Eleven observations and a landlord waiting
The periodic inspection on a rented flat comes back unsatisfactory. Two C2s, a handful of C3s, one further investigation. The letting agent wants a remedial quote so the landlord can approve it, and they want it this week because the tenancy paperwork depends on it.
The inspector is on another job. The office manager opens the report, reads observation seven, 'no RCD protection for cables concealed in walls at depth less than 50mm', and has to ring him to ask what the fix is and roughly how long. By the time the quote goes out, the agent has asked another firm.
Why the quote takes longer than the inspection write-up
The EICR describes what was found, in the language the report needs. A quote describes what you'll do and what it costs, in language a landlord understands. Nobody has written down the link between the two, so every quote gets built from scratch by whoever knows enough.
Most firms see the same observations over and over: missing RCD protection, no main bonding to gas or water, damaged accessories, labelling missing. The pricing for those is fairly settled in the owner's head. It just isn't anywhere a system can use it.
| Observation type | Usual quote line |
|---|---|
| No RCD protection on circuits | Consumer unit change or RCBO additions |
| Main bonding absent or undersized | Install or upgrade bonding conductors |
| Damaged accessory | Replace socket, switch or fitting |
| Circuit not identified | Trace and label |
| Further investigation | Time-based investigation visit |
Those pairings are examples. Your inspectors and estimator decide the right remedy for each property.
Why slow remedial quotes lose the work
Agents and landlords compare speed as much as price, and the firm that did the inspection is in the best position to quote but often the slowest. Inspectors get pulled off site work to explain reports. Quotes that are written in a hurry use jargon the landlord doesn't follow, which leads to more questions and more delay.
The observation-to-quote build
- Observation import: the coded observations are read from your EICR, either by export from your certification software or by reading the PDF.
- Work item library: your estimator keeps a list of standard remedial items, each with a plain-English description, materials, labour allowance and price. We set it up from quotes you have already sent.
- Suggested mapping: each observation is matched to one or more likely work items. Where no match is clear, it is left for a person rather than guessed.
- Estimator review: the draft quote shows each observation beside its suggested lines. Your estimator changes, adds or removes lines and adjusts for access, property size or anything else the inspector noted.
- Landlord-friendly output: the quote lists the work in plain English, grouped by the observation it addresses, with the code shown so the agent can match it to the report.
- Approval and booking: the agent or landlord approves online, and the remedial job is created in your job software with the report attached.
What the office can do on its own
The office produces a draft within its normal working day and sends it to the estimator for a check, not a rewrite. The inspector answers questions only about the unusual items. Landlords get a quote they can read, and approvals come back to a link rather than a phone call.
The library also gets better the more it is used. When the estimator changes a suggested line, the change is noted, so the owner can see which observations are regularly priced differently from the library and decide whether the standard item needs updating.
Is this how your remedial quotes go?
- Remedial quotes depend on the inspector finding time to explain the report.
- The same observations are priced from scratch every time.
- Agents chase you for quotes, or give the work to someone quicker.
- Landlords ring to ask what the codes mean.
- Approved remedial work is booked by email and phone.