Fire door inspections before small defects become larger problems

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, any non-domestic premises, including the common parts of residential buildings, must have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. The responsible person (typically the employer, building owner, or managing agent) is legally obligated to commission and maintain it. Failure to do so can result in enforcement notices, unlimited fines, and in serious cases, prosecution.

The Type classification refers to the scope and intrusiveness of the assessment. Type 1 is the most common, a non-destructive inspection of common parts and accessible areas. Type 2 involves destructive inspection (opening up walls or floors to check compartmentation). Types 3 and 4 extend the scope to include individual flats or dwellings, with Type 4 also including destructive sampling. Your assessor will recommend the appropriate type based on your building’s age, construction and risk profile.

The law requires a review whenever there is a reason to believe the current assessment may no longer be valid, for example, a change in use, refurbishment, change of occupancy, or following an incident. In practice, most responsible persons review annually. High-risk premises, HMOs and residential blocks should typically review every 12 months as a minimum.

The physical site inspection typically takes between one and four hours depending on the size and complexity of the building. A small single-floor office may take 60–90 minutes; a multi-storey residential block may require a full day. The written report is delivered within 24 hours of the site visit as standard.

Insurers typically look for clear evidence that fire doors have been inspected, defects identified and appropriate actions documented. ClearFire inspections provide photographic records, door-by-door findings and remedial recommendations that can be retained as part of your fire safety documentation and shared when evidence is requested.

ClearFire currently covers Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, with all site visits carried out by owners Kevin Bonnar & Jon Sheaf. If your premises fall just outside these counties, contact us. We do occasionally travel further for larger portfolios or complex assessments.

We price by building type and complexity rather than square footage. Most standard commercial and residential assessments fall between £350 and £900. Multi-site programmes and complex residential blocks are priced on application. We provide a fixed quote before any work begins. No surprises on the invoice.