EICR Limitations: What the Report Does and Does Not Cover

Every EICR includes a section titled "Extent and Limitations of the Inspection." This is not boilerplate text to be copied and pasted — it is a critical part of the report that defines exactly what was inspected, what was tested, and what was excluded.

The purpose is transparency. An EICR is a snapshot of the installation's condition at the time of inspection, based on what the inspector could reasonably access and test. It is not a guarantee that every part of the installation is safe — because not every part of the installation can be examined during a standard periodic inspection.

BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 Appendix 6 and Guidance Note 3 (GN3) require the inspector to record both the extent (what was inspected and tested) and the limitations (what was not inspected or tested, and why). This protects both parties: the client understands the scope of the report, and the inspector has a clear record of what fell outside the agreed inspection.

A standard EICR covers the fixed electrical installation from the origin (the customer side of the meter) to the final circuits and accessories. This includes:

The extent section should specify which circuits were tested, the number of distribution boards inspected, and whether the inspection covered the entire installation or a specific part of it.

On larger installations — particularly commercial properties with many circuits — it is not always practical to test every single circuit and accessory. In these cases, the inspector uses a sampling approach, testing a representative proportion of the installation and recording the sampling rate on the EICR.

Guidance Note 3 (GN3) Chapter 8 Reg 8.2 defines sampling as the procedure where, for groups of similar circuits, not all circuits are tested provided an appropriate sampling plan is justified. Crucially, GN3 requires that sampling must be justified by a formal risk assessment, and the details of that justification must be documented in the Schedule of Inspections and Schedule of Test Results. Sampling is not simply a matter of agreeing a percentage with a client — the risk-assessment basis is a GN3 obligation.

A limitation recorded as "10% sample of lighting circuits tested" is informative and appropriate. A limitation recorded simply as "sampling applied" is vague and unhelpful. Be specific.

The most significant limitation on any EICR is concealed wiring. In most properties, the majority of the electrical cabling is hidden — buried in walls, run under floorboards, routed through ceiling voids, or enclosed in trunking. During a standard EICR, the inspector cannot see this wiring.

Instead, the inspector uses test results to infer the condition of concealed wiring. Insulation resistance testing at 500 V DC can detect degraded insulation. Continuity testing can detect broken or high-resistance conductors. Earth fault loop impedance testing can reveal issues with the protective conductor. But none of these tests can detect physical damage to cable sheathing, incorrect installation methods, or mechanical damage that has not yet affected the electrical properties.

An important testing limitation applies where sensitive equipment — electronic controls, dimmer modules, data equipment, or similar — is connected on the circuit. Under BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 Reg 643.3, where connected equipment is likely to be influenced by or damaged by the standard test voltage, a 250 V DC insulation resistance test shall be used with the equipment connected. This reduced test voltage produces a lower minimum acceptable resistance reading and is a relevant limitation that should be recorded on the EICR (for example: "IR test conducted at 250 V DC — sensitive equipment connected on lighting circuit 3").

For most properties, accepting this limitation is reasonable. For properties with very old wiring (pre-1970s), a history of electrical problems, or previous reports of overheating, the client may wish to commission an invasive inspection of specific areas.

Understanding what falls outside the scope of an EICR is as important as understanding what it covers. The EICR does not assess:

If you are a landlord or property manager, make sure you commission the right inspections for each system. An EICR alone does not cover everything.

Recording limitations is a professional skill. Vague, generic statements do not serve the purpose. The limitations section should be specific, factual, and actionable.

The good examples tell the reader exactly what was excluded and why. This is essential for accountability — if a fault later develops in an area that was listed as a limitation, the EICR clearly records that the area was not within the inspection scope.

Get the limitations section right first time

Elec-Mate prompts you to record the extent and limitations as you work through the EICR. Pre-populated options for common limitations…

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The limitations you encounter vary by property type. Here are common examples:

Recording the extent and limitations properly is one of the hallmarks of a competent inspector. It demonstrates that you have thought carefully about the scope of your inspection and have been transparent about what you could and could not assess.

Record extent and limitations as you inspect

Elec-Mate walks you through the extent and limitations section as part of the EICR workflow. Common limitation templates plus free text…

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