What C1, C2, C3 and FI mean on your EICR
What each EICR code actually means, which ones make a report unsatisfactory, and how urgently you need to act on them.
Getting an EICR back covered in codes is alarming if nobody explains them. Most reports contain a few C3 observations, and a C3 does not make a report fail.
Here is what each code means in plain terms, and what actually has to be done about it.
- C1 — danger present, action required immediately
- C2 — potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required
- C3 — improvement recommended; report can still be satisfactory
- FI — further investigation required without delay
C1 and C2 make a report unsatisfactory
A C1 means someone could be hurt now — exposed live parts, for example. We make C1 items safe on the day we find them, before leaving. A C2 means the danger appears when something else fails, such as a missing earth: not immediately live, but not acceptable to leave.
Either code makes the overall report unsatisfactory, which for a landlord means remedial work and a re-check within the required timescale.
C3 is advisory
C3 means the installation would be improved by a change, usually because standards moved on since it was installed. No RCD protection on a lighting circuit installed decades ago is a typical C3. You are not obliged to act, and the report can still be satisfactory.
FI means we could not confirm
Further investigation is recorded when something could not be verified on the day — often concealed cabling or a circuit that could not be safely isolated. It needs following up, not ignoring.
Common questions
Does one C2 mean a full rewire?
Almost never. Most C2 items are specific and fixable, such as missing bonding or a damaged accessory.
Do I have to fix C3 items?
No, they are recommendations. Many owners do them anyway when other work is happening.
Will you price the remedials?
Yes — coded findings come with a fixed price to clear them.
Get a fixed price
Got a report from someone else and don't understand it? Send us the PDF and we'll explain the codes plainly, no obligation.