Services
Fire Door Surveys & Inspections
Comprehensive, non-destructive fire door surveys with detailed condition reports and prioritised recommendations. Helping responsible persons meet their legal obligations and maintain effective passive fire protection.
Why fire doors are critical
Fire doors are one of the most important passive fire protection elements in any building. When correctly specified, installed and maintained, they restrict the spread of fire and smoke, protect escape routes and provide occupants with time to evacuate safely.
However, fire doors frequently fail to perform as intended. Common problems include missing or damaged intumescent seals, self-closers that do not latch properly, doors wedged open, incorrect gaps and ironmongery that compromises the fire rating. Even minor defects can significantly reduce their effectiveness.
A professional fire door survey identifies these deficiencies before they become a life safety issue, and provides a clear, prioritised action plan for the responsible person.
Who may need a fire door survey?
- Multi-occupied residential buildings over 11 metres — mandatory quarterly common area inspections under Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
- HMOs — fire doors to individual rooms and common areas
- Hotels and serviced accommodation — bedrooms, corridors and back-of-house
- Schools and educational establishments — throughout the building
- Offices and commercial premises — compartmentation and escape routes
- High-rise buildings — all fire doors within the common parts
- Care homes and healthcare premises — including flat entrance doors
- Buildings following refurbishment or fit-out works
Legal and regulatory context
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Responsible persons in multi-occupied residential buildings over 11 metres must carry out quarterly checks of all fire doors in common areas and make best endeavours to carry out annual checks of flat entrance doors.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The responsible person must ensure fire doors and associated hardware are maintained in efficient working order and in good repair. Fire door condition is a key element of any fire risk assessment.
BS 8214 / BS EN 1634
Fire door assemblies must be appropriately specified and installed. Non-compliant installation, modifications or inappropriate replacement hardware can invalidate the fire door's rating.
What each fire door inspection covers
Each fire door is assessed individually during a non-destructive inspection. The following elements are considered as part of a standard doorset survey.
- Door leaf condition — damage, warping, and integrity
- Door frame condition and fixing
- Intumescent seals and smoke seals — presence, condition and continuity
- Self-closing devices — function, speed and positive latching
- Hinges — type, number, fixing and condition
- Ironmongery — locks, latches, hold-open devices and signage
- Vision panels — glazing specification and integrity
- Gap tolerances around door leaf and frame
- Threshold gaps and threshold seals
- Correct signage — 'Fire Door Keep Shut' or 'Fire Door Keep Locked'
- Evidence of unauthorised modifications or wedging
- Overall performance and suitability for purpose
What clients receive
- Individual assessment of each fire door inspected
- Condition rating per doorset
- Specific deficiencies identified with photographic evidence where applicable
- Prioritised recommendations for remedial action
- Clear report suitable for the responsible person
- Documentation to support compliance records
Common deficiencies found
- —Missing or damaged intumescent seals
- —Self-closer not closing fully or latching
- —Excessive gaps around door leaf
- —Doors held open by wedges or furniture
- —Incorrect or missing signage
- —Vision panels not fire-rated
- —Ironmongery not suited to fire door use
- —Unauthorised modifications to door or frame
Fire door surveys are non-destructive visual inspections. They do not constitute a structural or fire engineering assessment. Third-party testing or intrusive investigation may be required to confirm fire door specifications or ratings.
How the process works
Scope and enquiry
Submit an enquiry with details of the premises and number of fire doors. A member of the team will confirm the scope, approach and fee.
On-site inspection
A thorough non-destructive inspection of each fire door and associated hardware. Each doorset is assessed individually against key compliance criteria.
Condition report
A written report detailing the condition of each fire door inspected, deficiencies identified and prioritised recommendations for remedial action.
Follow-up support
Where needed, findings can be discussed with the responsible person to help interpret results and prioritise remediation works.
You may also need
Fire Risk Assessments
Fire door compliance is assessed as part of the fire risk assessment. Both services complement each other.
Passive Fire Protection Reviews
A broader review of compartmentation and fire stopping alongside the fire door survey.
FRA Validation & Review
Independent review of an existing fire risk assessment — particularly useful alongside a fire door survey.
Request a Fire Door Survey Quote
Submit an enquiry with details of your premises and the number of fire doors to be inspected. A member of the team will confirm the scope and fee.