An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is the formal check of your home's wiring, consumer unit and circuits, and in Manchester most homeowners pay somewhere between £120 and £300 for one. The spread is wide because the price depends on how many circuits you have, how old the installation is, and whether the electrician quoting is planning to do the job properly. This guide sets out realistic figures, what changes them, and what to watch for on the quote.
For a standard property with a single consumer unit, the going rate in Manchester and the surrounding boroughs sits in a fairly predictable band. A one or two bedroom flat in somewhere like Ancoats, Salford Quays or Didsbury with six to eight circuits will usually come in at the lower end. A three bedroom terrace or semi in Chorlton, Prestwich or Stockport with ten to twelve circuits sits in the middle. Larger Victorian houses in Whalley Range or Heaton Moor, often with two consumer units, a garage supply or an outbuilding, cost more because there is simply more to test.
These are guide figures rather than fixed prices, and a good electrician will confirm the number after asking a few questions about the property. Be cautious of anyone offering a flat £60 or £80 EICR with no questions asked. A proper inspection on an average house takes two to four hours of testing, and that price does not cover the time.
The number of circuits is the biggest factor, because every circuit has to be tested individually for continuity, insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance and RCD operation. A modern consumer unit with clearly labelled circuits is quicker to work through than an old fuse board with rewirable fuses and no labelling, which is common in pre 1980s Manchester housing stock.
Access matters too. If the electrician has to move furniture, lift carpets to reach junction boxes, or get into a loft with no boarding, the job takes longer. Older installations with signs of DIY alterations, multiple extensions or partial rewires also need more time to trace and document. Some electricians charge extra for evening or weekend visits, and a few add a call out fee on top of the report, so ask for the total figure up front.
The report itself is only part of the cost picture. An EICR grades any faults found as C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended) or FI (further investigation needed). If your report comes back with any C1 or C2 observations it is marked unsatisfactory, and for a rented property the law requires those to be fixed within 28 days.
Common findings in Manchester homes include a missing or non functioning RCD, no main earth bonding to gas and water pipes, damaged accessories, and older consumer units with no protection on sockets. Fixing a bonding issue might cost £80 to £150, while replacing a consumer unit is more like £450 to £800 depending on the number of ways and whether the tails and earthing need upgrading. A C3 does not fail the report, so you are not obliged to act on it, though it is worth asking the electrician which C3 items are worth doing while they are there.
Ask what the quote includes before booking. A fair EICR price should cover the full inspection, the test results for every circuit, a written report on the standard model form, and a short explanation of anything that came back as a C1 or C2. It should not require you to book the same firm for remedial work, and a reputable electrician will happily give you a separate itemised quote for that so you can compare.
Check the electrician is registered with a scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA, and that they can produce a certificate you can pass to a letting agent, solicitor or insurer. If you are selling, buying, or converting a mortgage, a solicitor may ask for an EICR less than five years old, so keep the paperwork. Bundling the EICR with other jobs, such as adding sockets or a new outdoor supply, often works out cheaper than two separate visits because the electrician is already on site with the test gear.
Homeowners are advised to have one every ten years or when the property changes hands. Landlords must have one at least every five years and provide a copy to tenants and, on request, to the council.
Yes, for part of the test. Insulation resistance and some other checks need the circuits dead, so expect the supply to be off for short periods while each circuit is tested, usually no more than an hour or two in total.
Only if it is a genuine full inspection recorded on the proper form by a registered electrician. Agents and insurers do check, and a report with missing test results or an unregistered signatory can be rejected, meaning you pay twice.
A quick call with Gary is usually enough to establish scope. For anything more involved, we’ll come out to measure up at a time that suits you.