EICR testing in Cardiff
Cardiff splits neatly into two EICR jobs. There are the Cathays, Roath and Grangetown terraces, most of them let and most of them altered several times over, and there are the Llanishen, Whitchurch, Pontprennau and Bay properties where the report is usually about proving condition rather than finding problems. We test both, and the report reads the same way in either case: plain English, photographs, and a fixed price for anything that needs putting right.
Book an EICR in Cardiff
The housing stock in Cardiff
The Victorian and Edwardian terraces across Cathays and Roath often carry a modern board on original wiring, plus later additions for loft conversions and rear extensions. Northern Cardiff is largely 1930s bay-fronted semis and post-war estates where the recurring issue is a 1980s or 1990s board without RCD protection on socket circuits.
Cathays and Roath parking is the main practical constraint, so we plan those tests around permit hours. For city-centre and Bay flats we need intake cupboard access from the block manager, arranged at booking rather than on the doorstep.
What we typically find here
- Original wiring under a newer consumer unit in Cathays and Roath terraces
- Loft conversion and rear extension circuits added without certification
- No RCD protection on socket circuits in 1980s and 1990s boards
- Undersized or missing main protective bonding in older kitchens
- Garden and outbuilding supplies run in unsuitable cable
Most Cardiff terraces take two and a half to three and a half hours. Larger northern Cardiff detached homes and student HMOs are typically half a day.
C1, C2, C3 and FI in plain English
Something on the installation presents an immediate risk of injury, for example exposed live parts. We make it safe on the day where we can and it is reported straight away. A C1 means the report is unsatisfactory.
Not dangerous right now, but it could become so, for example missing earthing or bonding. A C2 also makes the report unsatisfactory and needs remedial work before a satisfactory report can be issued.
The installation is safe but does not meet the current standard, for example no RCD protection on a circuit that would need one today. A C3 on its own does not fail the report.
Something could not be fully assessed during the inspection and needs more work to establish whether it is a fault. An FI also results in an unsatisfactory report until it is resolved.
Any C1, C2 or FI makes the report unsatisfactory. If your Cardiff property fails, you get an itemised written quote for the remedial work, and you are free to have that work done by anyone you choose.
How the visit runs
- 1Booking and accessWe agree a slot, including evenings and weekends, and confirm who is providing access to the consumer unit, intake position and every room.
- 2Visual inspectionAccessories, protective devices, bonding and cable condition are inspected before any instrument is used.
- 3Dead testingPower is off in stages while continuity, insulation resistance and polarity are tested circuit by circuit.
- 4Live testingEarth fault loop impedance and RCD operation are measured with the supply restored.
- 5Coding and reportEvery observation is coded C1, C2, C3 or FI, photographed, and written up in plain English alongside the schedule of test results.
- 6Remedials, if neededAnything that needs putting right is quoted in writing at a fixed price. You are free to use another electrician, and we will still verify and re-issue.
EICR questions from Cardiff customers
Can you do an EICR before I buy in Cardiff?
Yes. A homebuyer EICR is one of the most useful things you can commission, because it turns a surveyor's line about the electrics into a costed, coded report you can act on.
Do letting agents accept your reports?
Yes. Reports are issued by an NICEIC Domestic Installer to BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 2, in the standard EICR format agents and licensing teams expect.
How soon can you attend in Cardiff?
Usually within a few days. We work 8am to 9pm seven days a week, so tenanted Cardiff property can be tested at a time the tenant can actually be there.
What is an EICR?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a formal inspection and test of the fixed wiring in a property. It records the condition of the installation against BS 7671 and codes anything that falls short.
How often does a rented property need one?
Domestic rented property in England and Wales is generally on a five-year cycle, with a copy provided to tenants. Check the current guidance from your local authority for your specific situation.
How long does an EICR take?
Most domestic properties take two to four hours depending on the number of circuits. HMOs and subdivided houses take longer because each supply is inspected separately.
Also covered nearby
Cathays, Roath, Whitchurch, Llanishen, Pontprennau, Pentwyn