An electrical installation inspection is the on-site check, carried out by a body approved by the SPF Economie, that tests a home’s wiring against the RGIE and produces the compliance certificate (CE). It is required at sale and costs about 120 to 195 euros (RGIE/AREI, 2026).
The inspection is the physical examination behind the electrical compliance certificate. Where the certificate is the document, the inspection is the act of testing. It is governed by the RGIE, the federal general regulation on electrical installations, also known as the AREI.
A qualified inspector from a body approved by the SPF Economie visits the property and checks the essentials: the earthing connection, the differential (residual current) protection, the sizing of fuses and circuit breakers, the segregation of circuits and the presence of a compliant single-line diagram and situation plan (energiebewustontwerpen.be, 2026). The visit for a standard home costs roughly 120 to 195 euros including VAT (energiebewustontwerpen.be, 2026).
The inspector concludes with a favourable or unfavourable report. A favourable result on an unchanged installation is valid for 25 years (RGIE/AREI, 2026). At sale the report, whatever its colour, must be given to the buyer.
A frequently misunderstood point: the inspection does not require you to rewire the house to sell it. If the report is unfavourable, the buyer can still purchase and then has 18 months from the deed to carry out the works and have the installation re-inspected, notifying the SPF Economie and the network operator (Certinergie, 2021). A second, favourable inspection then closes the file. Booking the inspection early lets you decide, calmly, whether to repair before listing or to price the works into the sale.
At a glance
| Item | Detail (source, date) |
|---|---|
| What it is | On-site test of the installation against the RGIE |
| Carried out by | Body approved by SPF Economie |
| What is checked | Earthing, differential, fuses, circuits, diagram |
| Cost | 120 to 195 euros incl VAT (energiebewustontwerpen.be, 2026) |
| Result | Favourable or unfavourable report |
| Validity if favourable | 25 years on an unchanged installation (2026) |
| If unfavourable | Buyer has 18 months, then re-inspection (Certinergie, 2021) |