An electrical safety certificate shows that the sockets, wiring, light switches and consumer board within a property are up to date and meet modern safety standards.
They are important when selling your home or whenever there is a change of tenant within the property.
The Electrical Safety Council recommends an electrical safety inspection and report to be conducted every 5 years or whenever the tenant changes, whichever one is sooner.
This article will cover how much you can expect to pay for an electrical safety certificate, factors that affect the cost and questions commonly asked about them.
Average Cost
We received quotes from 32 electricians across the UK that offer electrical safety certificates.
The typical range you can expect to pay can be between £120 – £300 including VAT. However, we’ve broken down more accurate costs depending on the house size in the table below. Prices include VAT.
| Property Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom house | £158 |
| 2 bedroom house | £184 |
| 3 bedroom house | £212 |
| 4 bedroom house | £264 |
| 5 bedroom house | £304 |
Factors That Affect the Cost
Are Remedial Works to be Undertaken?
Remedial work to faults and damaged accessories are not included within the safety certificate. Most electricians will offer this service if you want it done, but it will incur extra costs.
Number of Electrical Outlets
The time taken depends on the number of electrical outlets and how many circuits there are, which is usually correlated with the size of the building.
Usually an electrician can quote a fixed amount similar to the figures above. However, these quotes are generally for up to one fuse board with a maximum of 8-10 final circuits. Expect to pay a little more if there are more circuits are needed.
Location
Labour costs in London and the south of England are generally more expensive than elsewhere in the UK.
If the contractor has to travel beyond a certain radius of where they are based, they may add an extra fee on top. Most electricians should be able to supply an electrical safety certificate, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding an electrician close to the property even if you live in a rural location.
What Does an Electrical Safety Certificate Involve?
Generally, an inspection takes between 3-4 hours of labour. During most of this time, you won’t get any power to the installation.
An electrician will remove, review and reinstate a percentage of sockets, switches and light fittings. They should also conduct tests to establish the integrity of cables within the property.
The report will offer a complete and thorough assessment of the electrical installation, highlighting issues of non-compliance or electrical danger, to allow more informed decisions to be made.
As mentioned previously, an Electrical Safety Certificate is needed when selling a home or when a new a tenant occupies the property.
A qualified electrician must issue it in order for it to be certified BS7671 electrical safety certificate.
This accreditation is necessary if you plan on selling the home. It also ensures that you can be covered by insurance in the event of an electrical accident in your property.
Get Prices on Electric Safety Certificates Near You
We’ve done our best to give you a good idea of what you can expect to pay to get an electrical safety certificate.
However, our guides are not a substitute for a fixed quote specifically for you.
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About the Author
Alex Johnson is a qualified quantity surveyor and writer with a passion for conducting original research and uncovering the true cost of jobs. His cost data has been referenced by EDF Energy and the Scottish Government.