EICR follow-up quotes: investigation or repair?

Separate the finding from the proposed work

An observation tells you what the inspector found. A quote tells you what a contractor proposes to do about it. The IET's EICR guidance distinguishes factual observations from recommendations for remedial work. Send the complete report, including schedules and limitations, rather than a photograph of the overall result.

Ask the contractor to connect each proposed task to the report's observation number and explain what is already known. If the cause or access requirements remain uncertain, ask which part of the price is for establishing them. A single figure labelled “EICR remedials” leaves you unable to tell whether a repair is included.

Does FI mean the same thing on every report?

Check the edition stated on your report. The IET's July 2026 explanation of BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 says FI (further investigation) no longer, by itself, makes the outcome unsatisfactory under that amendment. Its wording is now advisory; C1 and C2 findings remain separate. This does not mean a reported concern can simply be ignored.

Ask the inspector what the particular observation means, what action is advised and how urgently. Do not reinterpret an older report using a newer form or downgrade professional safety advice. The IET also distinguishes condition reporting from fault finding: investigation needed to identify the cause of an already classified defect can be remedial work, rather than an FI observation. A quote containing the word “investigation” therefore does not tell you the report's classification.

Agree an approval brief before the visit

Use the following questions to make the commercial scope explicit. This is a purchasing checklist, not an electrical assessment or a method for carrying out the work.

• Which finding? Record the report date, observation number and affected area as described by the electrician. Ask which items need urgent action before discussing optional improvements.
• What is included initially? Separate a specified repair from a visit to establish the cause or extent of a problem. List any known exclusions.
• How is uncertain work charged? Ask whether the investigation has a fixed scope, an agreed allowance or time-based charging, and what information you will receive for that charge. Agree any spending limit explicitly.
• Where does approval stop? Name the person who can authorise extra work. Agree when the contractor will contact them, how a revised scope and price will be recorded, and how urgent safety findings will be handled if they are unavailable.
• What access is needed? Identify opening hours, tenant arrangements and business equipment that needs coordinated shutdown. Ask who arranges access and any opening-up or making-good work; do not assume it is in the electrical price.
• What closes the item? Ask what findings, testing records and appropriate certification will be supplied, how they will refer back to the original observation, and what will remain outstanding.

For example, a workshop manager might approve a defined investigation visit, with any subsequent repair requiring a revised written quote. That is an illustrative arrangement, not a Crest job or a promise that every fault can be resolved in one visit. It works only if both sides also understand the safety arrangements and what happens if the installation cannot be returned to use as expected.

Keep completion evidence with the original report

Ask what documentation is appropriate to the actual work. Electrical Safety First's Best Practice Guide 10 distinguishes an EICR, which reports on an existing installation, from certification of electrical work. Paying an invoice does not itself change the original report or establish that every observation has been resolved.

Keep the original report, agreed scope, completion documents and any unresolved items together. If the contractor recommends further assessment, record the reason and next action rather than treating a completed visit as a blanket sign-off.

Arrange the next step with Crest

Crest Electrical Contractors handles commercial electrical testing and maintenance enquiries across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire. Send the site address, full EICR, access constraints and the person who can approve work so we can discuss the assessment and scope needed. Request an EICR follow-up quote.

For planning access and interruptions, see our business testing visit checklist. For the service itself, see testing and inspection.

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