Fire door questions

It depends on the building and how the doors are used. In England, regulation 10 requires communal fire doors in residential buildings with storeys over 11 metres to be checked every three months and flat entrance doors annually on a best-endeavours basis. BS 9999 suggests checks at least every six months elsewhere, and more often for busy doors. Your fire risk assessment should set the frequency.

The responsible person can carry out basic visual checks. A competent person should carry out detailed inspections. Certification schemes for individual fire door inspectors exist, such as the Fire Door Inspection Scheme, and you can ask any inspector to show evidence of their training and certification before the visit.

Guide prices start from £195 per visit, with per-door rates of roughly £12 to £35 depending on volume and the level of report. Detailed surveys with costed remedial schedules are typically £35 to £60 per door.

The leaf and frame condition, gaps around and under the door, intumescent strips and smoke seals, hinges, the self-closer, latch and lock, glazing and beads, air transfer grilles, signage, and any evidence of the door's fire rating such as a label or plug.

Typically 2 to 4 mm at the head and edges, with 3 mm as a practical target, unless the door's certification gives a different figure. Under-door gaps depend on the door; smoke control doors usually need 3 mm or less or a tested drop seal.

FD30 and FD60 describe fire doors designed to resist fire for 30 or 60 minutes in a standard test. An S suffix, such as FD30S, means the door also restricts the passage of cold smoke.

The report lists each failed item with photos. Most faults, such as seals, closers, hinges and gaps, can be repaired. Doors that cannot be repaired within their evidence are recommended for replacement. Every item is priced separately.

Yes. We can price and carry out remedial work from our own report or from another inspector's report or fire risk assessment, and photograph each door on completion.

No. Regulation 10 is English law. Wales applies the Fire Safety Order 2005 and Northern Ireland the Fire and Rescue Services (NI) Order 2006. In Scotland the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 covers workplaces, HMOs and other non-domestic premises, while common parts of private blocks of flats are largely outside it. Wherever fire doors form part of a building's fire safety measures, keeping them maintained is expected.

The government fact sheet says the responsible person should be able to do the basic checks and a specialist is not needed for them. Many responsible persons outsource the checks so they happen on time and are consistently recorded.

BS 8214 is the British Standard code of practice for fire-resisting and smoke control doors. The 2026 edition, published in March 2026, replaced the 2016 version and widened its scope to timber, steel, glazed metal and composite doors, with clearer guidance on smoke seals and sealing frame-to-wall gaps.

Usually 10 to 20 minutes per door. A typical block of flats with 30 to 50 communal doors is often completed in a day.

Yes. We arrange inspections and works across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with reports in the same format wherever your buildings are.

Work is carried out by experienced fire door inspectors and installers working under S&K Property Investments and Improvement Ltd, which contracts with you and invoices the work. Ask us for your inspector's training records and any certification they hold before the visit.