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The visual inspection is the first stage of every EICR. It checks the installation by eye before a single test instrument comes out. Get it wrong and the whole report rests on incomplete information.
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The basics
The visual inspection checks the installation by eye alone. No instruments, no live working. BS 7671 Regulation 641.1 requires it to identify anything that does not comply, which is a high bar. It does not substitute for testing: an installation can look fine and have dangerous insulation resistance, or look poor and test satisfactorily. Both parts of the EICR are required.
What to cover
Consumer units, protective devices, correct ratings, terminations, labelling and accessibility.
WiringCable condition, support, mechanical protection, zones, overheating, sockets and switches.
SafetyMain earthing, protective bonding, supplementary bonding, circuit charts and inspection notices.
Two records
The visual inspection record is qualitative: observations with condition codes (C1, C2, C3, FI), no numbers. The schedule of test results is quantitative: insulation resistance, loop impedance, RCD operating times. Both are required for a valid EICR. If testing cannot be completed, the scope and limitation must be declared on the report.
How Quickler helps
Engineers speak observations into WhatsApp. Voice notes are transcribed automatically and the dashboard flags C1 and C2 codes the moment they are entered. The PDF is generated and emailed at the end. No retyping, no clipboard.
The visual inspection is the first stage of every EICR. It checks the installation by eye, before a single test instrument comes out. Get it wrong and the whole report rests on incomplete information.
This is your eicr visual inspection checklist uk electricians can actually work from on site, grounded in BS 7671.
The basics
The visual inspection is a check of the installation using observation alone. No test instruments. No live working. The electrician looks at the installation and forms a view about its condition against the requirements of BS 7671.
It is not a superficial walk-round. BS 7671 Regulation 641.1 requires the visual inspection to identify anything that does not comply with the regulations. That is a high bar. An electrician who notes only that a consumer unit is present has not done the visual inspection.
It does not substitute for testing either. An installation can look fine and have dangerous insulation resistance values. It can look poor and test satisfactorily. Both parts of the EICR are required. Neither replaces the other.
What to cover
The IET Guidance Note 3 sets out the items the visual inspection must cover. They fall into clear categories.
Switchgear and distribution. Consumer units, distribution boards and main switches. Protective devices present and in good order: fuses, MCBs, RCDs, RCBOs. Correct ratings against the circuits they protect. Sound busbars, connections and terminations. Clear circuit labelling. Adequate working space.
Wiring systems. Cable condition, sheathing and insulation. Correct support and fixing at appropriate intervals. Mechanical protection where required. Cables in the correct zones when buried in walls. Containment, conduit and trunking in good order. The right type of cable for the environment, such as heat-resistant cable near heat sources. Any sign of overheating: discolouration, melting, burn marks.
Accessories. Sockets, switches and connection units undamaged and securely fixed. The right accessory for the location, including an appropriate IP rating in bathrooms. Correct polarity evident where identifiable at accessory level. Covers and blanks fitted, no exposed terminals.
Safety critical
Two categories carry most of the risk, so check them with care.
Earthing and bonding. The main earthing terminal and earthing conductor present and sound. Main protective bonding conductors run to gas, water and other incoming services. Supplementary bonding in bathrooms where required. Earth electrodes, where fitted, in good condition and labelled at the test point.
Identification and notices. Circuit charts present and accurate. A periodic inspection notice on the consumer unit showing date and due date. Caution notices on dual-supply installations. RCD test notices fitted. Safe isolation labels where required.
Run these as your quick-reference list on site: consumer unit secure, labelled and correctly rated. Every protective device present and sized. No overheating. Cables supported and protected. Earthing and bonding in place. Notices current and legible. Equipment accessible for operation and maintenance.
Coding the faults
Some findings appear again and again. Knowing them sharpens the inspection.
Labelling. Blank or wrong circuit labels are common in older properties. A C3 if labelling is present but unclear. A C2 if circuits cannot be identified at all and accidental energisation is a real risk.
Overheating. Discolouration around sockets, melted insulation near luminaire terminals, scorch marks inside a consumer unit. Any visible evidence is unlikely to attract less than a C2.
Missing mechanical protection. Surface-run cables in garages, utility rooms or accessible ceiling voids without conduit. The code depends on the severity of the exposure.
Missing RCD protection. Sockets that may serve outdoors, or bathroom circuits, without RCD protection. This is a C2 where the risk is significant.
Inadequate earthing. Absent main protective bonding to gas or water is a C2. Missing supplementary bonding where required is a C2. Concealed wiring you cannot see is where FI codes arise.
Two records
The EICR has two parts and they answer different questions.
The eicr visual inspection record captures what the electrician observed about the physical condition and compliance of the installation. It is qualitative. It carries observations with condition codes. It contains no numbers. What a visual inspection cannot tell you is the state of concealed wiring. Cables buried in plaster, inside walls, or in inaccessible roof spaces cannot be seen, and that is exactly where FI codes belong.
The schedule of test results holds the measured values from electrical testing: insulation resistance, continuity, earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current, RCD operating times, polarity. It is quantitative. It confirms the installation performs as it should, or shows that it does not.
Both are required for a valid EICR. Neither is optional. If testing cannot be completed, because the installation is in use, access is restricted, or a circuit cannot be safely de-energised, the scope must be stated and the limitation declared on the report. An EICR with an undisclosed testing limitation is a deficient report.
How Quickler helps
Recording observations on paper in a live installation is slow and error-prone. Engineers in tight consumer unit cupboards, in lofts, or under floorboards cannot write and inspect at the same time. Good eicr observation recording should not fight the job.
Electricians using Quickler speak observations into WhatsApp as voice notes during the inspection. Voice notes are transcribed automatically. The dashboard flags C1 and C2 codes the moment they are entered, so the office sees the condition in real time, not when the report comes back at the end of the day. Engineers can reply "skip" or "n/a" to non-required fields to keep moving.
At the end of the inspection, the PDF is generated and sent to the client by one-click email. No retyping. No transferring notes from paper to a laptop at the van. The record is captured once, while the engineer is still standing in front of the board, and it is the same record the office acts on.
It checks the condition of the installation without testing: switchgear and protective devices, wiring systems and their condition, accessories such as sockets and switches, correct identification and labelling, signs of overheating or damage, and whether equipment is accessible for operation and maintenance.
The visual inspection record captures what the electrician observed about physical condition and compliance, without applying test instruments. The schedule of test results records measured values from electrical testing: insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance, RCD operating times and so on.
No. A full EICR requires both the visual inspection and the schedule of test results. If testing cannot be completed due to access or operational constraints, this must be noted and the scope clearly stated on the report.
Yes, provided the observation is accurately transcribed into the report. Electricians using Quickler can speak observations directly into WhatsApp, where voice notes are transcribed automatically during the workflow.
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