EIC vs Minor Works vs EICR: Which Cert?

Electrical Certificates: EIC vs MEIWC vs EICR

The certificate you issue depends on what you did: a new circuit gets an EIC, an alteration to an existing circuit gets a Minor Works Certificate, and an inspection of an existing installation gets an EICR. Two of the three are certificates for work you carried out. The third is a report on the condition of something you did not necessarily touch. Getting that distinction right is most of the job.

The three documents at a glance

Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC). Issued for a new installation, or for the addition of one or more new circuits to an existing installation. A full rewire, a new consumer unit, a new circuit for an EV charger, a garden office supply — these all sit under an EIC.

Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC), usually just called a Minor Works Certificate. Issued for additions and alterations to an existing circuit that do not involve a new circuit. Moving a socket, adding a spur, replacing an accessory, changing a light fitting on an existing circuit.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Not a certificate for work at all. It is a periodic inspection and test of an existing installation, reporting its condition against BS 7671 and classifying anything found as C1, C2, C3 or FI. Landlords are the biggest driver of demand for these, but homebuyers, insurers and commercial clients ask for them too.

All three sit within the framework of BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, and the model forms are published there.

Which one for which job

The question that decides between an EIC and a Minor Works Certificate is simple: did you create a new circuit?

If yes — a new circuit run from the consumer unit, a new consumer unit, or a whole new installation — it is an EIC. If you altered or extended an existing circuit without adding a new one, it is a Minor Works Certificate.

A few cases that come up repeatedly:

• New consumer unit on an existing installation. EIC. You are effectively re-terminating and re-certifying the origin of the installation.

• New dedicated circuit for an EV charge point. EIC, because the circuit is new.

• Adding a socket to an existing ring. Minor Works.

• Replacing a like-for-like accessory with no alteration to the circuit. Generally maintenance rather than notifiable alteration, but where the work is an alteration to the circuit a Minor Works Certificate is the correct record.

• Rewire of a single room. Depends on whether new circuits were created. If existing circuits were extended and altered, Minor Works; if new circuits were installed, EIC.

• Someone wants “a certificate” for a house they are selling. They want an EICR, not an EIC. An EIC only covers work you carried out.

Where a job includes both — say, a new circuit plus alterations elsewhere — issue an EIC for the new work and a Minor Works Certificate for the alterations, rather than trying to stretch one document over both.

An EICR is not a certificate of compliance

This is worth saying to customers directly, because it is misunderstood constantly. An EICR is a snapshot of condition on the day, with observations classified by severity. It does not certify that the installation complies with the current edition of BS 7671, and an installation can be perfectly safe while carrying C3 observations recommending improvement.

The classification codes matter and should be explained, not just listed:

• C1 — danger present. Risk of injury, immediate action required. You should make safe before you leave.

• C2 — potentially dangerous. Urgent remedial action required.

• C3 — improvement recommended. Not a fail; an observation that the installation would be better if brought up to current standards.

• FI — further investigation required. Something could not be resolved during the inspection and needs looking into.

An EICR is normally recorded as unsatisfactory where C1, C2 or FI items are present. C3 items alone do not make it unsatisfactory.

Who can issue them

The person issuing any of these documents must be competent to carry out the inspection and testing involved, with the right instruments, correctly calibrated. In practice most electricians issuing certificates in the domestic market are registered with a scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, which brings assessment, technical support and — importantly for domestic work in England and Wales — the ability to self-certify notifiable work under Part P rather than paying for a building control notice.

Registration is not the same thing as competence, and competence is what BS 7671 actually asks for. But scheme registration is what most customers, agents and platforms look for, and it is what makes Part P work practical on a day-to-day basis.

Where Part P applies and you are not registered with a competent person scheme, the work needs to be notified to building control before you start, or certified by a third party — which costs money and time.

What the customer should actually receive

A certificate is not finished until it is in the customer’s hands, complete and legible. Whichever document you are issuing, the customer should end up with:

• the completed certificate or report, signed and dated by the person who did the work or inspection

• the schedule of inspections and the schedule of test results, where the form requires them

• for an EICR, the observations with their classification codes explained in plain language

• for notifiable work under a competent person scheme, the building regulations compliance certificate that follows on from your notification

Keep your own copy. If a claim or a dispute surfaces two years later, the test results are your defence, and “I know I tested it” is not.

Common mistakes worth avoiding

• Using a Minor Works Certificate for a new circuit because it is quicker. It is the wrong document and it will not stand up.

• Leaving test result schedules blank or half-filled. An unfinished schedule undermines the whole certificate.

• Issuing an EIC to cover an installation you did not fully test. Certificates cover the extent of the work you declare — describe that extent accurately.

• Letting a customer believe an EICR is a pass certificate. Explain what it is and what the codes mean.

• Not recording departures. Where a departure from BS 7671 exists, it belongs on the form.

Getting the work in the first place

Certification and periodic inspection are steady, repeatable work — landlords in particular come back on a cycle — and they put you in front of customers who then need the remedial work doing.

Trade Pilot is free to join and only charges when a real local job lands in your inbox, with each lead sold to no more than three trades in an area rather than blasted out to everyone. Your scheme registration shows on your profile, so the customers who care about it can see it before they get in touch.

FAQ

Do I need an EIC or a Minor Works Certificate for a new consumer unit? An EIC. Replacing a consumer unit is work at the origin of the installation and requires full certification, not a Minor Works Certificate.

Is an EICR the same as a landlord safety certificate? It is the document landlords generally need for the electrical installation in a rented property. Check the current requirements and inspection intervals for the relevant part of the UK, as rules differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Does a C3 mean the EICR fails? No. C3 is a recommendation for improvement. A report is normally recorded as unsatisfactory where there are C1, C2 or FI items.

Can I issue certificates if I am not scheme registered? BS 7671 requires competence, not scheme membership. But for notifiable domestic work under Part P in England and Wales, being registered with a competent person scheme is what lets you self-certify instead of notifying building control in advance.

How long should I keep copies of certificates? Keep them for the long term. They are your record of what was installed and tested, and the point at which you need them is usually years later.

What if I only replaced a light fitting? Like-for-like replacement of an accessory is generally maintenance. Where you have altered the circuit, a Minor Works Certificate is the right record.

Related reading: EICR explained · Part P notification · do I need Part P · house rewire cost