Scope point 01
Inventory agreed first
The door inventory or sample, the areas covered and the access route are agreed in writing before any inspection, so the report covers a defined population rather than an undefined one.
← ServicesFIRE DOOR INSPECTION · LONDON & UK
Fire Door Inspection for UK Buildings
A documented fire door condition review you can act on.
Scoped
written quotation against an agreed inventory or sample
Documented
observations, evidence relied upon and limitations recorded
Prioritised
actions ordered so decisions can be made
What does a fire door inspection examine?
A fire door inspection is a visual, non-destructive condition review of door assemblies in their installed position. Each door in the agreed inventory or sample is examined and recorded: the door leaf and its condition, the frame and its fixing where visible, the gaps around the leaf and at the threshold, intumescent and smoke seals, any glazing and its beading or liners, hinges, latches, locks and other ironmongery, self-closing devices and hold-open or free-swing devices where fitted, and signage where applicable.
Findings are assessed against the information available for the building: the fire strategy or fire risk assessment where one exists, any door schedule, manufacturer or test evidence, and installation or maintenance records, together with applicable guidance for the relevant jurisdiction. Where that evidence is not available, the gap is recorded as a limitation on the inspection rather than assumed or inferred.
A condition inspection is not a certification exercise. It does not certify the original fire-resistance performance of a door, the quality of its installation, or legal compliance of the building. Statutory duties and remediation decisions remain with the client, Responsible Person or dutyholder.
When this service is useful
Fire doors are the passive protection most easily degraded by daily use, alterations and unrecorded replacements.
A documented condition review against an agreed door inventory or sample, with observations, limitations and prioritised actions recorded.
Primary outcome
A written fire door inspection report covering the agreed inventory or sample, with door-by-door observations, recorded limitations and prioritised actions.
Fire risk assessment actions referring to fire doors
Multi-occupied residential building with communal and flat entrance doors
No door inventory, door schedule or inspection record exists
Doors altered, replaced or repaired without records
Change of managing agent, owner or facilities provider
Insurer, lender, tenant or enforcement questions about passive protection
Refurbishment or fit-out affecting compartmentation
Estate-wide need for consistent door reporting
What your report includes
Written outputs depend on the agreed scope.
The report records the information supplied, the assumptions used, the limitations that apply and the actions or technical position within the agreed service scope.
Agreed door inventory or defined sample, with unique door references
Door-by-door findings against the agreed scope
Condition and defect observations for leaf, frame, gaps, seals, glazing, ironmongery, self-closing and signage where applicable
Photographs where agreed and lawful to take
Access and evidence limitations recorded explicitly
Prioritised action schedule for the observations raised
Executive summary for owners, boards and estate teams
How we scope and coordinate the work
The service is defined before the fee is quoted.
The scope is set from the building facts, drawings, jurisdiction, project stage and the question the written output needs to answer.
Scope point 02
Evidence relied upon is stated
The report records which strategy, schedule, manufacturer, test, installation and maintenance information was available, and what could not be verified from it.
Scope point 03
Limitations are part of the deliverable
Doors not accessed, evidence not supplied and elements not visible without opening-up are listed explicitly instead of being silently omitted.
From enquiry to written report
A clear sequence from information request to issued output.
Every stage records what has been supplied, what remains open and what the report can and cannot conclude.
01
Scope and jurisdiction
We confirm the jurisdiction, building type, storeys and top-storey height, whether communal doors only or flat entrance doors as well are in scope, and whether a full inventory or an agreed sample is being inspected.
02
Records review
We review the fire strategy or fire risk assessment, any door schedule, manufacturer or test evidence and installation and maintenance records supplied, and identify the evidence gaps.
03
Site inspection
We carry out the visual, non-destructive inspection of the agreed doors, recording each door against its reference with photographs where agreed and lawful.
04
Report and prioritise
We issue the written report with door-by-door observations, the evidence relied upon, the access and evidence limitations, and a prioritised action schedule.
05
Follow-on work
Re-inspection, intrusive investigation, remedial specification or an expanded inventory are handled as separately scoped work.
Recorded basis
A scoped, documented inspection process
The jurisdiction, building type, door population, access arrangements and available records are defined before a quotation is issued.
Inventory or sample agreed before fee
Evidence relied upon recorded
Limitations and prioritised actions written into the report
Result
The report records observations, limitations and action priorities for the agreed doors; remediation decisions and statutory duties remain with the client, Responsible Person or dutyholder.
Information needed for a quotation
What we need from you to scope the work.
- Building address and jurisdiction (England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland)
- Building use and whether it is multi-occupied residential, commercial or mixed-use
- Number of storeys and the approximate height of the top storey above ground level
- Door count, or the areas to be covered if a sample is preferred
- Whether communal doors only, or flat entrance doors as well, are in scope
- Any existing door schedule, door inventory or previous inspection reports
- Available manufacturer, test, certification or installation evidence for the doors
- Maintenance, repair and replacement records
- Access arrangements, including how internal flat entrance door access will be arranged
- The programme you need to work to, as an input to scoping
Scope boundaries
What this service does not include.
- Applicable duties, guidance and terminology vary across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; the jurisdiction is confirmed before the scope is set.
- The inspection is visual and non-destructive unless intrusive investigation is separately agreed in writing.
- The scope states whether it covers a full door inventory or an agreed sample; anything outside that scope is not inspected.
- Findings are assessed against the fire strategy, door schedule, manufacturer or test evidence, installation and maintenance records and applicable guidance made available; where evidence is absent it is reported as a limitation and not assumed.
- A condition inspection does not certify a door's original fire-resistance performance, its installation, or the legal compliance of the building.
- Repairs, replacement, destructive opening-up, product testing and installation certification are excluded unless separately contracted.
- The client, Responsible Person or dutyholder retains all statutory duties and all remediation decisions.
- Fees and programme are confirmed in a written quotation only after door count, access, records, jurisdiction and scope are reviewed.
Suitable scope examples
Buildings and uses this service scope suits.
These are examples of building types, uses and project contexts for which this service scope is suitable. They are scope examples, not a client list or a record of completed instructions.
- Multi-occupied residential buildings with communal corridors and stairs
- Blocks with flat entrance doors onto communal escape routes
- Offices and workplaces
- Retail units and mixed-use developments
- Hospitality, hotels and student accommodation
- Care, sheltered and supported housing
- Healthcare and clinical premises
- Education buildings
- Industrial, warehouse and logistics buildings
Client needs
How this service supports project and building teams.
- Housing associations and property management companies
- A door-by-door condition record with access limits and prioritised actions.
- Building engineers and surveyors
- A defined inventory or sample and evidence record for maintenance or remediation planning.
- Insurance companies
- Documented observations and limitations to support their own risk review.
Questions about this service
What is a fire door inspection?
A visual, non-destructive condition review of door assemblies in their installed position, covering the leaf, frame, gaps, seals, glazing, ironmongery, self-closing devices and signage where applicable, recorded door by door against an agreed inventory or sample.
How often must fire doors be checked?
There is no single UK-wide statutory inspection frequency for all buildings. In England, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require the Responsible Person for multi-occupied residential buildings where the top storey is more than 11m above ground level to ensure quarterly checks of communal fire doors, and to use best endeavours to check flat entrance fire doors at intervals not exceeding 12 months. Those specific frequencies apply to those buildings in England; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regimes, and the appropriate frequency for other building types is set through the fire risk assessment and the maintenance arrangements for the premises.
Does the inspection cover flat entrance doors as well as communal doors?
That is a scope decision confirmed before the inspection. Flat entrance doors sit inside individual dwellings, so access has to be arranged with residents; the report records which doors were in scope and which could not be accessed.
Is the inspection intrusive?
No. The inspection is visual and non-destructive. Concealed elements such as frame fixings, cavity detailing or the internal construction of a leaf cannot be verified without opening-up, which is only carried out where separately agreed in writing.
Do you inspect every door or a sample?
Either, provided it is agreed in writing first. The report states clearly whether it covers a full door inventory or a defined sample, and a sample cannot be read as a statement about doors that were not inspected.
What happens if there are no records for the doors?
Missing manufacturer, test, installation or maintenance evidence is recorded as a limitation on the inspection. We do not infer or assume a door's original fire-resistance performance where the evidence for it has not been supplied.
Does the report certify that the doors are compliant?
No. A condition inspection does not certify a door's original fire-resistance performance, its installation, or the legal compliance of the building. It records observations, limitations and prioritised actions; the statutory duties and remediation decisions remain with the client, Responsible Person or dutyholder.
Do you carry out the remedial work?
No. Repairs, replacement, destructive opening-up, product testing and installation certification are outside this service unless separately contracted. The report sets out the observations and priorities so the work can be scoped and instructed.
How does this relate to a fire risk assessment?
A fire risk assessment addresses fire safety for the premises as a whole and commonly raises fire door actions. A fire door inspection is the detailed, door-by-door condition review that supports those actions. They are separate deliverables and are scoped separately.
What do you need to provide a quotation?
The building address and jurisdiction, the building use and type, the storeys and approximate top-storey height, the door count or areas to be covered, whether flat entrance doors are in scope, any door schedule and available records, the access arrangements and the programme you need to work to.
Request a written scope
Request a scoped fire door inspection quotation
Send the building address, the jurisdiction, the door count or the areas to be covered, whether flat entrance doors are in scope, and any records you hold. We will confirm the scope required for a written quotation.
Related services
Other scoped services often considered with Fire Door Inspection.
Use these links when the building question also involves design strategy, operational risk, regulatory route mapping or evidence coordination.
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Safety Management
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Fire Strategy
Fire strategy reports for new builds, refurbishments and changes of use across the UK. Send drawings and project details for a scoped quotation.
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