What Actually Gets Flagged “Further Investigation” on an EICR
Most people who've had an EICR know the headline outcomes: Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. Fewer people know about the third option sitting quietly in the middle - FI, or Further Investigation - and it's caused more confusion than almost anything else in the report.
An FI code gets used when something can't be fully verified as safe from a standard inspection. Usually that's an access problem, not a danger problem: a locked door, an unlabelled circuit, a section of cable buried behind a fitted wardrobe. The inspector genuinely can't see enough to say either way.
Why This Used to Cause Real Problems
Until recently, a single FI code on a report meant the whole thing got marked Unsatisfactory, regardless of how minor the actual uncertainty was. That pushed a lot of inspectors toward what's known as defensive inspecting - flagging FI on borderline items just to protect themselves, even when they were fairly confident nothing was actually wrong. The result was landlords and homeowners facing the full 28-day remedial window and real stress over something that often turned out to be nothing.
That's changed. An inspector can now issue a Satisfactory result with an FI noted, provided they're genuinely confident the item is low risk. If they suspect a real hazard, it still has to fail - that part hasn't softened at all. What's changed is that the system now trusts the inspector's judgement instead of forcing a blanket outcome regardless of context.
What This Means for You
Practically, it means who's doing your EICR matters more than it used to, not less. The report format is identical everywhere. What happens in the two or three hours on-site - how thoroughly someone actually investigates before reaching for FI, and how confident they are calling something low-risk versus flagging it properly - is where the real value sits.
With the qualification requirement tightening from 1 October 2026 (inspectors will need to hold the 2391-52 certification specifically, not just general experience), this distinction is only going to matter more. A report is only as good as the judgement behind it.
If you've had an FI code on a previous report and it was never properly explained, it's worth asking your electrician exactly what wasn't accessible and why. A good answer takes thirty seconds. If you can't get one, that's worth noting too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an FI code mean on an EICR?
FI stands for Further Investigation. It means something couldn't be fully verified as safe from a standard inspection, usually because of an access issue rather than a genuine safety concern.
Does an FI code mean my property failed?
Not necessarily. An inspector can issue a Satisfactory result with an FI noted, provided they're confident the item is low risk. If a real hazard is suspected, it still has to fail.
Why did the rules around FI codes change?
The previous rule marked any report with an FI as Unsatisfactory regardless of severity, which pushed inspectors toward defensive flagging on minor access issues. The update restores genuine inspector judgement.
