Electrics and gas
Does a RICS Level 2 test the electrical circuits?
No. A Level 2 is a visual inspection. RICS does not include an electrical installation condition report, and the Level 1 scope, which is the less detailed sibling, states that services are not tested. The surveyor can comment on what they see, such as an old consumer unit or damaged fittings. They do not issue a pass or a fail for the wiring.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
An EICR is the electrician’s report, with its own codes. Government guidance on electrical safety in the private rented sector in England explains EICRs for landlords. It is not a document you must produce just because you are buying an owner-occupied house. Lenders sometimes ask. Ask yours.
If the survey says the installation looks dated, the next step is an electrician, not a rewire assumed from the adjective. Ask for an inspection and a written outcome. The price is the electrician’s quote. A rewire, if they recommend one, is a second figure. Do not collapse the two.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What did you actually see: the consumer unit, a sample of fittings, or damage?
- Are you telling me to commission an EICR, or only noting age?
- Which parts were not inspected, including outbuildings and the loft?
What are the typical next steps?
- If you need to know whether the wiring is safe to use, book an electrician. Do not ask the surveyor to add a pass after the report.
- If you will let the house, read the rented-sector rules. Buying to live in is a different question.
- Keep the gas question separate. One specialist does not cover both.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does “services tested: no” mean the lights were off?
It means the survey did not carry out tests. The surveyor may still have tried a switch. Read what they say they did. A working light is not an EICR.
Can you rely on an EICR the seller already has?
Read its date, who did it, and the limitations. An old satisfactory report is not a survey of alterations done since. Ask the electrician if you need it interpreted.