BS 8214:2016 • FDIS-Qualified Reports

Fire Door Inspections
for Compliance & Safety

Ensure your fire doors are fully compliant and protecting occupants. FDIS-qualified reports, trade-experienced inspectors, fast turnaround.

FDIS Qualified Reports
BS 8214 Compliant
100% Fully Insured
Multi-Site Capability

Legal Requirement: The Fire Safety Act 2021 requires regular inspection of fire doors in communal areas of multi-occupied residential buildings. Non-compliance can result in enforcement action, unlimited fines, and criminal prosecution. Is your building compliant? →

What Is a Fire Door Inspection?

A fire door is a life-safety system. It is not just a door — it is an engineered assembly of components designed to resist fire and smoke for a rated period, typically 30 or 60 minutes. Every component matters: the leaf, the frame, the seals, the ironmongery, the glazing, and the closer.

A fire door inspection is a systematic assessment of each fire door as a complete assembly against BS 8214:2016 and current legislation including the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Building Safety Act 2022. The inspection identifies defects, non-compliance, and damage that could cause the door to fail in a fire.

Under the Fire Safety Act 2021, responsible persons must ensure fire doors in communal areas of multi-occupied residential buildings are inspected regularly. For non-domestic premises, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires all fire safety measures — including fire doors — to be maintained in good working order.

What We Check on Every Fire Door

Each fire door is assessed as a complete assembly. Every component is inspected, measured, and documented.

Door Leaf Condition

Damage, delamination, warping, holes, splits, and any repairs that may have compromised the fire rating.

Door Gaps

Leaf to frame (maximum 3mm), threshold (maximum 8mm with threshold seal, or 3mm without). Measured at multiple points.

Intumescent Strips & Smoke Seals

Present, intact, correctly fitted, and appropriate for the door rating. Both intumescent and cold smoke seals checked.

Hinges

Correct grade (CE marked), correct quantity (minimum 3 for FD30), condition, fixings secure and complete.

Door Closer

Fitted, functioning correctly, closes the door fully into the frame from any position. Correct type for the door weight and size.

Locks & Latches

Correct type for the application, operating correctly, latch engaging fully, strike plate aligned.

Glazing

Correct fire-rated glass, glazing beads intact, intumescent glazing seals present, no cracks or damage.

Signage

Mandatory “Fire Door Keep Shut” or “Fire Door Keep Locked” signage present, legible, and correctly positioned.

Frame Condition

Fixings secure, no gaps between frame and wall, no damage or deterioration that could compromise integrity.

Threshold Seals

Automatic drop seals where fitted — operating correctly, sealing fully when the door closes.

Issues We Commonly Find

Fire doors fail for predictable reasons. Here are the defects we find most frequently.

  • Gaps too large — exceeding 3mm leaf-to-frame or 8mm at threshold
  • Missing or damaged intumescent strips — incorrectly fitted, painted over, or absent entirely
  • Door closers faulty or missing — door not closing fully, closer misadjusted, or removed
  • Incorrect hinge type — wrong grade, insufficient quantity, or missing fixings
  • Physical damage — holes, splits, delamination, or unauthorised modifications
  • Poor original installation — incorrect gaps from day one, wrong products used

Important: Most buildings we inspect contain multiple non-compliant fire doors. A single failed fire door can compromise an entire compartment line — allowing fire and smoke to spread unchecked.

Who Can Inspect a Fire Door?

Under UK law, fire door inspections must be carried out by a “competent person” — someone with sufficient knowledge, training, and experience to identify defects and assess compliance. There is no single mandatory qualification required by legislation.

In practice, competence requires a deep understanding of the relevant standards (BS 8214, Approved Document B), construction methods, fire door assembly requirements, and the ability to identify what compliance looks like — and what failure looks like.

While anyone technically competent can inspect, fire doors are highly technical assemblies where seemingly minor defects can cause catastrophic failure in a fire. This is why practical trade experience matters.

Trade Experience Meets Formal Qualifications

Our inspectors are qualified carpenters and firestoppers. They’ve installed, adjusted, and repaired hundreds of fire doors. They know what good looks like and what failure looks like — because they’ve built and fixed both.

NVQ-Qualified Tradespeople Practical construction qualifications with hands-on trade experience.
FDIS-Qualified Reporting All reports produced and signed off by an FDIS-qualified professional.
Fully Insured Professional indemnity and public liability insurance in place.
Inspection & Remediation We don’t just identify issues — we know how to fix them.

What Our Report Includes

Every inspection produces a comprehensive, audit-ready report designed for decision-makers, compliance officers, and external auditors.

  • Full Door Schedule Every door numbered, located, and individually assessed.
  • Pass / Fail Per Door Immediate clarity on which doors are compliant and which need action.
  • Photographic Evidence Every defect documented with high-resolution photographs.
  • Severity Ratings Critical, major, and minor — so you can prioritise remedial spend.
  • Remedial Recommendations Prioritised actions with clear descriptions of what needs fixing and why.

Suitable for submission to responsible persons, housing associations, local authorities, and insurance providers.

Inspection Report — Sample
Element Fire Door FD-001
Location Ground Floor — Corridor B
Status FAIL
Severity HIGH
Defects Found:
  • Intumescent strip missing — hinge side (full length)
  • Door closer — failing to latch on release
  • Gap exceeds 3mm — lock side, mid-rail
Action Replace intumescent strip, adjust closer, assess frame alignment

What You Need to Provide

To carry out a thorough inspection, we need the following from you on the day.

Site access and a contact on the day
Keys, fobs, or access codes
Floor plans or door schedules (if available — not essential)
Fire strategy drawings (if available)

Fire Door Inspection FAQ

A full assessment of every fire door as a complete assembly against BS 8214 and current legislation. We check the door leaf, gaps, intumescent strips, smoke seals, hinges, door closer, locks, glazing, signage, frame condition, and threshold seals. Every defect is photographed and documented.

Under the Fire Safety Act 2021, front entrance doors to individual flats should be inspected at least every 3 months (quarterly). All other communal fire doors should be inspected at least every 12 months (annually). BS 8214 recommends frequency based on usage and risk — high-traffic doors may need more frequent inspection. Read our full guide →

A full door schedule with pass/fail status per door, photographs of every defect, categorised defect descriptions with severity ratings (critical, major, minor), and prioritised remedial recommendations. The report is audit-ready and suitable for submission to stakeholders, regulators, and insurers.

Approximately 10–15 minutes per door depending on accessibility and condition. For a building with 50 fire doors, you can expect around 1–2 days on site. We work around your building’s schedule to minimise disruption.

Yes. Our inspectors are qualified carpenters and firestoppers. We scope and deliver remedial works directly, so issues can be resolved without the need to manage a separate contractor. Remedial works are quoted separately based on the inspection findings.

We offer competitive per-door pricing. Use our instant quote calculator for an estimate, or contact us for a formal quote. Multi-site and volume discounts are available.

We cover Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, London, and the wider South East. For larger multi-site programmes, we can cover a wider geography — get in touch to discuss.

While We’re on Site, We Can Also…

Maximise the value of our visit. These services can be added to any fire door inspection.

Compartmentation survey Check all penetrations and fire stopping in the building.
Final exit door inspection Check ironmongery, panic hardware, and compliance.
Fire signage audit Ensure all mandatory signage is present and legible.
Fire evacuation plan review Quick assessment of your evacuation procedures.
Fire risk assessment support Supporting evidence for your fire risk assessment.
Ongoing compliance contract Scheduled inspections on a rolling basis.

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Coverage Bucks, South East & London

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