---
title: "EICR cost in Colchester (2026)"
description: "EICR prices in Colchester: what the job involves, what moves the price, and what it costs town by town."
canonical: "https://lightingelectrical.co.uk/costs/eicr"
---

# EICR cost in Colchester

> EICR prices in Colchester: what the job involves, what moves the price, and what it costs town by town.

## What Lighting Electrical charges

Published £150. Send the job details and the team will confirm the scope and price.

## What the price covers

- Visual check of the consumer unit, cabling, sockets, switches and fixed lighting
- Dead and live tests on the circuits, including earth continuity and insulation resistance
- Classification of each observation as C1, C2, C3 or FI on the report
- A written EICR for the property, signed by us
- A short talk through the findings before we leave

### Priced separately
- Repair of faults found during the test
- PAT testing of plug-in appliances
- A new consumer unit or a rewire

## Who needs an EICR in Colchester

Landlords, buyers, sellers and workplace managers book this test when the law or a mortgage, insurer or letting agent asks for a current electrical safety report.
- **Landlords in Colchester and Witham:** Private rented homes need a current EICR. We inspect flats and houses in Colchester, Witham, Maldon and the surrounding Essex towns and leave you the report for the tenant file.
- **Homeowners selling or remortgaging:** Solicitors and lenders often ask for an electrical safety report before exchange. We test the consumer unit, circuits, sockets and fixed lighting so you have a dated record of the installation.
- **Shops, offices and workshops:** Workplaces use an EICR to show the fixed wiring has been inspected. We cover commercial premises in Stanway, Marks Tey, Tiptree and Brightlingsea as well as domestic work.
- **After a flood, fire or major alteration:** If the wiring has been wet, scorched or partly stripped out, an inspection tells you which circuits are safe to keep and which need repair before they are used again.

## What happens on the day

We attend. Power is off for parts of the test, so plan for that before we arrive.
- **Arrival and walk round:** We confirm the address, look at the consumer unit and note the layout of the house or workplace. You can point out any sockets, lights or trips that already worry you.
- **Isolation and circuit tests:** We isolate the supply, then test each circuit in turn. Lights and sockets go off while those tests run. We restore power circuit by circuit as each one is finished.
- **Report and certificate:** We complete the EICR on site, talk through any C1 or C2 items, and leave you with the certificate. Urgent danger is isolated before we go.

## What you get after an EICR

You are left with a dated record of the installation and a clear next step if anything failed.
- **An inspection record:** The EICR lists every circuit, the tests carried out and the overall result. Landlords use it for the tenancy file; owners use it for a sale, a lender or an insurer.
- **Remedial work is a later choice:** If the report is unsatisfactory we quote the repairs in writing. You can book that work with us or take the report to another electrician. The inspection fee does not include the repairs.

## EICR price questions

### How much does EICR cost in Colchester?

Lighting Electrical charges £150 — the rate we quote from, confirmed on survey, not a lead-generation estimate.

### How much does an EICR cost?

An EICR starts from £150 for a typical house. Flats with few circuits sit at the lower end. Larger houses and commercial premises take longer and cost more.

### How long does the test take?

A small house or flat is usually a morning. A larger home or a shop with many circuits can take most of the day. We tell you the likely time when we quote.

### Do I need to be in for the inspection?

Someone with access has to let us in and stay while the power is off. Tenants can be present if the landlord has arranged the visit.

### What do C1, C2 and C3 mean on the report?

C1 is danger present and we make that circuit safe before leaving. C2 is potentially dangerous and makes the report unsatisfactory. C3 is improvement recommended and does not fail the test on its own.

### How often should a rented home have an EICR?

Private rented homes in England need a current report, usually every five years or at a change of tenancy if the last one has run out. We inspect the property and issue a new certificate each time.

- [Electrical safety in rented homes](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-and-social-rented-sectors-guidance/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-and-social-rented-sectors-guidance): Government guidance on electrical safety standards for private and social rented homes in England, including when a report is due and what landlords must give tenants.

- [EICR classification guidance](https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/media/2depcuen/best-practice-guide-4-issue-6.pdf): Electrical Safety First Best Practice Guide 4 on coding observations C1, C2, C3 and FI, and on when an installation is satisfactory or unsatisfactory.