Electrical Installation Certificates: new work
An Electrical Installation Certificate is commonly relevant to a new installation, new circuit or consumer-unit replacement. Read its description and extent. A certificate for an added circuit is not automatically a condition report covering the entire property.
Keep the schedules and associated information with the certificate rather than retaining only its front page. The records help a later electrician understand what was designed, installed and verified, particularly when the property is altered again.
Minor Works certificates and EICRs
Minor Works certificates and EICRs
A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate can be appropriate for qualifying additions or alterations that do not include a new circuit. The scope of the work determines the certificate needed.
An EICR is a report on an existing installation’s condition within an agreed inspection scope. It does not replace installation records for newly completed work. Equally, an old installation certificate does not tell you the current condition many years later.
Ask separately about Building Regulations notification
Ask separately about Building Regulations notification
In England, notification requirements include new circuits, consumer-unit replacement and prescribed work in bath or shower special locations. Not every socket change, kitchen alteration or outside fitting is automatically notifiable just because of the room or location.
Where notification is required, agree the route before the job starts. An electrical certificate and a Building Regulations compliance certificate serve different purposes. Ask which documents are expected and how they will be provided.
Agree the documents before the job starts
Agree the documents before the job starts
Ask the quotation to identify the completed work, checks, relevant records and any applicable notification. Also clarify product instructions, circuit information and operation of controls. This is easier than trying to reconstruct the agreement after decoration is finished.
If records are missing from earlier work, describe what was done, when and by whom, and share the paperwork you have. Do not assume a fresh EICR retrospectively certifies how another person’s work was designed or installed.
What to share with your enquiry
- The work being installed or altered
- Whether new circuits or a board replacement are involved
- The property location and use
- Any existing certificates or missing records
- The handover documents specified in the quote
Questions answered
Is an EICR the same as an electrical certificate?
It is a condition report on an existing installation. Installation and Minor Works certificates relate to defined completed work.
Ask Max about thisWhich electrical jobs need Building Control notification?
No. In England it depends on the work, including new circuits, consumer-unit replacement and prescribed changes in bath or shower special locations.
Ask Max about thisDoes a certificate for a new circuit cover the rest of the house?
Only the stated extent of work is covered. A certificate for a new circuit is not a condition report on every existing circuit. Keep the full certificate and schedules so the work covered is clear.
Ask Max about thisWhat can I do if I have lost an electrical certificate?
Start with the contractor who completed the work and identify the address, approximate date and job. Where notification applied, ask about the associated compliance record as well. An inspection of the current installation is a different service and does not recreate missing original paperwork.
Ask Max about thisShould I receive both an electrical certificate and a Building Regulations certificate?
For notifiable work in England, electrical certification and the applicable Building Regulations notification record serve different purposes. Ask before booking which documents will be issued, by whom and how they will reach you. Keep them with the quotation and details of the work covered.
Ask Max about thisSources and further reading
Read the original guidance relevant to this question. Building Regulations and rental-law references here relate to England.