The short answer
An EICR for a typical UK flat usually costs around £100–£200, with a studio or one-bedroom flat often from £100–£150 and a larger two- or three-bedroom flat nearer £150–£200. Flats tend to sit at the lower end of the EICR range because they usually have fewer circuits than a house — there is no garden supply, often a single consumer unit and a simpler layout. The inspection of a flat commonly takes 1.5–3 hours. The price reflects the number of circuits, the age of the wiring, and your region, with London and the South East generally higher. These are typical ranges for guidance, not a quotation.
Flats are usually among the more affordable properties to inspect because they have fewer circuits than a house. The figures below are typical UK ranges for guidance, not quotations.
Typical EICR costs for a flat
- Studio / 1-bed flat~£100–£150
- 2–3 bed flat~£150–£200
- Inspection time~1.5–3 hours
- Main drivernumber of circuits
- Higher inLondon & the South East
Why a flat usually costs less than a house
An EICR is priced largely on the number of circuits the electrician has to inspect and test, and a flat normally has fewer of them than a house. There is usually no external supply for a garden or outbuilding, a single consumer unit (fuse board) rather than several, and a more compact run of sockets and lighting. Because testing each circuit takes time, fewer circuits means a shorter visit and a lower figure. A typical one-bedroom flat might have only a handful of circuits — lighting, sockets, a cooker or hob supply and perhaps an immersion heater — where a four-bedroom house could have two or three times as many.
A modern flat in good condition is generally quicker to inspect than an older converted flat where the wiring may date from different eras. In a purpose-built modern block, the installation is often tidy, well-labelled and protected by a recent consumer unit with RCD or RCBO protection, all of which speeds the inspection. A Victorian terrace converted into flats can be the opposite: wiring added piecemeal over decades, shared supplies, and a consumer unit that predates current standards. The electrician works to the same BS 7671 18th Edition checks in both cases, but the older installation simply takes longer to assess and record, which is reflected in the price.
It is worth remembering that the cost is driven by the installation, not the value of the flat. An expensive flat in a smart development with simple, modern wiring can be cheaper to inspect than a modest converted flat with decades of patchwork additions. The inspector is pricing the work of testing the circuits, so two flats with the same number of bedrooms can differ if one has extra circuits — an electric shower, underfloor heating, or a separate utility supply — that the other does not.
| Flat type | Typical EICR cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bed | ~£100–£150 | fewest circuits |
| 2-bed flat | ~£130–£180 | mid range |
| 3-bed flat | ~£150–£200 | more circuits |
| Inspection time | ~1.5–3 hours | varies with size |
Indicative UK figures for guidance. Sources: Checkatrade and MyJobQuote cost guides.
What can push a flat's EICR higher
Several things move a flat toward the upper end of the range, or beyond it:
- Older or converted flats: period conversions and ex-local-authority blocks may have older wiring and a greater chance of issues to record, which adds inspection time.
- Communal supply arrangements: where the flat shares risers or draws from a landlord's supply, access and isolation can take longer, and the boundary between your installation and the communal one has to be established.
- Region: London and the South East tend to be at the higher end because labour rates are higher there than in the Midlands or the North.
- Access to the consumer unit: a boxed-in board behind a cupboard, or one mounted high in an awkward hallway, adds time to a job that is otherwise quick.
- Past DIY work: unlabelled or non-standard alterations have to be traced and assessed circuit by circuit, which is slower than working through a clearly documented board.
None of these are hidden charges — they reflect genuine extra time on site. If your flat is older or you know it has been altered over the years, it is reasonable to expect a figure toward the upper end of the range rather than the studio-flat minimum. Telling the electrician a little about the property when you ask, including its age and roughly how many circuits the consumer unit has, helps them give a more accurate estimate from the outset.
What the price does and does not include
An EICR for a flat is an inspection and report. It tells you the condition of the installation and records any faults against the C1, C2 and C3 codes, but it does not include putting right anything it finds. If the report is recorded as unsatisfactory because a C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) is found, the remedial work is quoted separately once the electrician knows what is needed. A report with only C3 (improvement recommended) observations can still be satisfactory, because C3 is an advisory upgrade rather than a fault that must be fixed.
It helps to think of the fee as paying for the electrician's time and expertise, not for a particular result. They test each circuit — checking earthing and bonding, measuring insulation resistance, and confirming that any RCDs and RCBOs trip within the time BS 7671 requires — and then write up the findings into a formal document. That work happens whether the flat passes or fails, so the inspection cost is the same either way; a fail simply adds the cost of any remedial work afterwards.
When comparing figures, check three things so you are comparing like for like: whether the price is inspection-only or includes any minor remedials, how many circuits it covers, and whether VAT is included. A low headline price that quietly caps the circuit count, or that adds VAT and a separate certificate fee later, is not as low as it first appears. For a flat the scope is usually straightforward, but it is still worth having it written down so there are no surprises when the invoice arrives.
Flats in let buildings and leasehold blocks
If your flat is rented out, the EICR is not optional — a private landlord in England has a legal duty under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 to have the installation inspected and tested at least every five years, supply tenants with a copy, and act on any remedial work the report requires. That duty applies to a let flat exactly as it does to a let house, and the cost is the same kind of figure set out above.
In a leasehold block, responsibility is split. You are generally responsible for the wiring inside your demised flat, while the freeholder or management company looks after the communal supply, landlord's circuits in shared areas, and any building-wide systems. That split is usually why an individual flat's EICR is at the lower end of the cost range: the inspector is assessing your circuits only, not the whole building. If you are unsure where your responsibility ends, your lease and the managing agent can confirm the boundary before you book.
One practical point for leaseholders: if the report flags a fault that sits on the communal side of the boundary — a shared supply, a landlord's circuit, or wiring in a common area — that is generally not yours to fix, and you would refer it to the freeholder or managing agent rather than pay for remedial work on someone else's installation. Keeping your own flat's EICR current, and a copy of the report on file, is the sensible course whether you live in the flat or let it out.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an EICR for a one-bedroom flat?
A studio or one-bedroom flat typically costs around £100–£150 for an EICR, because it usually has the fewest circuits to test. Older or converted flats can sit a little higher, and prices in London and the South East tend to be at the upper end.
Why is a flat cheaper to inspect than a house?
Flats generally have fewer circuits than houses — no garden or outbuilding supply, usually a single consumer unit and a simpler layout. Since an EICR is priced on circuits tested, fewer circuits means a shorter visit and a lower figure.
Does an EICR for a flat cover communal areas?
No. An individual flat's EICR covers the fixed wiring within that flat. Communal landings, shared risers and the building's main supply are normally the freeholder's or managing agent's responsibility and are inspected separately.
Sources & further reading
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific property. They are guidance, not a quotation. Legal duties are summarised for guidance — confirm the current position on GOV.UK.