You have got an EICR due on a rental, and before you ring round three electricians you want to know what a fair price actually looks like. The honest answer is that there is no fixed national rate, but the range is narrower than it first appears once you understand what an electrician is charging for. Here is a realistic 2026 estimate by property size and region, what pushes the number up, and how often you are genuinely required to have one done.
What an EICR is, and the five-year rule
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is a formal inspection of a property's fixed wiring, consumer unit, sockets, switches and earthing. A qualified electrician tests the installation, then records each observation with a code: C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended) or FI (further investigation). A report is "satisfactory" only if it has no C1, C2 or FI items.
In England, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require landlords to have the installation inspected and tested "at least every 5 years", or more often if the report says so (legislation.gov.uk). The rules applied to new tenancies from 1 June 2020 and to all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021. Wales has an equivalent five-year duty under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (in force from 1 December 2022), and Scotland requires the same five-year interval under the private rented repairing standard. These durations are stable, but always check your nation's current guidance before you rely on a date.
What actually drives the price
The headline figure is mostly a function of how long the job takes, and that comes down to a few things:
- Number of circuits. This is the single biggest cost driver. Every circuit has to be tested individually, so a small flat with 6 circuits is far quicker than a house with 14.
- Property size and bedrooms. More rooms means more sockets, lights and often a second consumer unit, which adds circuits.
- Age and condition of the wiring. Older installations take longer to test safely and are more likely to throw up items needing further investigation.
- Access. Boarded lofts, blocked cupboards or a consumer unit behind furniture slow the electrician down.
- Region. Labour rates in London and the South East sit well above the North East, Wales and much of the Midlands.
Because circuits drive the cost, two three-bedroom houses can be quoted differently depending on their wiring, not just their floor area.
Estimated 2026 EICR cost by property size
The figures below are illustrative planning estimates for a typical mid-priced region at the time of writing. Treat them as a sense-check against quotes you receive, not a fixed tariff.
| Property | Typical circuits | Illustrative 2026 EICR cost |
|---|---|---|
| Studio or 1-bed flat | 4 to 6 | £120 to £160 |
| 2-bed flat or terrace | 6 to 8 | £150 to £190 |
| 3-bed house | 8 to 10 | £180 to £230 |
| 4-bed house | 10 to 12 | £220 to £280 |
| 5-bed or HMO | 12 or more | £280 to £400+ |
For a licensed HMO the price often rises further because there may be multiple consumer units, more circuits, and additional emergency lighting or fire-alarm interfaces the electrician needs to work around.
Estimated regional variation
Location shifts the same job by a meaningful margin. Using a mid-priced region as the baseline (index 100), a rough guide to relative labour cost looks like this:
- London: roughly 25% to 40% above baseline
- South East and East of England: roughly 10% to 20% above
- Midlands, South West, Yorkshire: around baseline
- North East, North West, Wales: roughly 5% to 15% below
- Scotland: broadly around baseline, with city-centre premiums
So a three-bed house you might budget at £200 in the Midlands could be £150 to £180 in the North East and £250 to £280 in inner London.
A worked example
Say you own a three-bed semi in the East Midlands with one consumer unit and nine circuits.
- Base EICR: £200 (mid-range for the size and region)
- Findings: the electrician records two C2 items, a cracked socket outlet and a lighting circuit without adequate protection.
- Remedial work: replacing the socket and adding protection is quoted at £180.
- Re-check: confirming the fixes and issuing a satisfactory report, £0 to £40 depending on the firm.
Total to reach a satisfactory report: around £380 to £420. The EICR itself was £200; the rest is the repair work the report uncovered. This is the part landlords most often underestimate, so it is worth budgeting for remedials on any installation older than about 20 years.
What the quote does not include
An EICR is an inspection, not a repair contract. The fee buys you the report. If the electrician finds C1 or C2 items, fixing them is charged separately, and in England you must complete remedial work within 28 days (or sooner if the report specifies) and supply written confirmation to the tenant and, on request, the local authority. Watch for very low headline prices that assume a clean pass; a £99 EICR can end up costing more once remedials are added on at a higher day rate.
How often do you really need one?
This is where landlords overspend. The legal trigger is the five-year interval (or the earlier date the report itself recommends), plus having a valid report in place at the start of a new tenancy. You do not need a fresh EICR every time a tenant moves out if your existing report is still within its five-year window and remains satisfactory. A four-year-old satisfactory EICR is perfectly valid for a new let.
One 2026 point worth flagging: under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and whose tenancy reforms commenced on 1 May 2026, all assured tenancies become periodic (legislation.gov.uk). A tenancy rolling on periodically does not reset or shorten your EICR clock. The five-year interval, and any earlier date written on the report, still govern. So resist any electrician who tells you a new periodic tenancy means you need an immediate re-test.
If your report comes back satisfactory with only C3 (improvement recommended) items, those are advisory. You are not legally required to action C3s to remain compliant, though sensible ones are often cheap to tidy up at the same visit.
The short version
For most standard rentals in 2026, budget somewhere between £120 and £300 for the EICR alone, scaled by circuits, size and region, and set aside a separate contingency for remedial work on older wiring. Get two or three quotes, confirm the electrician is competent and registered with a scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, and check whether any advertised price already includes minor remedials.
This is general information, not tax or financial advice. Electrical safety rules and enforcement differ across England, Wales and Scotland, so confirm the current requirements for your property before you book.
