Electrical inspection when selling a house in Belgium: what you need to know
22/10/2026
Selling a house or flat in Belgium usually means having the electrical installation inspected. This inspection is required by the RGIE/AREI, the Belgian regulation on electrical installations. Here is what sellers and buyers need to know.
When is the inspection mandatory?
If the electrical installation dates from before 1 October 1981, an inspection by an approved body is mandatory before the deed of sale is signed at the notary. If the installation is more recent, the existing inspection report is usually enough, provided it is less than 25 years old and the installation has not been modified since. If in doubt, the notary or the inspection body will tell you whether a new inspection is needed.
Who carries out the inspection and what does it cost?
The inspection is carried out by a body approved by the FPS Economy, never by the electrician who did the work. For a typical home (one meter, one or two distribution boards), expect roughly €120 to €300 including VAT, depending on the size of the property and the inspection body. An inspection usually takes between thirty minutes and two hours.
Which documents should you prepare?
The inspector will check, among other things, that the single-line diagram and the layout plan of the installation are available. Missing diagrams are an infringement in themselves. If you do not have them, an electrician can draw them up before the inspection — this is often the first and easiest cause of a negative report to avoid.
What if the report is negative?
A negative report does not prevent the sale. The seller simply has to hand the report over to the buyer. The buyer must then have the necessary work carried out and have the installation re-inspected by the same body within 18 months of signing the deed. If that new inspection is still negative, the infringements must be fixed and inspected again.
The most common infringements
No 30 mA residual current device for wet rooms, insufficient earthing, an outdated board with old fuses, overloaded circuits, cables with too small a cross-section, and missing diagrams.
Tips for sellers
Having an electrician check the installation before the official inspection lets you fix the easy points (diagrams, labelling of the board, missing RCD) and avoid a negative report that weighs on the negotiation.
Tips for buyers
If the report is negative, get the work quoted before you sign: the amount can be a negotiating argument, and you will know what to expect within the 18 months.
EPC Technixs supports you before and after the sale: site survey, single-line diagrams, compliance work and preparation for the re-inspection. Free quote, throughout Belgium.
When is the inspection mandatory?
If the electrical installation dates from before 1 October 1981, an inspection by an approved body is mandatory before the deed of sale is signed at the notary. If the installation is more recent, the existing inspection report is usually enough, provided it is less than 25 years old and the installation has not been modified since. If in doubt, the notary or the inspection body will tell you whether a new inspection is needed.
Who carries out the inspection and what does it cost?
The inspection is carried out by a body approved by the FPS Economy, never by the electrician who did the work. For a typical home (one meter, one or two distribution boards), expect roughly €120 to €300 including VAT, depending on the size of the property and the inspection body. An inspection usually takes between thirty minutes and two hours.
Which documents should you prepare?
The inspector will check, among other things, that the single-line diagram and the layout plan of the installation are available. Missing diagrams are an infringement in themselves. If you do not have them, an electrician can draw them up before the inspection — this is often the first and easiest cause of a negative report to avoid.
What if the report is negative?
A negative report does not prevent the sale. The seller simply has to hand the report over to the buyer. The buyer must then have the necessary work carried out and have the installation re-inspected by the same body within 18 months of signing the deed. If that new inspection is still negative, the infringements must be fixed and inspected again.
The most common infringements
No 30 mA residual current device for wet rooms, insufficient earthing, an outdated board with old fuses, overloaded circuits, cables with too small a cross-section, and missing diagrams.
Tips for sellers
Having an electrician check the installation before the official inspection lets you fix the easy points (diagrams, labelling of the board, missing RCD) and avoid a negative report that weighs on the negotiation.
Tips for buyers
If the report is negative, get the work quoted before you sign: the amount can be a negotiating argument, and you will know what to expect within the 18 months.
EPC Technixs supports you before and after the sale: site survey, single-line diagrams, compliance work and preparation for the re-inspection. Free quote, throughout Belgium.