Tools
Which FRA type do I need?
“Type 1 to 4” fire risk assessment is a common-parts-and-flats classification for blocks of flats, not a legal requirement to pick from a menu. Answer a few questions about the building, its tenure, and what is (or isn't) known about its history, and this tool will point you at the type that fits — with the reasoning shown, not just an answer.
Recommendation
Type 1 — common parts only (non-destructive)
Based on your answers, a Type 1 — common parts only (non-destructive) fire risk assessment is the appropriate scope for this building.
What this covers
- The common parts of the block: escape routes, compartmentation and fire stopping so far as visible, detection/alarm and emergency lighting in the common parts, fire-fighting facilities, signage, and management arrangements.
- A sample of flat entrance doors, checked from the common-parts side.
- Every type includes examining a sample of flat entrance doors from the common-parts side, and — since the Fire Safety Act 2021 amended Article 6 of the RRFSO — the building’s structure and external walls are within scope even at Type 1 (legislation.gov.uk, Fire Safety Act 2021, s.1).
What this does not cover
- The inside of individual flats beyond the entrance door — means of escape and detection arrangements within dwellings are not assessed.
- Opening up of construction. Compartmentation and fire stopping are assessed only so far as visible without destructive inspection.
- Whether the building is a "higher-risk building" under the Building Safety Act 2022, or the wider Building Safety Act Part 4 safety-case duties that apply if it is — that is a separate, ongoing duty for the Accountable Person, not part of the FRA itself.
When a higher type would be warranted
From here, a Type 3/4 (looking inside a sample of flats) would be warranted if you develop a specific concern about escape or detection arrangements within the dwellings, or if the block’s alteration history is unrecorded or suggests widespread unauthorised works — provided the flats are accessible (this is not usually possible for long-leasehold flats); and a Type 2/4 (destructive opening-up) would be warranted if you obtain specific evidence or a professional opinion of a structural or compartmentation deficiency, and you are willing to commission a contractor to open up and make good — age or an unknown history alone is not, by itself, enough.
Why this recommendation
- No reason was flagged to look beyond the common parts, and no reason to suspect a structural deficiency — the baseline Type 1 assessment is normally sufficient for most purpose-built blocks of flats ("Unless there is reason to expect serious deficiencies in structural fire protection... a Type 1 inspection will normally be sufficient for most blocks of purpose-built flats").
This tool gives general guidance, not professional advice — commission a qualified assessment for your building.
Sources
The Type 1-4 classification and its scope originate in the gov.uk-hosted “Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats” guide, carried forward into the current standard for housing fire risk assessments, BS 9792:2025 (successor to PAS 79-2:2020); commercial premises are assessed under PAS 79-1:2020 instead. The underlying legal duty is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, with its Article 6 scope over structure, external walls and flat entrance doors confirmed by the Fire Safety Act 2021, section 1. For buildings 18m/7 storeys or more with two or more residential units, the FRA sits alongside the wider Building Safety Act 2022, Part 4 safety-case regime — this tool does not assess that status.
For the fuller picture behind this tool's logic, read Type 1, 2, 3 or 4: which fire risk assessment does your building need?
Ready for the actual assessment?
We agree the type before we start, based on the building, its history and any concerns you already have about what is behind the surfaces.