Electrical certificate software: what UK sparks should look for
In short: Good electrical certificate software produces EIC, EICR and Minor Works forms to the BS 7671 model forms, validates test readings as you type, works offline, and emails a signed PDF the same day. Cert-only apps cost roughly £10 to £30 a month, full field service suites £30 to £60 per user. SparkCerts bundles certificates with quoting and invoicing at £12 a month.
Key points
- Good certificate software produces the BS 7671 model forms, validates readings on site, works offline, and emails a signed PDF the same day.
- Validity is in the testing and the signature, not paper versus PDF.
- Cert-only apps leave quoting and invoicing in other tools; suites cost £30 to £60 per user.
- You must give the customer the certificate, and you should be able to reissue it years later.
- If a tool will not export your certificates as standard PDFs, walk away: they are your documents.
There are two ways to produce an electrical installation certificate in 2026: a pad of carbon-copy forms from the wholesaler, or software. The pad never crashes, and that is the end of its advantages. The software question is really about which kind to buy, because the market splits into cert-only apps and big field service suites, and both leave something on the table for a small firm.
What certificate software has to get right
- The model forms, properly. EIC, EICR and Minor Works laid out the way BS 7671 sets them out, because that is what scheme assessors look for at assessment time.
- Readings checked as you type. A Zs lower than Ze is physically impossible. An RCD that took 350 ms failed, whatever the rest of the form says. Software that flags an implausible reading while the meter is still in your hand saves the embarrassing phone call after the assessor reads the PDF.
- Works in a basement. Plenty of boards live where signal does not. On-site forms that need a connection to save are a liability.
- A PDF the customer actually receives. The certificate should leave for the customer's inbox the moment it is signed, ideally stapled to the invoice, because the certificate is usually what the customer is really paying for.
- Finds the retest for you. Every EICR carries a next inspection date. Software that surfaces those dates turns each certificate into booked work in five years instead of a PDF in a folder.
Cert-only apps against full job software
Cert-only apps (the iCertifi and Easycert end of the market) produce good forms and stop there. Your quotes live in WhatsApp and your invoices live somewhere else, so every job is stitched together across three tools. The big suites (Tradify, Commusoft, Simpro) run the whole business and are priced for one: £30 to £60 per user each month, and several still need a separate cert app bolted on. If you run vans and an office, buy a suite. If you are a one-man band or a two-man firm, you are the gap in that market.
Where SparkCerts sits
We built SparkCerts electrical certificate software for that gap: quoting, invoicing and the certificate in one record, £12 a month, three jobs free to see if it earns its keep. You price the job on your phone, the customer accepts by tapping a link, the certificate validates readings as you fill it in on site, and the invoice goes out with the cert attached. Our guide to electrician software for a one-man band covers the wider toolkit question honestly, including when we are the wrong answer.
Questions to ask before you pay for any of them
- Can I export every certificate as a standard PDF if I leave?
- Does it validate test readings, or just store whatever I type?
- What happens on site with no signal?
- Does the EICR remind me when the next inspection is due?
- What does it cost once the introductory price ends?
Any tool that fails the first question fails the lot. Certificates are legal documents with your name on them, and they belong to you and your customer, whatever software produced them.
The forms it has to produce
Domestic electrical work in the UK runs on a small set of model forms from BS 7671, and your software needs all of them or you will end up keeping a pad for the gaps. The core set:
| Form | Used for |
|---|---|
| Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) | New circuits, consumer unit changes, new installations |
| Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate | An addition or alteration to one existing circuit |
| Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) | Inspecting and reporting on an existing installation |
| Schedule of Inspections | The visual and physical checks, attached to the EIC and EICR |
| Schedule of Test Results | The circuit-by-circuit readings, attached to the EIC and EICR |
The two schedules are not optional appendices: a certificate without them is a cover letter, as our note on the electrical installation certificate explains. Software that produces the headline form but makes the schedules awkward has solved the easy half.
Your data, and the customer's
Certificates hold names, addresses and the safety record of someone's home, so two boring questions matter more than the feature list. First, can you get all of it out as standard PDFs and a data export if you ever leave, with no ransom and no proprietary format. Second, can you reissue a single customer's certificate years later when their solicitor asks, in seconds rather than an afternoon. A tool that keeps your records hostage is a liability dressed as convenience, and the day you notice is the day you want to move.
Common questions
Can I do electrical certificates on my phone?
Yes. Certificate software fills in EIC, EICR and Minor Works forms on a phone or tablet on site, and produces a signed PDF. The forms follow the BS 7671 model forms, and you remain the qualified signatory.
Are digital electrical certificates accepted by NICEIC and NAPIT?
Scheme providers assess against the BS 7671 model forms, which is what good certificate software produces. The testing and the signature remain your responsibility, exactly as with a pad of paper forms.
What does electrical certificate software cost?
Cert-only apps run roughly £10 to £30 a month. Full field service suites that include certificates start around £30 per user. SparkCerts bundles certificates with quoting and invoicing at £12 a month.
Do I have to give the customer the certificate?
Yes. The certificate is part of the work, not an optional extra, and the customer is entitled to it. For new work that is an EIC or a minor works certificate; for a condition inspection it is the EICR. Withholding it until a dispute is settled is poor practice and, for notifiable work, leaves the customer without their Building Regulations evidence.
How long should I keep electrical certificates?
Keep a copy for at least the life of that inspection cycle, and in practice longer. The schedules are read years later at a sale, a remortgage, an insurance claim or a scheme assessment. Software that holds every certificate and lets you reissue a PDF on request is the easiest way to meet that without a filing cabinet.
Are PDF certificates as valid as paper ones?
Yes. Validity comes from the testing and the competent person's declaration, not the medium. Scheme assessors check the work against the BS 7671 model forms, which is exactly what a good app produces, and a digital audit trail of who signed and when is stronger evidence than a carbon copy.
SparkCerts runs the whole job for a UK sparky: quote it, fill the certificate in on site with readings checked as you type, and the invoice goes out with the cert attached. Three jobs free, then £12 a month.
Try it on your next job