Yes. After a full house rewire, you should normally receive an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) with the relevant inspection and test schedules. For a partial rewire, the correct certificate depends on the work completed. In England, notifiable electrical work may also require separate Building Regulations compliance documentation. An EIC, an EICR and a Building Regulations certificate are not the same document.
What Certificate Should You Receive After a Full Rewire?
A full rewire involves extensive new fixed wiring and new circuits, so the main electrical certificate you should expect is an Electrical Installation Certificate. The certificate records responsibility for the electrical work and the inspection and testing carried out before the installation is handed over.
The EIC is normally accompanied by schedules containing details of the inspection and electrical test results. Together, these records show what installation work was covered and the results obtained during verification.
If you are planning the work rather than dealing with missing paperwork afterwards, the
electrical rewiring service
is the appropriate route for the installation itself. Certification should be considered as part of the rewire, not as an optional document to arrange later.
What About a Partial Rewire?
A partial rewire does not automatically result in the same certificate in every case. The paperwork depends on what has actually been installed or altered.
New circuits or substantial new installation work
Where the work includes new circuits or installation work that requires an Electrical Installation Certificate, the EIC records the defined extent of that work together with its inspection and test results.
Smaller alterations to an existing circuit
Certain additions or alterations to an existing circuit may instead be documented using a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate. This is different from certifying a new circuit.
The phrase “partial rewire” is not enough on its own to decide which certificate is correct. The actual circuit work determines the appropriate certification.
What Does an Electrical Installation Certificate Record?
An EIC is a record of qualifying new electrical installation work. It identifies the installation covered by the certificate and records information relating to design, construction, inspection and testing.
For a rewire, the documentation can include circuit details and measured test results for the new installation. The purpose is to provide a formal record of the work that was verified at completion.
- The property or installation covered by the certificate.
- The extent of the electrical work being certified.
- Details of the circuits included in the work.
- Inspection information for the completed installation.
- Recorded electrical test results.
- The people taking responsibility for the relevant parts of the work.
Certificate-specific work and questions about the correct documentation are covered by the
Electrical Installation Certificate service.
Is the Part P Certificate the Same as the EIC?
No. In England, the Electrical Installation Certificate and Building Regulations compliance documentation serve different purposes.
The EIC is the electrical installation record associated with BS 7671 inspection and testing. Building Regulations notification shows that relevant domestic electrical work has followed the required compliance route under Part P.
A full domestic rewire normally involves the installation of new circuits. New circuits are notifiable electrical work in England. Where a suitably registered installer carries out notifiable work through a competent person scheme, the installer can self-certify the Building Regulations aspect and arrange the relevant compliance certificate. An alternative route is through building control.
Keep the Electrical Installation Certificate and any Building Regulations compliance certificate as separate records. One should not be treated as a substitute for the other.
Is an EICR the Same as the Certificate for a Rewire?
No. An Electrical Installation Condition Report assesses the condition of an existing electrical installation at the time of the inspection. An Electrical Installation Certificate records qualifying new electrical installation work.
This distinction becomes important if a property has been rewired but the original installation paperwork cannot be found. Having an EICR carried out later may provide useful information about the present condition of the installation, but the EICR does not turn into the missing original EIC.
What Should You Do If the Rewire Certificate Is Missing?
Start by contacting the electrical contractor that carried out the rewire. If the work was notified through a competent person scheme, the installer or scheme operator may also be able to help trace the Building Regulations record.
If the original installer cannot provide the paperwork, the next step depends on how the work was carried out, whether it was notified and what records still exist. A different electrician should not simply issue a standard EIC as though they had designed and installed unknown historic work.
The separate guide to
what happens when an electrical certificate is missing
explains the options for older or undocumented electrical work in more detail.
Which Version of BS 7671 Applies in August 2026?
BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 has been published. The IET confirms that BS 7671:2018+A2:2022+A3:2024 also remains valid during the transition period until 15 October 2026, so electrical installers may work to either edition during that period.
The IET also publishes current model forms for the Electrical Installation Certificate, Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate and Electrical Installation Condition Report.
Which Rewire Documents Should You Keep?
Keep the electrical certification with the property's permanent records. For a typical full domestic rewire, that means retaining the EIC and its schedules, together with any separate Building Regulations compliance documentation that applies to the work.
These documents provide a clear record of what was installed and tested. They are also useful when the electrical installation is altered or inspected again in the future.
References & Standards
These official and public-safety sources support the certification, Part P and BS 7671 information used in this article.
Need to Confirm the Certificate for Electrical Work?
If a rewire is planned, certification should be agreed as part of the electrical work. If work has already been completed and the paperwork is unclear, the correct next step depends on the installation and the records available.
Book an EIC assessment