EIC vs Minor Works Certificate: Which One Do You Need?
Not sure whether a job needs an EIC or a Minor Works certificate? Here is how to choose, with worked examples, grey areas and Part P pointers for UK electricians.
Every electrician has stood in a kitchen with a customer asking for "just one more socket" and wondered which piece of paper they're about to sign. Get it right and the job closes cleanly. Get it wrong and you've either over-documented a five-minute spur or under-documented a new circuit that Building Control will want to see.
This guide sets out what an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) and a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate each cover, how to choose between them, and where the grey areas are. It follows BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 (the model forms are in Appendix 6, and Part 6 covers inspection and testing) and IET Guidance Note 3.
The short version
An EIC is for new work. A Minor Works certificate is for small additions or alterations to an existing circuit that don't involve a new circuit.
The test is simple: does the job create a new circuit, or change an existing one beyond a small addition or alteration? If yes, it's an EIC. If you're only adding to or altering a circuit that's already there, and the existing protective device, cable and earthing arrangements remain suitable, it's Minor Works.
What an EIC covers
Under BS 7671, an Electrical Installation Certificate is the model form for the initial verification of new work: Part 6 covers inspection and testing and the form is in Appendix 6. Use one for:
• A new installation, such as a new build or a full rewire.
• A new circuit added to an existing installation.
• A consumer unit replacement.
• An alteration or extension to an existing circuit that goes beyond the scope of minor works.
The EIC carries a declaration with three parts: design, construction, and inspection and testing. On a small domestic job the same person often signs all three. On larger work, different people may be responsible for design and construction, and the form allows for that, including the "mutual responsibility" option where more than one designer is involved.
An EIC is not a single sheet. It comes with:
• A Schedule of Inspections, recording what you checked visually against the items listed in the model form.
• A Schedule of Circuit Details and Test Results for each distribution board, recording the circuit details and the measured values (continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, Zs, RCD operation and so on).
Without those schedules the certificate is incomplete. Customers and inspectors look at them, and so will the next electrician to open that board.
What a Minor Works certificate covers
The Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate is designed for additions and alterations to an existing circuit that don't include a new circuit. Guidance Note 3 treats it as the document for small jobs where a full EIC with separate schedules would be out of proportion.
Typical examples:
• Adding a socket to an existing ring final circuit.
• Adding a fused spur.
• Adding a light point to an existing lighting circuit.
• Moving a switch or light position on an existing circuit.
The form is a single document. It records a description of the work, details of the existing installation (including the earthing and the protective device), the test results for the part you've altered, and a declaration. It also has a space for comments on the existing installation. That's where you note anything you found that isn't right, such as a missing RCD, poor bonding or a deteriorated accessory.
One rule matters more than the rest. Before you add to an existing circuit, you must be satisfied the circuit can take it. That means checking the protective device rating, the cable's current-carrying capacity, the earth fault loop impedance and (where needed) RCD protection. If the existing circuit isn't suitable, the "minor" label stops applying.
Quick decision table
| Job | Certificate | Why | |---|---|---| | Extra socket on an existing ring | Minor Works | Addition to an existing circuit, no new protective device | | New cooker circuit | EIC | New circuit, new protective device and cable | | EV charge point (new dedicated circuit) | EIC (or the EV charge point certificate) | New circuit from the board | | Consumer unit swap | EIC | Every circuit is disconnected, reconnected and tested, and the board is new design work | | Moving a light switch on an existing circuit | Minor Works | Alteration to an existing circuit | | Spur from a ring to a new fused connection unit | Minor Works | Addition to an existing circuit | | Like-for-like accessory change (socket or switch swapped for the same type) | No certificate needed | Replacement, not an addition or alteration | | Extending a circuit that needs a new or larger protective device | EIC | Effectively a new circuit | | Garden room supplied by a new submain | EIC | New circuit |
Like-for-like replacement of accessories, such as a socket faceplate, a ceiling rose or a light fitting, doesn't need a certificate under BS 7671 (this is generally treated as maintenance, so check Guidance Note 3). You should still test the part you've touched, and many electricians record it on an invoice or job note anyway.
Worked examples
Extra socket on a ring. You spur off the existing ring or extend it, check the cable and protective device are suitable, test continuity of the circuit conductors, insulation resistance, polarity and Zs at the new point, confirm RCD protection, and issue a Minor Works certificate.
New cooker circuit. New cable, new MCB or RCBO in the board, new outlet. That's a new circuit, so it needs an EIC with a schedule of inspections and a schedule of circuit details and test results. It's usually notifiable too (more below).
EV charger. A new dedicated circuit means an EIC at minimum. Many electricians use the dedicated EV charge point certificate, which sits alongside the standard forms and captures charger-specific details. Either way, it's new-circuit paperwork, not Minor Works.
Consumer unit swap. This always needs an EIC. You're reconnecting every circuit to a new unit, and each one has to be tested and recorded. Existing circuits that don't pass should be noted, and where they can't be signed off you should record limitations and observations rather than quietly passing them.
Moving a light switch. If it's the same lighting circuit and you aren't changing the protective device or cable rating, Minor Works covers it. If the move means running a new cable back to the board, you've created a new circuit and need an EIC.
Grey areas and pitfalls
The extension that needs a new protective device
This is the classic trap. A customer wants three more sockets in a converted garage. You could spur off the existing ring, but the circuit is already heavily loaded, so you run a new radial from the board instead. The moment a new protective device goes in, it's a new circuit, and an EIC is required. Minor Works is for additions to a circuit that stays as it is.
The same logic applies if you upsize a protective device or cable to accommodate extra load. You've altered the circuit's design, so it's no longer a minor alteration.
When minor works needs an EIC instead
Switch to an EIC when any of these apply:
• A new circuit is created.
• A protective device is added, changed in rating or replaced as part of a design change.
• The alteration is large enough that the design needs its own documented assessment.
• You're replacing the consumer unit.
If in doubt, ask whether the job needed a design decision. If it did, the fuller form is the honest record.
Why an EICR is a different document
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is for assessing the condition of an existing installation. It isn't a certificate of new work and shouldn't be used to sign off an addition or alteration. An EICR records observations coded C1, C2, C3 or FI and gives an overall satisfactory or unsatisfactory outcome. An EIC or Minor Works certificate says "this work I did complies with BS 7671." Mixing them up leaves the customer with the wrong evidence. If you want a walk-through of the condition report itself, we've covered it in how to create an EICR digitally.
Existing installation faults you find along the way
On both forms you're responsible for the work you've done, but you also need to report what you've noticed. If you add a socket and find the ring has no RCD protection, or the earthing is doubtful, record it in the comments on the existing installation and tell the customer. Don't assume it's someone else's problem.
Before you sign a Minor Works certificate
• Confirm no new circuit or protective device has been created
• Check the existing protective device and cable suit the added load
• Test continuity, insulation resistance, polarity and Zs on the altered part
• Confirm RCD protection where required
• Note any defects on the existing installation in the comments
• Make sure the declaration is signed and dated
• Give the customer the original, keep your own copy
Part P and Building Control
Both certificates sit alongside the Part P rules in England and Wales. New circuits and consumer unit replacements in dwellings are generally notifiable, which means you either self-certify through a competent person scheme or notify Building Control directly. Most additions and alterations to existing circuits aren't notifiable, including in bathrooms, but a new circuit is notifiable wherever it is, and you should check the current rules for each job.
The paperwork you issue is the evidence behind the notification, but the two aren't the same thing. We've set out which jobs are notifiable and how the 30-day deadline works in our Building Control notification guide for electricians, so there's no need to repeat it here. The practical point is that an EIC for a new circuit in a home usually triggers a notification, while a Minor Works certificate for an extra socket usually doesn't.
Which certificate do I need?
• Does the job create a new circuit or add or change a protective device?
• Are you only replacing an accessory or fitting with the same type?
• Is it an addition or alteration to an existing circuit that is suitable for the extra load?
• Issue an EIC with the schedules of inspections and test results. Check whether the work is notifiable under Part P. See Building Control notification.
• No certificate is normally required for a like-for-like replacement. Test the part you've touched and keep a job record.
• A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate fits. Record the existing installation details and any defects you found.
• Assess the existing circuit first. If it can't take the addition without a design change, treat it as new work and issue an EIC. Ask a registered electrician if you're unsure.
Keeping the paperwork straight on site
The real cost of getting this wrong is time. Starting a Minor Works certificate and realising halfway through that you've created a new circuit means redoing the form. Starting an EIC for a one-socket spur means filling in schedules you don't need.
Zappy Pro Tools lets you issue EIC and Minor Works certificates from site, on your phone, so you can pick the right one at the start and fill it in as you test. If you'd like to see how the certificate tools fit alongside quotes and invoices, take a look at Zappy Pro Tools, to see the rest of the tools.
FAQ
Can I use a Minor Works certificate for a new circuit? No. A new circuit needs an EIC, with the schedule of inspections and the schedule of circuit details and test results. Minor Works is for additions or alterations to an existing circuit.
Do I need a certificate for replacing a socket faceplate or light fitting like for like? Not normally. A like-for-like replacement is treated as maintenance, so no EIC or Minor Works certificate is required. Test what you've touched and keep a note of the job.
Is a consumer unit change an EIC or a Minor Works job? It's an EIC. You're replacing the consumer unit and reconnecting every circuit, so each one needs testing and recording on the schedules.
Can an EICR replace an EIC for new work? No. An EICR reports on the condition of an existing installation. New work needs an EIC or, for small alterations, a Minor Works certificate.
Does a Minor Works certificate trigger Building Control notification? Usually not, because most minor additions aren't notifiable. Anything that creates a new circuit is notifiable in a dwelling, so check against the Building Control guide before you assume.
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