Can an EICR fail? Satisfactory, unsatisfactory and C3s

An EICR cannot "fail" in the pass-an-exam sense, but it can come back UNSATISFACTORY, and it does so the moment it contains even one C1, C2 or FI observation. C3 observations alone do not: a report whose only findings are C3s is still SATISFACTORY. That one rule answers most of the questions people ask about this document.

Can an EICR pass with a C3?

Yes. A C3 means "improvement recommended": the installation departs from the current edition of BS 7671 but is not unsafe as found. Older installations collect C3s naturally because the regulations move on and existing installations are not required to be upgraded to every new edition. A 1990s house with no RCD protection on some circuits will attract C3s and can still be satisfactory. Worth doing? Often. Required? No.

Can it pass with a C2 or an FI?

No. A C2 ("potentially dangerous: urgent remedial action required") makes the report unsatisfactory, and so does an FI ("further investigation required without delay"), the logic there being that an anomaly nobody has explained might be hiding something dangerous. A C1 ("danger present") is beyond unsatisfactory: the inspector should make the immediate danger safe before leaving, or tell the person responsible on the spot and record having done so.

What "unsatisfactory" obliges you to do

Landlords in England are on a statutory clock: remedial work within 28 days, or sooner where the report says so, then written confirmation to the tenant, and to the council if they have asked. Scotland and Wales run equivalent duties under their own regimes. Homeowners face no legal order, but the report is a written record by a competent person that the installation needs money spent. Insurers and buyers read these documents, and "I knew and did nothing" is a bad place to stand after an incident.

Does fixing the defects mean a whole new EICR?

Usually not. The remedial work gets its own certification (a minor works certificate or EIC for what was done), and that paperwork, held with the unsatisfactory report, evidences that the C1s and C2s were closed. Some clients (and some councils) prefer a fresh EICR for a clean "satisfactory" on file; that is a commercial choice, not a legal requirement in most cases. What never works is quietly editing the original report. A properly issued report is a record of what was found on the day, and it stays that way.

For the trade: coding under pressure

The pressure on this document is real: a landlord wants a satisfactory, and an inspector who codes honestly can lose the customer to one who codes generously. The defence is specificity: every observation stating what was found, where, and the regulation it offends, so the code is visibly earned rather than asserted. That consistency is easier when the wording, classification and regulation reference are suggested from a library as you type and the schedule marks itself to match. That is how observations work in Pascal, on every report, however late in the day it is.