What NICEIC actually wants in your job records
NICEIC assessors look for specific things in your job records. Most electricians keep records that are technically sufficient but harder to present than they need to be. Here's what matters.
slug: niceic-record-keeping-guide title: What NICEIC actually wants in your job records description: NICEIC assessors look for specific things in your job records. Most electricians keep records that are technically sufficient but harder to present than they need to be. Here's what matters. date: 2024-09-20 tags:
- Compliance readingTime: 7 min read author: CircuitCapture
NICEIC assessors look for specific things in your job records. Most electricians keep records that are technically sufficient but harder to present than they need to be. Here's what actually matters — and what doesn't.
The 6-year requirement
NICEIC requires you to retain records of all notifiable electrical work for 6 years from the date of completion. This applies to all Approved Contractors and Domestic Installers.
For a full explanation of where this requirement comes from and what it means in practice, see The 6-year electrical record keeping rule explained.
The records serve two purposes: they're evidence of the work carried out if a dispute or insurance claim arises, and they're reviewed during your annual assessment to verify that your work volume and scope matches your scheme certification.
What a compliant job record contains
A compliant job record doesn't need to be elaborate. At a minimum, it should include:
- The address of the property where work was carried out
- The date of the work
- The scope of work — what was done, in sufficient detail that an assessor could understand the nature of the job
- Your scheme registration number — this ties the record to your NICEIC registration
- The certification documents associated with the job (EIC, EICR, Minor Works Certificate as applicable)
For a detailed breakdown of what a job brief should include, see How to write an electrical job brief.
The certification documents are separate from the job record — but they should be filed together so you can produce them alongside the record on request.
What assessors actually check
For a full guide to preparing for your annual visit, see How to prepare for your NICEIC annual assessment.
During your annual assessment, your NICEIC assessor will typically:
- Ask to see a sample of recent jobs (usually 3–5)
- Review the associated certification documents for those jobs
- Check that the scope of work matches your certification type
- Confirm your scheme number appears on the documentation
They are not looking for a perfect filing system. They are checking that you have records, that they're legible, and that the work described is consistent with your NICEIC registration category.
Common gaps that cause problems
No record of smaller jobs. Sole traders often keep good records for larger jobs but let smaller ones fall through the gaps. An annual assessment that shows 40 major jobs but no minor works will prompt questions.
Records that lack scheme number. If your job documents — quotes, job briefs, invoices — don't carry your scheme registration number, they're harder to present as evidence of NICEIC-registered work.
Certification filed separately from the job record. When the EIC for a job is in one folder and the job brief is in another, retrieving both under assessment pressure takes longer than it should.
Making record-keeping a byproduct of quoting
The most practical improvement most sole traders can make is to generate a job record automatically as part of the quoting process, rather than as a separate administrative task.
If your quote or job brief already contains the address, scope of works, date, and your scheme number — and it's stored digitally — it functions as the job record without any additional effort. The certification documents are then the only thing to add.
This is the model CircuitCapture is built around: the job brief generated from your voice note is already structured for record-keeping. You're not doing two things (quoting and record-keeping) — you're doing one.
A note on EICs and EICRs
CircuitCapture produces job briefs and estimates — not Electrical Installation Certificates, EICRs, or Minor Works Certificates. Those must be produced using your approved certification software or official forms. CircuitCapture records complement your certification documents; they don't replace them.