# Electrical certificates explained: EIC, Minor Works, EICR, Part P, and the 15 October A4 deadline > Which certificate each job needs, who gets it and by when, and what changes on 15 October 2026 when the old edition of BS 7671 is withdrawn. - Page to cite: https://aeolookup.com/trades/electrical-certificates-explained-eic-eicr-a4/ - Publisher: AEO Lookup (https://aeolookup.com/) - Section: Trades and building firms, Rules and paperwork - Published 1 October 2026 - Key fact: We checked the dates against NICEIC and the Building Regulations duty: Amendment 4 was published on 15 April 2026, the previous edition is withdrawn on 15 October 2026, and notifiable work must reach the occupier and building control within 30 days of completion regardless of payment. - Sources: NICEIC "Understanding BS 7671:2018+A4:2026", read 2026-10-01; regulation 20 of the Building Regulations 2010 as set out in local authority Part P guidance (e.g. East Lindsey District Council guidance note), read 2026-10-01. "Electrical certificate" and "NICEIC" are two of the most searched phrases among people running trade firms, and the paperwork is about to change. From 15 October 2026 the previous edition of the Wiring Regulations is withdrawn and new certificates must follow Amendment 4. Here is what each certificate is for, who gets it, and what changes. ## The three certificates **Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC).** For new installations, new circuits, and replacing a consumer unit. It records the design, construction, inspection and testing of the work, and is signed off by the people responsible for each. A rewire, an extension's new circuits, or a board change all need one. **Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC, or "minor works").** For small additions or alterations that do not add a new circuit: an extra socket on an existing circuit, moving a light switch, replacing an accessory. One certificate covers work on one circuit. **Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).** Not a certificate for new work but a report on the condition of an existing installation. It gives an overall result of satisfactory or unsatisfactory and classifies each problem found: C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended) and FI (further investigation needed). Private landlords in England, and in Wales under the Renting Homes rules, must have one at least every five years, which is why "EICR" is one of the steadiest searches in the trade. ## Part P and building control Some domestic electrical work in England and Wales is "notifiable" under Part P of the Building Regulations. That includes a new circuit, a consumer unit replacement, and work in special locations such as a bathroom near the bath or shower. Notifiable work has to be either signed off by building control or self-certified by an electrician registered with a competent person scheme, such as NICEIC or NAPIT. If you self-certify, regulation 20 of the Building Regulations means that within **30 days of finishing** the occupier must get a Building Regulations compliance certificate and building control must be notified. In practice you register the job with your scheme and the scheme does both. That 30-day duty does not wait for the customer to pay. Some electricians hold paperwork back until the money comes in. If it is the Building Regulations certificate or the notification, holding it back puts you in breach, not the customer. Our guide to [what to do when a customer won't pay](https://aeolookup.com/trades/customer-wont-pay-for-work-done-uk/) covers better levers. Non-notifiable work, such as like-for-like replacements, still needs the right BS 7671 certificate. It just does not go to building control. ## What changes on 15 October 2026 BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 (Amendment 4) was published on 15 April 2026. For six months either version could be used. NICEIC says the previous version is withdrawn on 15 October 2026. After that: - new certificates must use the Amendment 4 model forms; - work designed before 15 October can still be certified to the previous version, though clients may expect the current standard; - EICRs carried out from that date are against Amendment 4. The main technical changes NICEIC lists are a new chapter on battery storage, new sections on functional earthing for data equipment and on Power over Ethernet, a major revision of the section on medical locations, and changes to how FI observations affect an EICR's overall result. **What to do this fortnight.** Check your certificate software has the A4 forms and update it. Most certificate apps released A4 forms during the transition. If you use paper pads, order A4 versions. And make sure anyone on your team who signs certificates knows the date. ## Keep the paperwork moving Certificates are where admin piles up in a small electrical firm: the job is done on Thursday, the certificate gets written up on Sunday night, and the scheme notification slips. The 30-day clock keeps running. A simple rule helps: no job is "finished" on your board until the certificate is issued and the notification is done. The same goes for the money side. Invoice on the day the certificate goes out; our [invoice maker for trades](https://aeolookup.com/trades/invoice-template-electricians-builders-uk/) is free. If you work for contractors, the [CIS monthly return deadline](https://aeolookup.com/trades/cis-monthly-return-19th-late-penalties/) on the 19th runs alongside all of this. This is general information. Your competent person scheme's technical helpline is the place for questions about a specific installation. ## Short answers from this page **When does Amendment 4 of the 18th Edition wiring regulations take effect?** Amendment 4 to BS 7671 was published on 15 April 2026 and the previous edition is withdrawn on 15 October 2026, so installations designed after that date follow the amended edition. Separately, certificates for notifiable work must reach the occupier and building control within 30 days of completion, whether or not the customer has paid. --- ![](https://aeolookup.com/img/d/owner-line.png) Overlyft: https://overlyft.com/ General information for UK small firms, not legal, tax or financial advice.