Nobody writes a better EICR from memory in the van. The report you fill in on site, with the consumer unit open in front of you, beats the one you reconstruct at the kitchen table that night. So the real question about EICR software is not which app has the most features. It is which tool makes on-site completion the path of least resistance.
Guide · Electrical
EICR software for UK electricians.
An honest comparison of the main options for recording and reporting Electrical Installation Condition Reports in the UK, from certificate tools to general inspection apps to WhatsApp workflows.
Free forever: 20 reports a month. No card, no trial clock.
The point
Software does not make an EICR valid.
The competence of the electrician does. Software just makes the report easier to complete correctly on site, harder to forget items, and faster to deliver. A good tool means nobody fills in the report from memory in the van on the way home.
Three categories
Pick the shape that fits your firm.
Certificate-format
iCertifi, Cert Lightning
Built for electrical certification. Right when certificate format is the primary concern, but it is another app and login to manage.
General inspectioniAuditor, GoAudits
Built for any inspection, not electricians. Flexible but needs setup and training, and per-seat pricing adds up fast.
Conversation-basedQuickler on WhatsApp
The workflow arrives as a WhatsApp chat. Nothing to install or learn. C1 and C2 are flagged the moment they are entered.
Codes
Record C1, C2 and FI as you go.
C1 is danger present, C2 potentially dangerous, FI further investigation required, all defined in BS 7671 Appendix 6. Record them at the point of observation, not reconstructed at the end. Quickler flags C1 and C2 the moment they are entered and surfaces them on the office dashboard.
Run EICRs on WhatsApp
No app install. No training.
Engineers use the phone they already have. Setup to first live workflow usually takes under a week.
The short version
- EICR software comes in three shapes: certificate-format tools, general inspection apps, and conversation-based workflows.
- C1 and C2 codes belong at the point of observation, not bolted on at the end.
- Most engineers never fill in app-based tools on site. They do it later, from memory.
- Paying only for active users beats per-seat for any firm with a mix of field and office staff, because dormant users are free.
- BS 7671 governs the technical content of an EICR. The software format is not legislated.
- The software does not make the report valid. The competence of the electrician does.
The point
What EICR software is actually for
An Electrical Installation Condition Report documents the condition of an existing electrical installation. Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020, landlords in England and Wales must have EICRs carried out every five years, or sooner if the previous report demands it. Commercial premises carry similar duties under general health and safety law.
Software does not make an EICR valid. The competence of the electrician does. What software does is make the report easier to complete correctly on site, harder to forget items, and faster to deliver. That last point outweighs any feature list. The tool's only job is to make on-site completion the easy choice.
Category one
Certificate-format tools
Tools like iCertifi and Cert Lightning are built for electrical certification, full stop. They produce the formats electricians and clients recognise: EICRs, Minor Works, Electrical Installation Certificates. They know BS 7671. They handle the schedule of inspections, the schedule of test results and the front sheet without argument.
This is the right call if certificate format is your primary concern and your engineers are already comfortable living in a dedicated app. The trade-off is plain. It is another app to install, another login to manage, another thing to keep updated. Expect around twelve pounds per user per month for something like iCertifi.
Category two
General inspection apps
iAuditor (SafetyCulture) and GoAudits are not built for electricians. They are built for anyone who inspects anything. The EICR template is one of thousands, and that flexibility is also the catch. Templates need setup. The app needs training. Engineers use it for a week, then quietly go back to paper.
The Capterra reviews tell the story. "App crashes during inspections." "Customisation limits." "Per-seat pricing adds up fast." These are not niche gripes. They are structural to building for 85,000 organisations across 95 countries rather than for UK electricians. SafetyCulture starts around 380 pounds a month for 20 engineers, per seat. The office manager who reads one report a month pays the same as the engineer filing four a week.
Category three
Conversation-based workflows
The newest category drops the app entirely. The engineer receives the EICR workflow as a WhatsApp conversation. Each question arrives as a message. They reply with text, a voice note or a photo. The completed report generates as a PDF.
The advantage is not a feature. It is the absence of friction. Every electrician already uses WhatsApp every day, so there is nothing to install and nothing to learn. The first time they use it, they already know how.
Quickler runs here. The EICR workflow lands in the engineer's existing WhatsApp chat. C1 and C2 codes are flagged the moment they are entered. The finished PDF goes to the client, and the office sees every report status on a dashboard without chasing a soul.
Side by side
The main options compared
- iCertifi - certificate-format, around 12 pounds per user per month. Dedicated app, EICR-specific.
- iAuditor - general inspection, from around 19 pounds per seat per month. App install required, generic templates.
- GoAudits - general inspection, from around 10 pounds per seat per month. App install and template setup required.
- Quickler - WhatsApp workflow, 20 pounds per active user per month, dormant users free. Only pay for who works. Free tier of 20 reports a month. Runs in WhatsApp, no install or training.
- Paper - printing costs. Familiar, illegible, unsearchable.
Pricing is approximate and shifts. Check each vendor's current rates directly before you commit.
Codes and checklist
Record C1, C2 and FI as you go
C1 means danger present and the risk of injury is immediate. C2 means potentially dangerous. FI means further investigation is required before a classification can be assigned. All three are defined in BS 7671 Appendix 6. They set the overall condition code, Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory, and the remedial timescales. C1 means act now. C2 means act before the next scheduled inspection. FI means return to dig deeper. Record the code at the point of observation, not at the end from memory. Quickler flags C1 and C2 instantly and surfaces them on the dashboard.
When you choose a tool, weigh: on-site completion over after-the-fact entry; real-time C1/C2 flag visibility, not an emailed PDF; clean PDF output that satisfies landlords, letting agents and building managers; only paying for active users, so office staff who never file cost nothing to add; and a full evidence trail of timestamp, engineer, property address and every observation. DVSA does not audit EICRs, but insurers and legal disputes do.
Honest note: if you need formats that precisely match the NICEIC or NAPIT model forms, a dedicated certificate tool is the right pick. Quickler produces clean PDF reports, but they are not replicas of specific certification body formats. Ask us if that distinction matters.
Questions, answered
What is the best EICR software for sole trader electricians in the UK?
The main options are iCertifi (EICR-specific certificates), iAuditor (general inspection app), and WhatsApp-based tools like Quickler. Pick iCertifi if you need certificate formats specifically. Pick iAuditor if you already use it for other inspections. Pick Quickler if you want to file reports on the phone you already use, with no new app or login.
Does EICR software need to follow a specific format?
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020 require EICRs to be carried out in accordance with BS 7671. The report format is not prescribed by statute, but the NICEIC and NAPIT model forms are widely accepted. The report must record the installation details, observations, and the overall condition code. Check with your certification body if format compliance is a concern for your context.
How do C1, C2 and FI codes get recorded in EICR software?
They should be recorded at the point of observation during the inspection. Good EICR software flags them in real time so the engineer never has to remember them for the report later. Quickler flags C1 and C2 the moment they are entered and surfaces them on the office dashboard immediately.
Can I use WhatsApp to complete an EICR?
Yes. Quickler's EICR workflow runs over the WhatsApp Business API. The engineer receives each question in their existing WhatsApp chat, answers it, attaches photos, and the completed report generates as a PDF. No separate app or login is required, and Quickler manages the WhatsApp Business API account on the firm's behalf.
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