What do the EICR codes C1, C2 and C3 mean?
C1 means danger is present now and immediate action is required; C2 means potentially dangerous and remedial work is required; C3 means improvement is recommended but the installation is safe; FI means further investigation is needed. Only C1, C2 and FI make a report unsatisfactory; C3s alone never fail it.
C1 is the rare, serious one: exposed live parts, incoming supply defects, something an inspector will make safe before leaving or insist is isolated. If your report has a C1, the work is not a scheduling question.
C2 is the workhorse code: not dangerous at this moment, dangerous under plausible fault conditions. Classic C2s in Bristol housing: no RCD protection on socket circuits, missing bonding to gas and water, deteriorated insulation readings. C2s are why 'unsatisfactory' reports are normal for older installations and nothing to panic about; they are a priced to-do list.
C3 is where honest inspectors put things that are compliant with the regulations of their day but below today's: old-style boards in sound condition, absent supplementary features. C3s do not fail the report and do not legally require action, which is exactly why a report full of only-C3s should read as reassurance, not a sales pitch.
The code you should challenge: anything uncoded or vaguely described. Every observation should carry its code, its location and ideally a photograph, because you may be pricing that line with a different electrician, and a good report makes that easy on purpose.
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