NICEIC · BS 7671 18th Edition · IET Code of Practice
Fixed Wire Testing in Fraserburgh, AB43
Commercial periodic inspection from £380. Insurance ready PDF certificate within 48 hours. Out of hours work to avoid disrupting trade. Single phase, three phase, and harbour adjacent.
What's the property?
Domestic property? Use the EICR page instead.
Small office or shop
From £380
10 to 30 circuit fixed wire test, certificate within 48 hours.
Small office or retail
from £380
Medium business
from £580
Large premises
from £950
HMO / guesthouse / commercial residential
from £450
Plain English
What is fixed wire testing, and how is it different from EICR?
Same test, different name. EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is the formal terminology used for domestic properties. Fixed Wire Test, or Periodic Inspection, is the term used in commercial and industrial contexts. The underlying standard (BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 2) and the testing methodology are identical.
The differences in practice come from scale and environment. Commercial installations have more circuits, sometimes hundreds. Three phase supplies are common (rare in domestic). Distribution boards are often spread across multiple rooms or floors. And on very large installations, sample testing methodology is used (10% to 20% of circuits per visit, with full coverage over a multi visit cycle) rather than 100% per visit.
Fixed wire testing is required by virtually all commercial property insurers, explicitly mandated by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, and forms part of HSE compliance expectations. Without a current certificate, insurance claims involving electrical fault are typically refused.
IET Code of Practice intervals
How often does each property type need testing?
The IET Code of Practice sets recommended intervals by property risk profile. We follow these as standard, not made up "we'll come every year" frequencies.
| Property type | Interval | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Office, retail, banks, professional services | Every 5 years | Low / medium |
| Restaurants, cafés, pubs, food prep | Every 5 years (sometimes 3) | Medium |
| Hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses | Every 5 years | Medium |
| HMOs (House in Multiple Occupation) | Every 5 years | Medium |
| Industrial workshops, fish processing | Every 3 years | Medium / high |
| Harbour businesses, marine adjacent | Every 1 to 3 years | High (coastal corrosion) |
| Construction sites, temporary installations | Annual | High |
| Petrol stations, fuel facilities, ATEX zones | Annual + visual quarterly | Very high |
Source: IET Code of Practice for In Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations.
The 6 standard tests
What we run on every circuit
BS 7671 testing methodology, applied at commercial scale. Same kit as domestic EICR but covering more circuits, often three phase, often across multiple distribution boards in different parts of the property.
- 1
Visual inspection of every distribution board
Every DB opened, inspected for thermal damage, water ingress, loose connections, correct labelling, accessibility for SSEN engineers.
- 2
Insulation resistance test
Every circuit tested at 500V DC, Live to Earth and Neutral to Earth. Threshold 1 megaohm minimum, modern installations expect 10 megaohm or higher to pass.
- 3
Earth fault loop impedance
Confirms protective devices will operate within the maximum disconnect time (0.4 seconds for sockets, 5 seconds for fixed equipment). Critical for shock and fire protection.
- 4
Polarity and continuity
Confirms live and neutral are correctly oriented at every accessory. Confirms protective conductor (earth) is continuous from supply to every metal fitting.
- 5
RCD trip test
Confirms residual current devices trip within 40ms at 30mA (life safety threshold) or 200ms at 5x rated current. Failed RCDs replaced before certificate issues.
- 6
Risk assessment + remedial scheduling
Faults coded by severity (C1, C2, C3, FI). C1 isolated immediately. C2 must be remedied for the certificate to Pass. C3 advisory. We quote remedials alongside the certificate.
For larger installations
100% testing vs sample testing
For installations under 200 circuits we test 100% on every visit. That covers most Fraserburgh businesses (offices, shops, restaurants, salons, holiday lets, small industrial workshops).
For larger installations (large fish processing, multi tenant commercial buildings, hospitals, schools), 100% testing every 5 years would mean shutting down the entire site for several days. Sample testing is the alternative accepted by NICEIC and IET Code of Practice: 10% to 20% of circuits per visit across a 5 year cycle, prioritising high risk circuits and rotating coverage.
We discuss the approach during the survey. Most Fraserburgh businesses don't need sample testing because they're small enough for full coverage. Where we do use sample testing, the methodology is documented in the certificate so future inspectors can pick up the cycle without losing track.
By property type
Tailored to your sector
Office
Typical 30 to 60 circuit office tests at £380 to £580. We work evenings or weekends to avoid staff disruption. IT loads (server rooms, comms cabinets) get special attention because they carry continuous load.
From £380, every 5 years
Shop / retail
Cross Street and Broad Street shops typically run 20 to 50 circuits. Sunday testing standard to avoid trading disruption. Tills and card terminals isolated briefly during testing, business continuity preserved.
From £380, every 5 years
Restaurant / café / pub
Heavy commercial kitchen kit (dishwashers, walk in fridges, induction hobs, grills, three phase ovens) means more circuits and more time. Mornings before opening or late nights after closing.
From £580, every 3 to 5 years
3 yearly cycle
Industrial / fish processing / workshop
Three phase prevalent, larger distribution boards, often hostile environment (water, dust, salt). Tested every 3 years rather than 5 due to environment. We schedule around shift patterns.
From £680, every 3 years typical
1 to 3 yearly, coastal corrosion
Harbour business (chandlery, fish processing, fuel, boat repair)
Harbour adjacent installations are tested every 1 to 3 years because salt air degradation is faster than anywhere else. Fuel facilities (ATEX zones) need annual testing plus quarterly visual inspection. We're the local team, we know the harbour electrical history of most of these buildings going back years.
From £680, every 1 to 3 years depending on exposure
Detailed pricing
Fixed wire testing cost in Fraserburgh
Quoted as fixed prices in writing. Includes the certificate, defect schedule, and insurance ready PDF emailed within 48 hours.
| Property | Price |
|---|---|
| Small office or retail (10 to 30 circuits) | from £380 |
| Medium business (30 to 80 circuits) | from £580 |
| Large premises (80 to 150 circuits) | from £950 |
| HMO / guesthouse / commercial residential | from £450 |
| Industrial / fish processing / workshop | from £680 |
| Three phase supply (most workshops, harbour businesses) | +30% |
| Sample testing approach (200+ circuits, 10% sample) | from £680 |
| Annual service contract (5 yearly fixed wire amortised) | from £680/yr |
| Out of hours premium (evenings, weekends) | +£35/hr |
| Multi site / portfolio | Free quote |
Local context
Why Fraserburgh fixed wire tests need local knowledge
Fraserburgh has a higher concentration of older commercial buildings than the Scottish average. Town centre shops on Cross Street and Broad Street are often in repurposed Victorian or Edwardian structures, with electrical installations layered from multiple decades of use. A single circuit might run through 1960s wiring behind 1980s plasterboard with 2010s accessories. Knowing this saves hours during the test.
The harbour businesses are a different challenge. Salt air corrodes outdoor wiring twice as fast as inland. Three phase supplies are common in workshop areas. Fuel facilities have ATEX hazardous zone classifications. Fish processing has continuous water exposure. We carry kit for all of these and have working knowledge of the harbour electrical history.
Common questions
Fixed Wire Testing FAQs for Fraserburgh
What's the difference between an EICR and a Fixed Wire Test?
Same fundamental test, different terminology. EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is the formal name used in domestic contexts. Fixed Wire Test (or Periodic Inspection) is the term commonly used for commercial properties. The standard underlying both is BS 7671. The differences in practice are scale (commercial has more circuits, sometimes hundreds), three phase prevalence (rare in domestic, common in commercial), and testing methodology (sample testing on very large installations vs 100% on domestic).
How often does my Fraserburgh business need a fixed wire test?
Depends on the property risk. Office, retail, professional services: every 5 years. Restaurants and food prep: every 5 years (sometimes 3 if heavy steam exposure). HMOs and guesthouses: every 5 years. Industrial and fish processing: every 3 years due to environment. Harbour adjacent businesses: every 1 to 3 years because of salt corrosion. Construction sites: annual. We follow the IET Code of Practice intervals as standard, not arbitrary.
Can you test without disrupting our trading hours?
Yes, in most cases. We can test most of a small to medium business without isolating the whole supply, by working circuit by circuit and only de-energising one section at a time. For shops we typically work Sundays. For restaurants, mornings before opening. For offices, evenings or weekends. The out of hours premium is +£35/hr but it usually beats the cost of closing. For very large or critical installations (data centres, hospitals, fuel facilities) we plan a phased test over several visits.
What if you find faults during the test?
Same coding as a domestic EICR. C1 (danger present): we isolate on the spot and quote remedial. C2 (potentially dangerous): must be fixed before the certificate becomes a Pass. C3 (improvement recommended): doesn't fail the certificate but worth fixing. FI (further investigation): something the test couldn't fully diagnose, requires return visit. We quote all remedials in writing alongside the certificate, no obligation to use us for the fix.
Is this the same as PAT testing?
No, completely different. Fixed Wire Test inspects fixed wiring (cables in the walls, sockets, switches, distribution boards). PAT testing inspects portable appliances (anything that plugs in: kettles, computers, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners). Most businesses need both: Fixed Wire every 5 years, PAT annually. We bundle them in our annual service contract for a single fixed yearly fee.
Will my commercial insurer require this?
Yes. Virtually all UK commercial property insurance policies now require a current Fixed Wire Test certificate as a condition of cover. Without it, claims involving electrical fault are typically refused. Your insurer may ask for the certificate at policy renewal (typically annual). We email a PDF directly to your insurer if you forward us their contact, no extra charge.
Do you test three phase supplies?
Yes. Most Fraserburgh commercial properties are single phase 100A, but workshops, fish processing, harbour businesses, larger restaurants, and some retail run on three phase 415V. We carry the test kit and the protective equipment for three phase, and our team holds the JIB ECS gold card for trade site work. Three phase testing typically adds 30% to the standard time.
What documentation do I get at the end?
A full Electrical Installation Condition Report with: schedule of every circuit tested, test results, defect schedule coded by severity, photographs of any C1 or C2 issues, recommended next inspection date, BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 2 compliance statement, electrician name and NICEIC enrolment number, public liability insurance confirmation, and remedial work quotes (if applicable). All in a single PDF emailed within 48 hours of the visit.
Need a fixed wire test in Fraserburgh? Free quote in 24 hours.
Insurance ready PDF certificate within 48 hours. Out of hours work to avoid disrupting trade. NICEIC approved, BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 2 certified.
Prefer to call? 07426 416358