Inspectors see thousands of diagrams a year, and the remarks come down to the same points strikingly often. Below are the ten classics. Walk through them — ten minutes that may save an entire re-inspection.
The ten classics
The diagram no longer matches the actual installation after renovation work.
Earthing and equipotential bonding are missing from the diagram.
The cable cross-section is absent, or does not match the protective device.
No 30 mA RCD on the bathroom or laundry circuits.
Lighting and sockets share the same circuit.
The circuit numbers on the diagram are not marked in the board.
The position diagram is missing, or does not cover every floor.
Fixed appliances such as the water heater or hob are nowhere mentioned.
Circuits added later (charging point, solar panels) are missing.
The diagram is unreadable: handwritten, smudged or printed too small.
The common thread
Eight of the ten are not technical faults in the installation but documentation mistakes. The installation is safe; the paperwork simply has not kept up. That is frustrating, because this is exactly the part you can fix without an electrician.
Your own check before the inspection
Take the diagram to the distribution board and compare circuit by circuit: is the number, the protective device, the cross-section right? Then walk through the house with the position diagram and count the points per room. Whatever you find yourself, the inspector no longer has to write down.
Related reading
How Voltuno helps
A diagram that is easy to update stays easy to keep correct. With Voltuno you draw a correct single-line diagram, position diagram and matching bill of materials in minutes, straight from your browser. The software is built around AREI requirements, so you work faster and walk into the inspection with a clear, complete file.
Please note: this article is a general explanation and not legal advice. Always consult the official, consolidated AREI text (FPS Economy) for the exact obligations and article references.
