Guide · updated 9 October 2026
What is a fire door inspection?
Short answer: A fire door inspection is a door-by-door check that each fire door will still perform as it was designed to. It covers the leaf, frame, gaps, seals, hinges, closer, glazing, hardware and signage, and ends with a report of passes, advisories and failures.
- Typically 10–20 minutes per door
- Non-intrusive: doors stay in place
- Report usually within 5 working days
- Every failed item priced separately
What is a fire door inspection?
A fire door inspection is a documented check, door by door, that each fire door in a building can still do its job: close fully, latch, and hold back fire and smoke for the time it was designed to. It records the condition of every component and gives each door a pass, advisory or fail result with photographs.
Why do fire doors need inspecting?
Fire doors are some of the hardest-working parts of a building. They are opened thousands of times, hit by trolleys, decorated, drilled for new locks and wedged open. Each of those can quietly undo the door's fire performance. Fire Door Inspection Scheme data published in 2022, covering more than 10,000 doors its inspectors checked in 2021, found around three in four failed, most often because of excessive gaps, maintenance issues and smoke seal problems.
What does the inspector check?
- Leaf and frame: damage, splits, delamination, warping and unauthorised alterations.
- Gaps: readings at the head, hinge edge, closing edge, meeting stiles and threshold.
- Seals: intumescent strips and smoke seals present, continuous and not painted over.
- Hinges: number, condition, screws and suitability.
- Closer: the door closes and latches from any opening position.
- Glazing: fire-rated glass, correct beads and glazing seals.
- Hardware and signage: locks, latches, letter plates and the right sign for the door's use.
- Evidence: any certification label, plug or marking that identifies the door.
How long does a fire door inspection take?
Usually 10 to 20 minutes per door. A block with 40 communal doors is normally a single day on site, while a school or hospital with several hundred doors is planned over several days around the building's use.
What does the report contain?
Each door gets a unique reference, its location, photographs, the result for every component and a recommendation. A good report also prices each failed item, so the responsible person can approve repairs without a second survey.
What happens if a fire door fails?
A failed door is not automatically a door that needs replacing. Most failures are seals, closers, hinges or gaps, which can be repaired. Doors that cannot be repaired within what their test evidence allows, or that have no evidence of being fire doors, are recommended for replacement.
Related services
Related questions
How long does a fire door inspection take?
Typically 10 to 20 minutes per door, depending on access and how many defects need photographing. A block with 40 communal doors is usually a single day on site.
Do you need to remove the doors?
No. Inspections are non-intrusive. The inspector measures, operates and photographs each door in place and only lifts away removable items such as letter-plate covers where it is safe to do so.
Can you price remedial work from someone else's inspection report?
Yes. Send the report and we will price each line. If the report lacks the detail needed, such as gap readings or photos, we will say which doors need a quick revisit before we can price them.
Will the door still be a certified fire door after repair?
The aim of remedial work is to restore the door's original performance using compatible components and methods. Where a repair would go outside what the door's evidence supports, we will recommend replacement instead.
Sources checked 9 October 2026: GOV.UK Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 fact sheets; BSI and FPA announcements on BS 8214:2026; FDIS published inspection data. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Add Fire Door Inspections as a preferred source on Google