Electrical Inspection Failed – What Now? Step by Step to the Re-Inspection

After a negative inspection, you have every infringement in the report corrected, bring the single-line diagram and situation plan in line with the installation as built, and have the installation inspected again. The deadline depends on the type of inspection: for a new installation, the affected part may only be put into use after correction and a new inspection. After a periodic control visit, the same inspection body returns within one year. After a sale inspection, the buyer has 18 months from the deed of sale and chooses the inspection body freely.

A negative report on its own does not tell you whether only documents are missing or whether there is a safety risk. The individual findings decide. This guide shows you how to read them, prioritise them, have them corrected and prove the result.

Editing and review: PlanElec team, 5 October 2026, checked against AREI/RGIE Book 1, version 06, applicable since 1 April 2026.

What is in the negative report?

The approved inspection body's report lists the infringements of Book 1, any circuits with an insufficient insulation level, and the conclusion. For a control visit to a domestic installation, it also separates infringements, remarks and applicable derogations for existing installations (subsection 6.5.7.2, b.5). A remark is not an infringement – so check carefully which heading a finding is listed under.

Reading codes and priorities correctly

Internal codes and priority classes differ between inspection bodies and report templates. "C1", "C2" or "C3" therefore do not set a universal Belgian deadline; the legend of your report is what counts. If a finding is unclear, ask the inspection body in writing for the rule reference, the affected circuit and the evidence it expects. Any mention of immediate danger takes priority, whatever the code: do not switch the affected part back on yourself.

Deadlines by type of inspection

After a periodic inspection

The conclusion of the report states the date by which the additional visit by the same body must take place (6.5.7.2, b.6). If infringements remain at that second visit, the body sends a copy of the report to the Directorate-General for Energy (b.7). Until then, the work is carried out without delay and all appropriate measures are taken so that the infringements pose no danger while the installation stays in service.

For a new installation

For a new installation or a significant modification, the affected part stays out of service until the infringements are corrected and inspected again (9.1.3.1). Coordinate the grid connection with the responsible grid operator as well; it only makes the power of a new installation available once a positive report exists (6.4.6.2).

When selling a property

After a negative sale inspection, the buyer notifies the original inspection body in writing of their identity and the date of the deed of sale. No later than 18 months after that date, the buyer has the corrections inspected. The buyer chooses the body freely; a different body informs the first one (8.4.2.2 a). The relevant date is that of the notarial deed, not of a private purchase agreement.

Ten inspection areas you will find in the report

These areas come up regularly in reports. They are not a statistical ranking, but a useful map for your findings.

Step by step after the negative inspection

Step 1: read the report line by line

Go through each finding and note:

• Which heading is it under: infringement, remark or derogation?
• Where exactly is the problem: room, board, circuit?
• What exactly is being flagged, and which rule is involved?

Step 2: set priorities

First come all findings that the report marks as immediate danger, a reason for disconnection or an obstacle to putting into use. Then plan the remaining infringements by dependency: cause and protection concept first, then workmanship, measurement and documentation.

Step 3: bring in an electrician

You can organise the report, gather documents and compare the plans with the visible installation. Work in the board, on protective devices, on the earthing or on fixed wiring belongs with a qualified electrician, for example:

• adding or replacing an RCD
• improving the earth electrode or adapting the RCD layout to the earth value
• protecting cables mechanically or re-routing them
• installing the main switch-disconnector

Step 4: bring the plans in line with the installation

The single-line diagram and situation plan show the state after correction. Do not copy assumed cross-sections or ratings; clarify unknown characteristics before exporting, or mark them explicitly as open.

Step 5: book the re-inspection

Who inspects depends on the type of inspection: after a periodic visit it is the same body; after a sale inspection the buyer chooses freely. Use the report to clarify the scope before you book.

Turning a finding into a verifiable measure

The report describes a result, not necessarily the cause. "Insufficient insulation resistance" can point to a damaged conductor, moisture or a connected appliance. For reference: each circuit must reach at least 500 kΩ at a 500 V test voltage (6.4.5.1). "Plan does not match" ranges from a missing socket to a wrong sequence of protective devices. So have the cause and extent established first, before a component is replaced.

For each finding, five questions help:

1. Which part of the installation was actually inspected?
2. Which rule or protective function is involved?
3. Which diagnosis or measurement confirms the cause?
4. Which correction removes the cause, not just the symptom?
5. Which evidence shows the inspection body the completed correction?

Several infringements are often linked. A changed distribution affects the single-line diagram, labelling, protective devices and measured values. New earthing work is finished before plans are finalised and measurements repeated. So plan one consistent final state rather than a series of contradictory interim states.

Separating documentation defects from workmanship defects

A missing plan is not fixed by drawing an unverified plan. Survey the installation first – opening and measuring is the electrician's job. Then link each symbol to the real circuit and check that board labels, single-line diagram and situation plan use the same reference.

Conversely, a nicer drawing does not fix a workmanship defect. If a protective device is unsuitable, the earthing insufficient or a cable mechanically at risk, the installation is corrected and, where needed, measured again; the plan then follows the state as built. That way the inspection body finds up-to-date documents and a corrected installation at the re-inspection.

Special case: a sale

As the buyer, keep the report, the deed of sale and the installation file together. The 18 months run from the day of the deed. The deadline is no postponement for visible hazards: have unsafe parts assessed by an electrician immediately and, if needed, taken out of service.

If the building is demolished or the installation completely renewed, a separate route applies: seller and buyer record it in the deed, the buyer informs the Directorate-General for Energy, and the new installation follows the conformity inspection of chapter 6.4 (8.4.2.2 a and b). The FPS Economy FAQ for notaries and the property sector answers further sale questions.

Planning costs realistically

Fees and repair costs depend on the type of inspection, the body, travel, the number of boards, measurement effort and the actual defect. Ask the inspection body directly for its current fee. A good repair quote lists diagnosis, materials, labour, measurements, plan updates and the re-inspection separately – so you can see whether a concealed cable repair or a board rebuild is included.

A solid file for the re-inspection

Keep a table with one row per finding: report text, affected circuit, measure, responsible person, completion date and evidence. Photos supplement the file; they do not replace measurements. Update the plans after the actual work and then check labels and references once more.

The FPS Economy overview of inspection types explains consequences and deadlines; the list of approved inspection bodies is official too.

Keeping changes under control until the re-inspection

After the corrections, freeze a documented state: dated plans, board labels, measurement records and photos of work that will later be concealed. Check every further change before the appointment against that state and record it. Otherwise one small additional cable breaks exactly the consistency that electrician and designer have just established. Ask all occupants to avoid temporary connections and their own alterations until the inspection. If a change is unavoidable, the responsible electrician receives the report, the current plans and a clear description of the change.

Final check before the new appointment

• Every finding is linked to a completed measure.
• Corrections that require a measurement have been measured and documented properly.
• Circuit labels match in the board and on both plans.
• New or removed appliances are updated on the situation plan.
• Ratings and cable data on the single-line diagram match the installation.
• Inspection body and type of inspection are confirmed.
• Report, plans, EAN code and manufacturer documents are ready.

Every completed repair then goes into the re-inspection with clear evidence. Allow time for questions and, if needed, a second diagnosis: a finding is only closed when cause, workmanship and evidence line up.

How PlanElec helps

PlanElec surfaces supported design errors before the re-inspection and keeps your documents consistent:

• AREI/RGIE self-check reports findings on RCD protection and circuit protection in the supported rules
• Single-line diagram shows the topology you entered in a structured way
• Situation plan uses the Belgian symbol library
• Circuit references are identical in diagram and plan

The roles stay clear: PlanElec shows you whether design and documents are consistent in the supported rules; measurements and the verdict on the installation come from the approved inspection body.

Related articles:

• 10 important AREI inspection points
• A 30 mA RCD for Every Socket?
• Cable Cross-Section per Circuit Breaker

Bring your documents in line with the installation and go into the re-inspection with an organised file. Get started →