How much does an electrical survey cost? From pre-purchase domestic surveys at £150 to commercial assessments at £2,000+, this guide breaks down every factor that affects the price — and shows electricians how to price their surveys for maximum profit.
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Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.
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An electrical survey is a comprehensive inspection and testing of the fixed electrical installation in a property. In the UK, this is formally known as an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). The survey covers everything from the incoming supply and earthing arrangement through the consumer unit (fuse box), all circuits, and every socket, switch, and light fitting in the property.
The inspection follows the procedures set out in BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 and Guidance Note 3 (GN3) from the IET. It includes both dead testing (with the supply isolated) and live testing, covering continuity of protective conductors, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current, and RCD operation.
The result is a detailed report that classifies the overall condition of the installation as either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory, with individual defects coded as C1 (Danger Present), C2 (Potentially Dangerous), C3 (Improvement Recommended), or FI (Further Investigation Required).
Every key change in the 2026 amendment on one page. AFDDs, TN-C-S protection, new schedule columns, model forms. Pinned on your van dash.
A pre-purchase electrical survey is one of the smartest investments a homebuyer can make. Standard homebuyer surveys and building surveys do not include detailed electrical testing — they note visible defects but do not test the circuits. A dedicated electrical survey reveals the true condition of the wiring, earthing, and protective devices.
Pre-purchase surveys are particularly important for older properties. If the house was built before 1970, the wiring may be the original rubber-insulated or lead-sheathed cable, which has a limited lifespan and may need a full rewire. Properties from the 1970s and 1980s may have PVC wiring that is still serviceable but may lack RCD protection, proper earthing, or adequate circuit protection.
The findings from a pre-purchase survey can be used to negotiate on the asking price. If the survey reveals that a consumer unit replacement (£800 to £1,500) or partial rewire (£2,000 to £5,000) is needed, the buyer can factor this into their offer.
Commercial electrical surveys are required under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. The duty holder (usually the employer or building owner) must ensure the electrical installation is maintained in a safe condition. A periodic EICR is the standard method of demonstrating compliance.
Commercial surveys are typically more complex than domestic ones. Three-phase supplies, larger distribution boards, busbar trunking, and industrial equipment all require additional testing time. The inspection must also consider the operational requirements of the business — shutting down power to an office full of computers or a restaurant kitchen requires careful planning and may need to be done outside business hours, which can increase the cost.
IET Guidance Note 3 recommends a maximum interval of 5 years for commercial installations, but some environments (such as construction sites, cinemas, and petrol stations) require more frequent inspection — typically every 1 to 3 years.
Large installations — factories, warehouses, hospitals, schools, and multi-site portfolios — are typically priced per distribution board or per day rather than as a fixed fee per property.
For large installations, the survey often needs to be carried out in sections to avoid disrupting operations. This requires careful planning and coordination with the site manager to schedule shutdowns for each section of the installation.
Elec-Mate's AI Cost Engineer analyses the scope of work and generates accurate survey pricing based on distribution board count, circuit quantity…
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A properly conducted electrical survey includes both a visual inspection and a full schedule of tests. Here is what the electrician should be doing:
The survey produces a formal EICR document with a schedule of inspections and a schedule of test results. All observations are coded and the overall condition is classified as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
What you should receive
Under GN3 (Reg 1.3), the inspector must give you the full EICR package — not just the top-level report. A complete set comprises: the Electrical Installation Condition Report, the Condition Report Inspection Schedule, one or more Schedules of Circuit Details, and one or more Schedules of Test Results. If any of these documents is missing, the documentation package is incomplete. Many clients — including landlords satisfying council licensing checks — are entitled to all four elements and should ask for them explicitly if not provided.
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Try the quoting tools freeBS 7671:2018+A4:2026 update — wider survey scope
From 2026, surveys must assess compliance with two A4:2026 requirements that were not in the 18th edition: Reg 421.1.7 recommends arc fault detection devices (AFDDs) in AC final circuits to mitigate fire risk, and Reg 411.3.4 requires 30 mA RCD additional protection on AC final circuits supplying luminaires in domestic premises. Older consumer units that lack AFDD protection or have unprotected lighting circuits will typically attract C3 (Improvement Recommended) observations — and in some cases C2 where a specific risk is identified. Homeowners and landlords should budget for potential remedial work when having older domestic boards surveyed under A4:2026.
While you should never choose an electrician solely on price — a rushed or incomplete survey can miss dangerous defects — there are legitimate ways to reduce the cost:
If you are an electrician carrying out electrical surveys, your pricing should reflect the value of the work, not just the time on site. The survey itself is the start of a pipeline: every Unsatisfactory result generates remedial work, and every property needs a repeat survey in 5 years or less.
Here is how Elec-Mate helps you maximise the profitability of every survey:
Every C1, C2, and FI observation feeds directly into the remedial works estimator. Elec-Mate prices each fix — materials, labour, and margin — and generates a professional quote. Hand the client the EICR and a priced remedial quote in the same visit.
Send the EICR, remedial quote, and invoice to the client by email or WhatsApp before you leave the property. No going home to type up reports. No chasing. The client has everything within minutes.
Not sure what to charge? The AI Cost Engineer analyses the property type, circuit count, and location to suggest a competitive but profitable survey price. It uses live trade pricing data to keep your rates current.
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