Commercial EICR in Faversham

CJA Electrical does commercial EICR and fixed wire testing across Faversham and the wider Swale area. The legal framework for commercial premises is the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 — and the EICR (also called fixed wire testing or periodic inspection) is the standard documentary evidence that the duty-holder is meeting that obligation. Whether you’re an office tenant, a retail unit operator, or a building owner with multi-tenanted commercial property, the inspection runs out of our Rochester base.

What Commercial EICR actually is

Fixed wire testing — to use the term most commercial clients in Faversham are familiar with — is a periodic inspection and test of every circuit in the building’s fixed installation. The inspection has two parts: a visual survey of the consumer unit, distribution boards, and accessible accessories, then dead and live electrical testing on each circuit (continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop, RCD operation). What lands on the report is a formal opinion of whether the installation is satisfactory or unsatisfactory against BS 7671, with each observation coded so the duty-holder knows what’s urgent and what isn’t. C1 means immediate danger, C2 potentially dangerous, C3 improvement recommended, FI further investigation required.

When you need Commercial EICR in Faversham

There’s no single statutory cycle for commercial EICRs the way there is for domestic landlord property — the duty-holder works to IET Guidance Note 3 and to whatever the insurer’s policy schedule requires. Most policy schedules across Swale reference five-year intervals as standard, with shorter cycles where the building has higher inherent risk. What we see most often in Faversham is the renewal trigger — the insurer asks for a current certificate at the policy anniversary, the building’s last EICR is more than five years old, and we get called in to bring it back into date. Other common triggers: a new tenant on the lease, a CDM-flagged fit-out completion, a refurbished consumer unit that needs documenting against the new circuits.

Standards and what compliance looks like

The two pieces of regulation that sit behind a commercial EICR are BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 (the IET Wiring Regulations — the technical standard the inspection works to) and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (the legal duty on the employer or building owner to keep the installation safe and maintained). The EICR document itself follows the format set out in BS 7671 Appendix 6 — schedule of inspections, schedule of test results, list of observations with codes. Reports formatted to that standard are accepted by every insurer, every Swale local authority, and every commercial landlord we’ve worked with.

Testing schedule and remedials

Each circuit is tested in turn. Dead testing — with the circuit isolated — covers continuity of protective and bonding conductors, insulation resistance, polarity, and (for ring finals) ring continuity. Live testing — with the supply restored — covers earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current, and RCD operating times. Every measurement is recorded on a schedule of test results and lodged with the certificate. Findings are recorded against observation codes (C1, C2, C3, FI) with a note against each. The summary on the front of the certificate gives an overall verdict — satisfactory or unsatisfactory — based on whether any C1 or C2 observations are present. C3 observations alone don’t make a report unsatisfactory; they’re recommendations rather than failures.

Why Faversham property owners book CJA Electrical

CJA Electrical is based in Rochester and covers commercial work across the whole of Swale from there. Faversham sits within the 35-minute working radius — close enough that scheduling around your trading hours and getting back for remedial work is a non-issue. The work is done by someone qualified to City & Guilds 2391 (Inspection & Testing) and 2382 (18th Edition Wiring Regulations), using calibrated test equipment, with reports produced in the standard BS 7671 format your insurer and managing agent recognise. No subcontracting — the person on site is the person signing the certificate.

How the work runs

First contact: a five-minute call to scope the premises. We need to know roughly what the installation looks like — number of distribution boards, three-phase or single-phase, number of circuits, whether there’s any specialist equipment (server rooms, plant, kitchens) that needs handling carefully. Most quotes go out within 24 hours of the initial call. Booking: testing scheduled around your hours. Most Faversham offices are tested outside business hours; retail units are usually done early morning or evenings; workshops and industrial premises are sometimes done in phased blocks weekend-by-weekend if the building can’t shut down at all. Reporting: PDF within 48 hours, formatted to BS 7671 Appendix 6, with the schedule of test results, schedule of inspections, and observations all in the standard format insurers and managing agents expect to see.

What affects the price

Commercial EICR pricing is driven by the size of the installation — number of circuits, number of distribution boards, total accessory count — and the access conditions. Most Faversham office EICRs come in as a fixed price after a five-minute scoping call. Industrial premises and multi-board commercial often need a brief site visit before the quote firms up. What’s included in the quote: the inspection, the testing, the written report formatted to BS 7671. What’s quoted separately: any remedial work needed to clear C1 or C2 observations after the report. We don’t bundle remedials into the inspection price — keeping them separate means the duty-holder can shop the remedial quote against other contractors if they want to.

FAQs

Can testing be done out of hours so we don’t shut the business?

Yes. Out-of-hours testing is the default for retail units, restaurants, and most Faversham commercial premises. We can also phase the testing across multiple visits if the building can’t sustain a single block. Tell us when you’re closed (or quietest) and we’ll plan the work to fit.

What’s a sampling EICR and is it appropriate for our building?

Sampling is when the duty-holder specifies a percentage (often 10–20%) of circuits and accessories to be tested rather than 100%. The remaining circuits are visually inspected only. The sample is documented on the report and the duty-holder accepts responsibility for the un-tested portion. Appropriate for large, low-risk premises on tight inspection cycles. For most Faversham commercial, full testing is the right call.

Who’s legally responsible — landlord or tenant?

Depends on the lease. In a typical full-repairing-and-insuring (FRI) commercial lease the tenant carries the duty for the installation within the demise. In shorter leases the landlord usually retains the duty. For multi-tenanted buildings, the landlord normally holds the duty for shared common parts and main supply. We can read the lease with you on a quick call and clarify who needs to commission the EICR.

How long does a commercial EICR take?

Half a day for a small Faversham office (single board, ~20 circuits) up to two or three days for a multi-board industrial unit. Premises that need phased testing across weekends will take longer in calendar time but the same total testing hours. We give a realistic estimate at quoting stage based on the circuit count and access conditions.

What happens if the report comes back unsatisfactory?

Unsatisfactory just means the inspection has flagged C1 or C2 observations — items that need putting right to bring the installation back to compliance. The report lists each item, and CJA Electrical can quote separately for the remedial work. Once the remedials are done, the affected circuits are re-tested and a fresh, satisfactory certificate is issued.