Every Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) lists observations and gives each one a classification code. Those codes decide whether the overall result is satisfactory or unsatisfactory. This page explains C1, C2, C3 and FI in plain English for landlords, homeowners and agents in Wrexham and Chester.
It is practical guidance, not legal advice. Always read the summary page of the report in your hand. For the full EICR context — who needs one, Welsh vs English rental rules, and what happens next — see our Electrical Installation Condition Reports page.
Stewart Rawson Electrical is an NICEIC approved contractor, founded in 2010, based at Jubilee Manor on the Wrexham Industrial Estate.
C1 — Danger present
There is a risk of injury. Immediate remedial action is required. A competent inspector should tell you at once and follow it up in writing. Preferably they make the danger safe before leaving — for example by isolating the affected circuit. Do not leave a known C1 item “until next week” if it can be made safe now.
C2 — Potentially dangerous
Urgent remedial action is required. Nobody may have been hurt yet, but the installation is not safe to leave as it is. C2 observations make the overall assessment unsatisfactory, the same as C1.
C3 — Improvement recommended
The item is not classed as dangerous. A report that contains only C3 observations can still be satisfactory. Acting on C3 items is often sensible maintenance. It is not what makes a Welsh or English rental report fail on its own, and there is no legal clock attached to C3 alone.
FI — Further investigation
The inspector has seen something that could not be fully identified within the agreed extent of the inspection. Further investigation is needed to decide whether danger or potential danger exists.
How FI affects the overall result depends on which edition of BS 7671 the report was written to:
- For years, industry guidance treated FI as making the report unsatisfactory alongside C1 and C2.
- Amendment 4 to BS 7671:2018 (published 15 April 2026) changes the wording on reports issued to Amendment 4: FI is “further investigation is advised” and on its own no longer makes the overall assessment unsatisfactory. C1 and C2 still do.
- Until 15 October 2026, electricians may still issue reports to the previous version of BS 7671. On those reports, FI may still count as a fail.
Always go by the satisfactory / unsatisfactory box on the document you hold. More background: EICRs and the FI code under Amendment 4 and BS 7671 Amendment 4 2026.
Quick reference
- C1 or C2 → overall result unsatisfactory → deal with the defects
- C3 only → can still be satisfactory
- FI → check which edition the report uses; do not guess from memory
What to do after coded defects
Make C1 items safe. Arrange remedial or further investigation for C2 (and for FI where your report still treats FI as a fail). Get written confirmation. For a rental, you may also need a retest or fresh report so the file shows a valid satisfactory condition report. Step-by-step: what happens after an unsatisfactory EICR. Welsh validity clocks: how long an EICR lasts. Cost drivers (no invented prices): EICR cost in Wrexham and Chester. Estate agents managing that file can use our estate agent checklist. Welsh rentals also need working smoke, heat and CO alarms — separate from the EICR codes.
Get a quote
Call 07789 264398 or 01978 664757, email info@stewartrawsonelectrical.co.uk, or use the contact page.
Stewart Rawson Electrical, Jubilee Manor, Sun Lane, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham, LL13 9RW.