of the installation. An older installation produces more observations, more notes, more report time.
- What the inspector actually tests. The sampling percentage and the extent agreed up front change the hours involved, which brings us to the cheap quotes.
Why the £79 EICR is rarely the bargain it looks
An EICR priced far below the local market only works commercially in two ways: the inspection is heavily sampled and time-boxed, or the report is a lead generator for remedial work, where every borderline observation becomes a C2 and a quote follows. Neither serves the person paying. A realistic inspection of an average house is several hours of dead and live testing plus the report itself; price a working day accordingly and the floor becomes obvious.
For landlords: what the law requires
Private rentals in England need an EICR at least every five years under the 2020 Electrical Safety Standards regulations, with a copy to tenants and, on request, to the council. If the report lists C1, C2 or FI observations, remedial work must be completed within 28 days. Our guide to EICR codes C1, C2, C3 and FI explains what each one obliges you to fix.
For electricians: pricing an EICR without racing to the bottom
Price the hours honestly: agreed extent, circuit count, sampling, report time, and the follow-up conversation when the report is unsatisfactory. State the extent and limitations in writing on the quote. The inspectors who win repeat landlord work are rarely the cheapest; they are the ones whose reports arrive the same day, coded consistently, with the next inspection date already in the landlord's diary.
Common questions
How much is an EICR for a 3 bed house?
Typically £180 to £300 in 2026 depending on region, the number of circuits, and access. London and the South East sit at the top of that range.
How long does an EICR take?
A competent inspection of an average house takes 2 to 4 hours on site, plus the time to produce the report. A 45 minute EICR on a whole house is a red flag.
How often does a rental property need an EICR?
At least every five years for private rentals in England, or sooner if the previous report says so. A new tenancy needs a valid report in place at the start.
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