A practical guide to checks, rules and records in fire door inspection
That fire door might look fine at a glance. But will it close properly when someone lets go of it? Has a damaged seal been overlooked? Did a replacement lock leave a hole that nobody repaired?
These are the kinds of everyday problems that fire door checks are designed to catch. Left unresolved, they can undermine a door’s ability to hold back fire and smoke. A shocking three in four fire doors fail inspection.
For building managers, responsible persons and inspection teams, the job has three main parts – understanding which checks are needed, recognising when specialist advice is required and ensuring someone acts on the findings.
What is a fire door inspection?
A fire door inspection looks at the door and the components that help it do its job – the frame, hinges, glazing, seals, closer and other fittings.
One important distinction is between a routine check and a more detailed assessment.
A routine check looks for obvious damage, wear and tear or changes that could stop a door working properly. Does it close fully? Are screws missing? Has someone damaged the frame or painted over the seals?
A specialist assessment goes even further and looks at whether the door and its installation provide suitable protection for that particular location. A visual check alone cannot prove that a door will resist fire for a stated period.
Government guidance makes this distinction clear. The routine checks required by the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 are intended to identify straightforward defects. They do not replace the assessment of fire door suitability that forms part of the building’s fire risk assessment.
Fire door regulations: what applies in England?
For blocks of flats, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as amended, requires suitable fire precautions to protect the common parts used for escape. The fire risk assessment should identify which doors need to resist fire and smoke, and whether they provide adequate protection.
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 add specific requirements for resident information and, in taller blocks, routine fire door checks. They came into force on 23 January 2023.
How often do fire doors need checking?
In blocks of flats where the top storey is more than 11 metres above ground level, the responsible person is obliged to check fire doors in communal areas at least every three months and use their best endeavours to check flat entrance fire doors at least every 12 months.
In this context, best endeavours means taking practical steps to arrange access, rather than simply sending one appointment letter and leaving it at that. Government guidance suggests agreeing visits with residents and offering a range of times. It’s essential to keep a record of the steps taken to check flat entrance doors, including cases where access was not granted.
What about buildings below 11 metres?
The specific quarterly and annual checking requirements do not apply to these shorter blocks. However, this does not negate the wider duty to keep fire doors in good working order.
There is also a resident-information requirement which applies regardless of a block’s height. In blocks covered by Regulation 10, residents must be told to keep fire doors shut when not in use, to avoid tampering with self-closing devices and report faults or damage. Moreover, this information must be provided to new residents as soon as reasonably practicable and repeated at intervals of no more than 12 months.
These regulations apply to England. Buildings elsewhere in the UK need to be managed under the relevant national requirements.
Is a six-monthly inspection compulsory?
There is no single six-monthly rule covering every fire door.
The correct inspection and maintenance arrangements depend on the building, its fire risk assessment and how the doors are used within the building. For example, a busy corridor door might develop damage between scheduled visits.
For blocks within the height threshold, the quarterly communal-door checks and best-endeavours annual flat entrance checks are specific legal requirements. These should sit within the building’s wider fire safety arrangements, rather than replace them.
Do older fire doors need replacing?
Not automatically. An older flat entrance door doesn’t have to be replaced simply because it lacks a modern certification label or does not meet today’s standards for new doors.
The government has updated its guidance partly to address this misunderstanding. It explains that a door which met the relevant standards when it was manufactured, or the block was built might still provide adequate protection, providing its condition and fit remain suitable. Missing certification, intumescent strips (passive fire safety seal) or smoke seals does not alone establish that an existing door is unfit for purpose.
However, this is not a reason to overlook damage or assume every older door is acceptable. The question is whether the door provides adequate protection for the risks within that specific building.
Where there is doubt about its construction, alterations or performance, seek competent advice through the fire risk assessment process. A missing label is one piece of information to consider, not a replacement decision on its own.
What should a fire door check cover?
A useful check follows a consistent process. It should also leave room to describe what is wrong, rather than relying entirely on tick boxes.
Government guidance identifies the following areas for routine checks:
The door and frame
Look for splits, holes, warping and other damage that could affect the door’s performance or prevent it fitting properly. Check for alterations, too. A new lock, letterbox or glazing panel may look tidy without being suitable for a fire door. If a resident has replaced a flat entrance door, the Responsible Person may need technical information confirming that the replacement is fire-resisting and has been installed by a competent person.
Hinges and fittings
Check for missing or loose screws and obvious defects in hinges and other hardware. Letterboxes should close properly rather than remain jammed open. Any newly fitted letterbox needs to be suitable for use in a fire-resisting door and installed appropriately.
Seals and strips
Where intumescent strips and smoke seals are fitted, check that they are undamaged and have not been painted over. Intumescent strips expand when exposed to heat to help seal gaps around the door. Smoke seals help restrict smoke movement. For existing doors, the absence of these components should be considered through the fire risk assessment, not treated as an automatic failure without context.
Gaps around the door
Excessive gaps can compromise the protection a fire door provides. For the routine checks described in its guidance, the government gives an industry benchmark of no more than 4mm between the door and frame, except at the bottom. The bottom gap should be as small as practicable while allowing the door to operate without catching on the floor. More detailed assessments should consider the requirements of the particular doorset.
The self-closing device
This is one of the most important checks. Where a door is required to self-close, it needs to close fully into its frame without someone helping it. Government guidance suggests testing it from both fully open and around 15 degrees open. In each case, the closer should overcome any resistance from a latch or friction with the floor. Some service cupboard and riser doors may be designed to remain locked shut rather than self-close, so the check needs to reflect the door’s intended use.
Glazing and panels
Look for damage to the glass and the surrounding glazing system, including any associated side or over panels. If glazing has been replaced and its suitability is unclear, refer the issue for competent assessment rather than assuming that intact glass provides adequate protection.
Who can carry out fire door checks?
Not every check needs a specialist inspector. Government guidance says that routine Regulation 10 checks should be simple, visual checks. With appropriate instruction, caretakers, housing officers, managing agents and maintenance staff should be able to carry them out. The key is knowing the limits of the role. Someone carrying out routine checks should know what to look for, how to record a problem and when to refer it.
Assessing an unfamiliar door setup, investigating an unsuitable alteration or deciding whether a door needs replacement requires different knowledge and experience. Repairs and replacements must be carried out by a competent contractor as soon as reasonably practicable.
What should you look for in a specialist inspector?
When appointing an inspector for a fire door inspection, ask about their training, relevant experience and the scope of the service.
Useful questions to ask before appointing someone to do a fire door inspection include:
- Have they assessed similar doors and buildings?
- What evidence will they use to support their findings?
- How will they explain uncertainty or limitations?
- Will the report distinguish between defects, further investigation and recommended repairs?
- How will completed remedial work be checked?
A detailed report should help you decide what happens next. A list of failures without clear locations, explanations or follow-up actions is much harder to use.
Common problems in everyday buildings
Fire door defects are not always dramatic. Often, the problem is something people have become used to seeing.
A communal door is wedged open
A door that is meant to close cannot provide its intended protection while someone has wedged it open. Where there is a genuine operational need to hold a door open, seek advice on a suitable arrangement. Government guidance describes magnetic hold-open devices linked to smoke detection, so that activation causes the door to close. It is also worth understanding why the wedge appeared. A recurring problem needs more than repeated reminders.
A flat entrance door no longer closes properly
The door might drag on a new floor covering, meet resistance at the latch or stop just short of the frame. That is why a quick glance is not enough. Testing the closer from different opening positions can reveal a fault that is not obvious when someone pulls the door shut behind them.
Refurbishment has changed the door
New glazing, replacement hardware and decorative work can affect a door’s condition or suitability. Record what has changed and seek the relevant evidence or specialist advice. Do not assume an alteration is acceptable because the door still opens and closes.
An older door has no label
Record the available information and refer any uncertainty through the fire risk assessment process. Don’t replace without checking first.
The government’s position makes it clear that the absence of certification does not, on its own, mean an existing flat entrance door is unsuitable.
What records do you need to keep?
A useful inspection record should make sense to someone who was not there.
It needs to show which door was checked, what was found and what happened afterwards. A practical record would usually include:
- A unique door reference and clear location
- The inspection date and the person who carried it out
- The scope of the check or assessment
- Findings and photographs
- Any limitations, including areas that could not be accessed
- Recommended actions and their priority
- Who is responsible for arranging the work
- Repair details and any follow-up check
For flat entrance checks under Regulation 10, keep the required record of access attempts as well as completed visits.
Avoid descriptions such as “door damaged” where more detail is available. Explain where the damage is and what needs attention.
Most importantly, keep the findings connected to any follow-up work. A completed fire door inspection report should be the start of resolving a defect, not the point at which it disappears into a folder.
How FireArrest helps manage fire door inspections
Keeping track of a few doors is one thing. Doing it across several buildings, with different inspectors and contractors involved, creates a different challenge. A photograph might sit on someone’s phone. The inspection form may be in an email. The floor plan may use a reference that does not match the repair list.
FireArrest brings forms, photographs, locations and project updates into one platform, helping your site team and office staff work from the same information. Its features include customisable forms, interactive floor plans, pin dropping and date- and time-stamped photographs.
Forms that fit your fire door inspection process
Your team needs a form that captures the information the job requires, without making inspectors work around an unsuitable template.
FireArrest’s customisable forms let teams build their own records. Used consistently, those forms help keep findings in a common format, making it easier to review work across inspectors and sites.
The form still needs to be designed carefully. Software can organise information, but it cannot decide whether the checks are appropriate or the conclusions are sound.
A clear location for each finding
“Second-floor corridor” may not be enough to help a contractor find the right door. With pin dropping, teams can locate findings on an interactive floor plan and keep the relevant records connected to that location. Time-stamped photographs add a record of what was captured on site.
That makes the information easier to use after the inspector has left, whether someone is planning repairs, reviewing progress or answering a client’s question.
Less information lost between site and office
FireArrest’s mobile app allows teams to record work on site. It also supports offline working, with changes syncing when a connection becomes available.
For teams moving through basements, stairwells and buildings with patchy reception, that means they can continue recording rather than relying on memory and writing everything up later.
What this looks like in practice
Red Risk Management previously used Word documents passed between its team and subcontractors by email. On projects involving thousands of passive fire protection items, keeping track of that exchange took time. The consultancy now uses FireArrest to support its process, with colour-coded pins showing progress and interactive PDF reports linking readers to individual digital records. Founder David Blyth says the change has made information easier to retrieve and reduced the risk of forms or assessments being missed in an email. The value is practical. There’s less time spent searching for information and a clearer view of what has been checked and what still needs attention.
Better records support better follow-up
A digital report does not make a door safe. The inspection needs to be appropriate, the findings need to be understood, and any necessary work needs to be completed.
What a well-organised system can do is make those steps easier to manage. FireArrest keeps photographs, forms, notes and updates connected, helping teams maintain a traceable record from inspection through to sign-off.
That record can contribute to the wider golden thread of building safety information. Its usefulness depends on the quality of what people put into it and how reliably they keep it up to date.
Fire door inspection FAQs
How often should fire doors be checked?
In blocks of flats in England where the top storey is more than 11 metres above ground level, communal fire doors must be checked at least every three months. The Responsible Person must use best endeavours to check flat entrance fire doors at least every 12 months. Other checking and maintenance arrangements should reflect the building’s fire risk assessment and the condition and use of its doors.
Can maintenance staff carry out the checks?
Yes. With appropriate instruction, maintenance staff and others can carry out the simple visual checks required by Regulation 10. Those checks do not replace specialist assessment of whether a door provides adequate fire protection. Staff need a clear route for referring anything beyond their knowledge or experience.
Does a missing certification label mean a door must be replaced?
No. Government guidance says missing certification does not automatically make an existing flat entrance door unfit for purpose. Its condition, suitability and the risks in the building need to be considered. Where there is uncertainty, seek competent advice rather than making the decision on the label alone.
What if a resident does not provide access?
Keep a record of the steps taken to arrange the check, including unsuccessful attempts. Offer reasonable appointment options and follow up where access has not been possible.
Government guidance notes that persistent refusal may ultimately require consideration of legal action.
Can software make us compliant?
Not by itself. Software can help organise inspections, capture evidence and track work, but it cannot replace competent judgement or necessary repairs. FireArrest provides tools for recording and managing that work, including forms, photographs, floor plans and reports. The people responsible for the building still need to make sure the checks and follow-up actions are appropriate.
How could FireArrest work for your team?
If your inspection records are spread across paper forms, inboxes and photo folders, it can be difficult to see the full picture. FireArrest brings those records together, with customisable forms, pinned locations and photographic evidence that teams can refer back to when planning work or reviewing what has been done.
Book a free demo to see how it could fit your fire door inspection process.
