EICR in Sittingbourne

Periodic inspection and testing in Sittingbourne — what most people just call an EICR. The work covers a visual inspection of the consumer unit and accessible accessories, dead and live testing on every circuit, and a written report with each observation coded against BS 7671. Common drivers in Swale: a 5-yearly landlord check, a pre-sale or pre-purchase EICR, an insurer asking for current documentation, or a homeowner whose installation hasn’t been tested in a decade.

What EICR actually is

An EICR is a formal inspection and test of the fixed wiring in a property — the consumer unit, every circuit running off it, every accessible socket, switch, and light fitting. The output is a written report with observation codes against anything that’s not satisfactory: C1 for immediate danger, C2 for potentially dangerous (also a fail), C3 for improvement recommended, FI for further investigation required. A satisfactory report has no C1 or C2 observations. A property with C3 observations alone still passes. The report is what landlords need for the PRS regulations, what surveyors check on sale, and what insurers reference when validating a claim.

When you need EICR in Sittingbourne

The triggers we see most often on Sittingbourne EICR enquiries: landlord on the 5-yearly cycle (the largest single category); a tenancy changeover where the agent or landlord wants a fresh report; a pre-sale where the vendor wants documentation on the contract pack; a buyer who’s had the surveyor flag the electrics on a Level 2 or Level 3 report; an insurance renewal requiring current documentation; and homeowners who haven’t had the property tested for a decade or more. For older period property in Swale, sometimes it’s a fault that prompts the booking — a circuit that keeps tripping, a socket that’s stopped working, a burning smell from the consumer unit. We’ll often diagnose the immediate fault on the visit and roll into a full EICR while we’re there.

Standards and what compliance looks like

The technical standard for an EICR is BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 — the 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations with Amendment 2. Any EICR signed off after January 2023 should reference that version. Older reports against earlier amendments are still valid for the cycle they were issued in but should be re-tested to current standards on the next inspection. The format of the report itself follows 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 Swale local authority, every insurer, and every estate agent we’ve worked with.

Fittings and where they go

What gets inspected: the consumer unit (the main fuse board) is opened up and inspected with the cover off. We check the main earth and bonding, the protective devices (MCBs, RCDs, RCBOs), the labelling, and the condition of the connections. From there we work through every accessible accessory in the property — sockets, switches, light fittings, immersion isolators, cooker outlets — checking each for damage, wear, and correct fitting. Cable routing is checked where it’s accessible. Loft spaces, under-stair cupboards, airing cupboards, and outbuildings get a visual where reachable. Buried cables behind plaster are not opened up, but the live testing picks up any major issues on those circuits via insulation resistance and earth fault loop measurements.

Testing schedule and remedials

Testing splits into dead testing (with the circuit isolated) and live testing (with the supply restored). Dead tests cover continuity of protective conductors, insulation resistance between live and earth, polarity, and ring final continuity on socket circuits. Live tests cover earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current, and RCD operation times. Each circuit’s results are recorded individually on the schedule of test results that accompanies the certificate. For a typical three-bed property in Sittingbourne the on-site time is half a day. Larger or older properties with more circuits can take a full day. The brief power-down for dead testing on each circuit is usually a few minutes per circuit — long enough to put kettles and computers off the boil, short enough that nothing in the fridge defrosts.

Why Sittingbourne property owners book CJA Electrical

CJA Electrical is based in Rochester and covers EICR work across Swale from there. Sittingbourne sits within the 30-minute working radius — close enough that scheduling is tight, return visits for remedial work are easy, and you’re dealing with someone who knows the local stock. We do mostly residential EICR plus increasingly commercial fixed-wire work as the client base has grown. Qualifications: City & Guilds 2391 (Inspection & Testing), 2382 (18th Edition Wiring Regulations), and 2365 (Diploma in Electrical Installation). Calibrated test equipment. Certificates supplied as PDF inside 48 hours. Remedial work quoted separately so the price is clear and you can plan the budget.

How the work runs

Step one — quick chat about the property: how many bedrooms, rough age of the consumer unit, any known issues, any access constraints (tenanted property, occupied during works, working hours preferences). Most quotes are confirmed on that initial call as a fixed price, with larger or unusual properties going to a brief site visit before the quote firms up. Step two — testing visit. Half a day to a full day on site for most domestic property; longer for larger or multi-installation premises. Brief power-downs during dead testing flagged in advance. Step three — the report. PDF inside 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 agents expect to see.

What affects the price

Pricing is transparent: a fixed price for the inspection and report, separate quoting for remedials. The fixed price is set on a brief scoping call about the property — rough age, number of consumer units, circuit count if known, occupancy. Most Sittingbourne domestic EICRs are quoted on that call alone. Larger properties — anything with multiple consumer units, significant outbuildings, three-phase commercial supply — get a capped quote after a quick site visit. The cap means you have certainty on the maximum cost going in, even if the on-site time runs slightly longer than expected.

FAQs

What’s the difference between a Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory report?

A satisfactory report has no C1 (immediate danger) or C2 (potentially dangerous) observations. C3 observations (improvement recommended) on their own don’t fail the report. An unsatisfactory report means C1 or C2 observations are present and the installation needs remedial work to bring it back to compliance.

Can you do remedial work on the same visit?

Sometimes — minor remedials (replacing a damaged socket face, tightening a loose connection, fitting a missing blanking plate) can be done on the inspection visit if time and parts allow. Larger remedial work (consumer unit replacement, recircuiting, additional RCD protection) is quoted separately and scheduled as a follow-up.

Will the inspection damage anything?

No. The tests are non-destructive. Insulation resistance and earth fault loop are low-current measurements that don’t stress the installation. Most of the on-site work is visual inspection plus brief electrical testing on each circuit. The only disruption is the short power-downs during dead testing.

How quickly can I get a report after the inspection?

PDF inside 48 hours of testing completing. We can usually turn it around faster (same evening, next morning) if there’s a deadline — landlord renewal, sale exchange, insurance renewal — and we just need to know the deadline up front.

What if I disagree with an observation on the report?

Talk to us. Each observation has reasoning behind the coding — usually clear regulatory references — and we’ll walk through any specific item if you want to understand the call. Genuine reconsideration on borderline calls is fine; we don’t dig in for the sake of it.

Does an EICR cover gas, water, or appliances?

No. The EICR is a fixed-wiring inspection only — the consumer unit and circuits, plus accessories like sockets and switches. Gas certification is a Gas Safe registered engineer’s job; water leak detection is a plumber’s; appliance testing (PAT testing) is a separate service. We can refer to trusted local trades for any of those.

What if my property has more than one consumer unit?

Common in larger Sittingbourne properties — main board plus a garage or outbuilding sub-board, occasionally a separate board for a flat conversion or annexe. Each board is inspected separately and gets its own schedule of test results. The price reflects the additional testing time; we’ll confirm a fixed all-in number at quoting stage.