PAT testing checks portable appliances, the things with plugs, for electrical safety: a visual inspection plus instrument tests, a pass/fail label on each item, and a register you can hand to whoever asked for it. I run PAT visits across Bristol for landlords, letting agents, holiday lets, offices and shops, priced per item so the invoice matches the cupboard, not a guess.
Who needs PAT testing: the honest version
Here's what the fear-sellers won't tell you: "PAT testing is a legal requirement" is not quite true anywhere. What the law requires, for employers under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and for landlords under their general duties, is that electrical equipment you provide is maintained in a safe condition. PAT testing is simply the recognised, documented way to prove you've done that. So: offices, shops and anywhere with staff, effectively yes, your insurer and the HSE's expectations get you there. Landlords supplying appliances, strongly yes, it's the evidence that the kettle you provided didn't burn the house down through neglect. Holiday lets, yes, your guests are the closest thing to the public your appliances will meet. Homeowners testing their own toaster, no, and I'll say so rather than sell you a visit.
What gets tested and how items are labelled
Each appliance gets a formal visual inspection, where most real faults are found (crushed flexes, cracked plugs, DIY fuses), then instrument tests appropriate to its class: earth continuity, insulation resistance, polarity on leads. Every item gets a numbered pass label with the test date, failures are labelled, removed from service and listed with the reason, and you receive the full register by email the same day, formatted for your records or your agent's system.
Rental, HMO or workplace kit to certify?
Say roughly how many items and where the property is — you'll get a per-item price in writing before anything is booked.
For letting agents and portfolios
Per-property PAT visits are inefficient at portfolio scale; runs are not. I schedule multi-property PAT runs across Bristol, one register per property, one consolidated invoice, and the items feed the same renewals list as your certificates, so nothing silently lapses. If PAT is currently the thing your office chases twice a year in a panic, that's the job I take off you.
PAT testing prices
These are estimates, not quotes. Final costings always follow a free site inspection — and jobs often come in under the estimate, never over without you agreeing it first.
PAT testing is priced per item with a minimum visit charge — and the per-item rate drops at volume. Tell me roughly how many items you have and I'll give you an exact number before booking. Indicative, confirmed once you send me an item count; nobody counts appliances accurately from memory, so estimate high and be pleasantly surprised.
Is PAT testing a legal requirement?
Not by name, and be wary of anyone who claims it is. Maintaining provided equipment in a safe condition is the legal duty; PAT testing is the standard evidence of it. For workplaces and rentals that distinction rarely changes the answer, only the honesty of the person giving it.
How often should appliances be tested?
Risk-based, not fixed: annual is the workable default for rentals and offices, more often for construction and hire kit, and change-of-tenancy is the sensible trigger for landlords. The register I leave you states the recommended retest date per item.
How much is PAT testing per item?
Priced per item with a minimum visit charge. The per-item price drops at volume, which is why portfolio runs are the efficient way to buy this.
