Fire Door SurveysDefect-Logged, Photo-EvidencedLondon, Kent, Sussex & Surrey
Get a fire door survey report you can act on — every door inspected against certified doorset criteria, defects photographed, remedials prioritised — delivered by a BM TRADA third-party certified specialist across London and the South East.
5 years' passive fire experience. Every door photographed and prioritised.
What this service is — and when you need it.
Door-by-door survey of fire doorsets against certified criteria — perimeter gaps, seals, hinges, closers, glazing, ironmongery, signage and identification — with photo evidence and a prioritised remedial action list.
HRB duty holders, housing associations, healthcare estates, commercial premises managers, and duty holders needing a baseline before an FRA re-inspection.
Before FRA re-inspection, at the start of a maintenance contract, after a change of managing agent, on acquisition of new stock, or on the statutory quarterly/annual cycle for HRB communal and flat entrance doors.
A general inspection ticks that the door exists. A certified specialist survey identifies why it will fail at re-inspection — and what has to be done, in what order, to close each defect down.
The consequence of leaving it.
- Surveying by non-specialists produces reports that miss the defects the FRA assessor will find — you pay for a survey and still fail the inspection.
- Missing defects are not repaired, and compartmentation is silently compromised.
- Without prioritised, evidenced defects the maintenance budget goes on the wrong doors.
What we see go wrong.
- Surveying without a door numbering / asset register — the report can't be actioned door-by-door.
- Recording defects as free text with no photo — the remedial contractor can't scope the work.
- Grading every defect as high priority — the maintenance programme becomes impossible to sequence.
- Surveying without checking closer force and seal condition — the two most commonly failed criteria.
A step-by-step system, from survey to handover.
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Step 1Asset register set-up
Where no numbering exists, we recommend and help set up a door reference schema — best done before the survey so numbering is consistent for future inspections.
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Step 2Door-by-door inspection
Each door inspected against certified doorset criteria — gaps, seals, hinges, closer, glazing, ironmongery, signage, identification.
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Step 3Photo evidence per door
A defined photo set per door, including any defects, referenced back to the door number.
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Step 4Prioritised defect log
Defects classified by severity and dependency so the remedial programme can be sequenced sensibly.
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Step 5Report delivery
Report formatted for the FRA lead, duty holder and remedial contractor — with an action list that can be priced without further site visits.
Specific outcomes, not vague promises.
Each defect is scoped so a remedial contractor can price and programme directly from the report.
Every door and every defect photographed and referenced.
Consistent numbering and format so year-on-year change is visible.
Written for the FRA lead — no re-formatting required to feed the action list.
Defects graded so the maintenance budget goes to the highest-risk doors first.
Inspection by a BM TRADA third-party certified assessor, not a general inspector.
Materials, methods and where each applies.
The technical detail behind how fire door surveys is scoped, specified and installed to certified detail.
What a certified doorset inspection covers
Gaps at head, jamb and threshold checked with feeler gauges against the certification tolerance. Intumescent and cold-smoke seals inspected for continuity, damage, over-painting and correct profile. Hinges checked for count, size, damage and secure fixing. Closers checked for force rating and full-swing action. Glazing packs inspected for cracks, correct beads and intumescent seals. Ironmongery checked against the certified schedule where identifiable.
Asset registers and door numbering
The single biggest determinant of a useful survey is a stable door numbering system. Where one exists, we survey to it; where it doesn't, we recommend a numbering approach and can set the register up before survey. Numbering is best done ahead of survey so the survey itself becomes the baseline for future inspections.
Flat entrance vs communal vs plant/service doors
Flat entrance doors carry statutory annual inspection duties for HRBs; communal doors are quarterly. Plant and service doors are usually inspected on the FRA cycle. Each category has slightly different criteria — closer force expectations, self-closing behaviour and signage requirements vary.
Reporting format and integration with your FRA
Reports are structured so each defect line becomes an FRA action line. Priority grading follows FRA convention so the two documents overlay without re-work.
What we do not offer
The survey report is a document of inspection findings. It is not a certificate of compliance and does not warrant future performance of the doorsets — no reputable inspector offers that. What it does is give you an evidenced snapshot and an actionable remedial list.
Straight answers on cost, timing and process.
How much does a fire door survey cost?+
Priced per door, with volume discount on larger stocks. Send the door count and address list and you'll get a fixed fee.
How long does a survey take?+
A hundred flat entrance doors in an occupied block is typically two to three surveying days, plus report time.
Do you provide an asset register with door numbers?+
Where a register exists, we survey to it. Where none exists, we recommend a numbering approach and help set it up before survey — best done ahead of survey so numbering is consistent for future inspections.
How often should fire door surveys be carried out?+
For HRBs, quarterly communal and annual flat entrance inspections are statutory. Other building types typically follow the FRA cycle or the risk-assessor's recommended frequency.
Can you carry out remedials from the survey?+
Yes — same team, so you don't pay for a second survey when the remedial contractor turns up.
Do you survey in occupied residential buildings?+
Yes — most of the survey work is in occupied blocks. Access is arranged in phases with the managing agent or duty holder.
Is a fire door survey the same as an FRA?+
No — the FRA is the wider risk assessment. A fire door survey is a specialist sub-set focused on the doorsets themselves; the two are complementary.
Do you provide a guarantee with the survey?+
The report is an evidenced inspection snapshot at the date of survey. It is not a certificate of compliance and does not warrant future doorset performance.
Which areas do you cover?+
London, Kent, Sussex, Surrey and surrounding boroughs including Croydon, Sutton, Bromley, Sevenoaks and Crawley.
Get a fixed quotation for fire door surveys.
Send the FRA action list, drawings or a short scope description. You'll speak to Michael directly — not a call centre — and get a scoped, priced programme back.
Ready to scope your fire door surveys works?
Send the FRA or a short brief. You'll get a priced, evidenced programme back — not a template quotation.