What it is
A fire door fails through detail: a missing intumescent strip, a quarter-inch of extra threshold gap, a closer disconnected because it annoyed someone. We inspect doorsets systematically to BS 8214 principles — leaf, frame, seals, hinges, closers, glazing and signage — and record each against pass, repair or replace, giving responsible persons the inspection regime the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 expect. The 2022 Regulations introduced specific duties for multi-occupied residential buildings above 11 metres in height: quarterly checks of fire doors in common parts and, where access is granted, annual checks of flat entrance doors. Our surveys satisfy both cycles and produce a register that the responsible person can maintain and evidence to a regulator.
When you need it
- Quarterly and annual checks under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 are due
- A fire risk assessment has flagged doorset condition
- Replacement programmes need a defensible scope and budget
- Handover or acquisition needs the door population baselined
What you receive
- A door-by-door register with condition, defects and photographs
- Pass / repair / replace categorisation with budget-ready quantities
- A proportionate ongoing inspection regime
How we do it
- Pre-survey review of any existing door schedules, previous inspection records and the fire strategy's compartmentation assumptions.
- Doorset inspection: each fire door checked for leaf condition, frame integrity, intumescent and smoke seals, hinge specification and count, self-closing device function, vision panel glazing, threshold gap, signage and hold-open device compliance.
- Condition recording: each door given a unique reference, location noted, defects photographed and categorised as pass, repair or replace — with the specific defects described.
- Register and programme: a door-by-door register issued in a format the responsible person can update, with a recommended inspection cycle tied to building risk rather than a blanket interval.
What drives the cost
Survey cost depends primarily on the number of doors and the number of locations. A large block with many common-part and flat entrance doors will take longer than a smaller building. Travel and access arrangements (scaffolding or lift access for high-level doors, resident availability for flat door access) affect programme. Portfolio instructions and combining a fire door survey with a compartmentation survey on the same visit can reduce cost per door. We price per-survey on a fixed-fee basis.
Common questions
What do the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require for fire doors?
For multi-occupied residential buildings above 11 metres in height, the responsible person must carry out quarterly checks of all fire doors in common parts and take reasonable steps to check flat entrance doors annually (access depends on residents allowing it). Below 11 metres the Regulations set no check interval — the duty at every height is to give residents information about the importance of fire doors, and doorset condition remains squarely within the fire risk assessment's scope. Our survey service is structured to satisfy these requirements and to support the ongoing record-keeping.
Can defective fire doors be repaired rather than replaced?
In many cases, yes. Worn seals, incorrectly adjusted closers, missing signage and some hardware defects can be repaired proportionately and cost-effectively without replacing the doorset. Our reports distinguish between defects that are repairable and those where the leaf or frame condition warrants replacement — so the responsible person has a realistic picture of the programme and its cost.
What is BS 8214, and does the inspection follow it?
BS 8214 is the British Standard code of practice for fire doorsets. The 2026 revision (BS 8214:2026) retired the timber-only 2016 edition and covers fire door assemblies of any material — timber, steel, aluminium and composite — with material-specific annexes for each. It sets the criteria against which a fire door's condition is assessed — gap tolerances, seal requirements, hardware specification and so on. Our inspections use BS 8214 as the technical reference for pass/fail criteria, which is consistent with the guidance issued by the fire door sector and recognised by responsible persons and their insurers.
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