If you own or run a shop, office, pub or industrial unit in Stockport, your insurer, landlord or letting agent will probably ask for an up to date Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) at some point. The right testing interval depends on how the building is used, not on one fixed date. Here is a plain guide to the usual intervals, what happens on the day and what it tends to cost locally.
No law sets one testing date for every commercial property. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require employers and people in control of premises to keep electrical systems safe, and a periodic inspection and test (the EICR) is the accepted way to show you have done that. If something goes wrong and you cannot produce a recent report, you will struggle to show you took reasonable care.
The recommended intervals come from IET Guidance Note 3, which supports the wiring regulations (BS 7671). Most electricians, insurers and fire risk assessors across Stockport work to these figures.
These are maximum gaps between full inspections. Your electrician may recommend a shorter interval if the installation is old, heavily used or in poor condition.
A five year interval is a ceiling, not a target. Several situations call for a fresh inspection regardless of the date on your last report.
Stockport has plenty of older commercial stock: Victorian and Edwardian shopfronts around the Underbanks and Hillgate, converted mill space in Reddish and Heaton Norris, and 1960s and 70s units on estates off the A6 and around Bredbury. Buildings like these often have mixed wiring from several decades, which is exactly where faults hide.
The electrician inspects the consumer units or distribution boards, checks earthing and bonding, and tests each circuit for insulation resistance, continuity, polarity and how quickly protective devices disconnect. Sampling is allowed on larger sites, but the percentage should be agreed with you in advance and noted on the report.
Testing means circuits are switched off in turn, so most businesses arrange it early in the morning, in the evening or at a weekend. A small Stockport shop might take half a day. A multi floor office or a unit with three phase machinery can take two or three days.
Any issues are coded. C1 means danger present and needs immediate action. C2 means potentially dangerous and needs urgent repair. FI means further investigation is needed. C3 is a recommendation for improvement only. A report with any C1, C2 or FI codes is recorded as unsatisfactory until the work is done.
Price depends mainly on the number of circuits and distribution boards, access, and whether the work has to be done out of hours. As a rough guide around Stockport, a small shop or office with one board might fall somewhere around £150 to £350. A mid sized office or restaurant with several boards is often £400 to £900, and larger industrial or multi tenant buildings can run into four figures.
Remedial work is priced separately once the report is complete. Ask for a clear breakdown of each item and its code so you can see what is urgent and what can be planned for later.
No. An EICR covers the fixed wiring, boards and circuits in the building, while PAT testing covers portable appliances plugged into it. They are separate jobs, although many businesses book them together to limit disruption.
It depends on your lease. Landlords usually take responsibility for the fixed installation in multi let buildings, but many full repairing leases pass it to the tenant, so check the repair and compliance clauses.
The report states its own recommended date for the next inspection, which is often five years for offices and shops but can be shorter. If the electrician gives a shorter interval because of the installation's condition, that date is the one to follow.
A quick call with Gary is usually enough to establish scope. For anything more involved, we’ll come out to measure up at a time that suits you.