Proposed scheme or developing design
A design fire strategy is developed with the proposed scheme and records the fire-safety design basis, coordinated provisions and assumptions for the project team to carry forward.
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Fire Strategy for UK Building Projects
A written fire strategy your design team and reviewers can follow.
Scoped
written quotation against a defined scope
Coordinated
developed with the design team information provided
Documented
assumptions, limitations and provisions recorded
What is a fire strategy?
A fire strategy is a written document that explains how fire safety is intended to work in a specific building or project. It records the design basis and assumptions, the escape and evacuation principles, how fire spread is limited internally and externally, how detection, alarm, suppression and smoke-control systems interface, the basis for structural fire resistance, and the access and facilities intended for the fire and rescue service.
The document route and guidance used depend on jurisdiction. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different statutory and guidance routes: Approved Document B applies to England, with separate guidance in Wales, Scotland (Technical Handbooks) and Northern Ireland (Technical Booklet E). Building Safety Act 2022 and Building Safety Regulator Gateway duties apply to higher-risk buildings in England. The applicable design route and standards, including whether BS 9991 or BS 9999 is used, are agreed for each project based on jurisdiction, building type, project stage and scope.
A fire strategy is not a fire risk assessment. A fire risk assessment addresses duties for a building in use; a fire strategy sets out the fire-safety design basis for a project or an existing building's design intent.
Choose the strategy instruction that matches the building
Existing building with a missing design basis
A retrospective fire strategy reconstructs the existing building's fire-safety basis from available records, surveys and observed conditions, with unresolved evidence recorded as gaps rather than approval.
Explore retrospective fire strategyWhen this service is useful
Fire-safety decisions are easier to resolve while the design can still change.
A fire strategy report that sets out the fire-safety basis of the design for a specific project: the assumptions, the design route agreed for the applicable jurisdiction, and the provisions the design team and dutyholders need to carry through. It supports design development and regulatory review; it does not grant or guarantee approval.
Primary outcome
A written fire strategy report, scoped to the project stage, jurisdiction and building use, with assumptions and limitations recorded.
New build project requiring a fire-safety design basis
Extension or alteration to an existing building
Refurbishment where fire-safety provisions change
Change of use altering occupancy, escape or risk profile
Planning or building-control comments to be addressed
Review or update of an existing fire strategy
What you receive
Clear outputs you can act on.
Typical outputs for this service are listed below. The exact format — report, review notes, survey record or technical position — is confirmed in the agreed appointment, and each records the information supplied, the assumptions used and the limitations that apply.
Strategy basis, assumptions and limitations
Means of escape and evacuation principles
Compartmentation and internal fire spread provisions
External fire spread considerations
Detection, alarm, suppression and smoke-control interfaces
Structural fire resistance basis
Fire service access and facilities
Management and hand-over information
Comment and action schedule where review comments exist
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 01
Scope defined first
Jurisdiction, building use, project stage and the intended approval route are established before a fee is quoted, so the deliverable matches the project.
Scope point 02
Coordinated with the design
The strategy is developed against the drawings and information provided, and interfaces with architecture, structure and building services are set out explicitly.
Scope point 03
Documented assumptions
Assumptions, limitations and the information relied upon are recorded in the report so the design team and dutyholders can see what the strategy depends on.
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 project stage, jurisdiction, building use, height and intended approval route, and agree the scope in writing.
02
Review information
We review the drawings, existing reports and any reviewer comments supplied, and identify information gaps.
03
Develop the strategy
We set out escape, compartmentation, external spread, systems interfaces, structural fire resistance basis and fire service provisions for the agreed design route.
04
Issue the report
We issue the written fire strategy report with assumptions, limitations and the provisions the design team needs to carry through.
05
Review comments
Responses to review comments, revisions and further design stages are handled as separately scoped work.
How the evidence becomes a written output
A simplified view of the sequence described above. The actual steps, inputs and outputs are confirmed in the written scope for your project.
Recorded basis
A scoped, documented strategy process
The project stage, jurisdiction, building use, drawings and intended approval route are defined before a quotation is issued.
Scope before fee
Assumptions and limitations recorded
Written report issued
Result
The report records the fire-safety design basis for the project; outcomes and approval decisions remain with the relevant dutyholders and authorities.
Related project records
Explore the scope recorded for each project.
Prepare your project brief
What we need from you to scope the work.
Fire Strategy for UK Building Projects
Use this as a checklist before you ask for a quotation. Tick what you hold; unknown items can be listed as unknown. Nothing here is saved.
Longer preparation aid: Fire strategy project-information checklist (free, no signup).
Scope boundaries
What this service does not include.
- Scope and design route depend on jurisdiction, building type, project stage and the evidence available.
- The report supports design and regulatory review; it does not constitute building-control or Building Safety Regulator approval, does not guarantee approval, and does not replace the duties of clients, designers, contractors or other dutyholders.
- It is not a fire risk assessment, FRAEW/PAS 9980 assessment, EWS1 form, fire-door inspection, installation certificate or fire-safety management plan unless those are separately scoped.
- CFD, evacuation or structural-fire modelling is included only where separately scoped and technically justified.
- Compliance outcomes depend on the design being built and managed in line with the recorded assumptions.
- Fees and programme are confirmed in a written quotation once the scope is agreed.
- The building types listed as suitable describe the scope of work the service covers; they are not a record of completed projects.
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.
- New build residential developments
- Offices and workplaces
- Retail and mixed-use schemes
- Hospitality and leisure buildings
- Education buildings and student accommodation
- Care, supported and sheltered housing
- Healthcare and clinical premises
- Industrial, warehouse and logistics buildings
- Refurbishment and change-of-use projects
Client needs
How this service supports project and building teams.
- Architects
- A coordinated fire-safety design basis that can inform layouts, specifications and design decisions.
- Developers
- A documented strategy aligned with the project stage, jurisdiction and intended review route.
- Building engineers and surveyors
- Clear assumptions, interfaces and provisions to coordinate across disciplines.
- Housing associations and property managers
- A usable strategy for refurbishment, change of use or review of an existing strategy.
Questions about this service
What is a fire strategy?
A written document setting out the fire-safety basis of a specific building or project: the assumptions relied on, escape and evacuation principles, internal and external fire spread provisions, systems interfaces, structural fire resistance basis, fire service access and the management information needed.
When should a fire strategy be commissioned?
As early as the design allows, typically at concept or planning stage, and again when the design, use or occupancy changes. Early input means fire-safety provisions can shape layout and systems rather than be retrofitted into a fixed design.
Is a fire strategy legally required?
It depends on jurisdiction, project type and building. There is no single UK requirement for a document with that title. In practice a fire strategy is commonly used to demonstrate how the fire-safety requirements of the building regulations for the relevant jurisdiction are addressed, and to support planning, building-control or regulator review. Whether one is needed, and in what form, is confirmed for each project.
How is a fire strategy different from a fire risk assessment?
A fire strategy sets out the fire-safety design basis of a project or building. A fire risk assessment addresses the duties of the Responsible Person for a building in use under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021, which applies to premises in England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own separate operational fire-safety regimes. They are separate deliverables with different purposes.
What information is needed for a quotation?
Site address and jurisdiction, building use and occupancy, height and storeys, project stage, available drawings, any existing strategy or reports, the proposed changes, any known reviewer comments, and the programme you need to work to.
Can an existing fire strategy be reviewed or updated?
Yes. An existing strategy can be reviewed against the current design, use and applicable guidance, and updated or reissued where the scope for that work is agreed.
Is CFD modelling always required?
No. Modelling is only included where it is separately scoped and technically justified, for example where the design departs from the guidance route and quantitative evidence is needed.
Does the report guarantee approval?
No. The report supports design development and regulatory review. Approval decisions rest with the relevant authority, and the duties of clients, designers, contractors and other dutyholders are unchanged.
Does the same guidance apply across the whole UK?
No. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different statutory and guidance routes. Approved Document B applies to England; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use their own guidance. Building Safety Act 2022 and Building Safety Regulator Gateway duties apply to higher-risk buildings in England.
Request a written scope
Request a scoped fire strategy quotation
Send the drawings, the building use, the jurisdiction, the project stage and the programme you need to work to. We will confirm the scope required for a written quotation.
Related reading
- Planning Gateway One fire statements — the planning-stage document prepared for in-scope developments in England
- Retrospective fire strategy — the separate existing-building route where the historic design basis must be reconstructed
Related services
Other scoped services often considered with Fire Strategy.
Use these links when the building question also involves design strategy, operational risk, regulatory route mapping or evidence coordination.
Existing-building design basis
Retrospective Fire Strategy
Evidence-based retrospective fire strategies for existing UK buildings where the design basis is missing, fragmented or outdated. Request a scoped review.
Explore Retrospective Fire StrategySmoke, heat and evacuation analysis
Fire & Smoke Modelling
Computational fire, smoke and evacuation modelling for UK buildings. Send the drawings, the design question and the project stage for a scoped quotation.
Explore Fire & Smoke ModellingRegulatory route-finding
Legislative Consultancy
Fire-safety regulatory route mapping for UK projects: applicable duties, evidence gaps and dutyholder responsibilities. Send the project details for a scoped review.
Explore Legislative Consultancy