Fire Door Inspections for Hertfordshire & North London Businesses
Fire doors are a critical part of your building's passive fire protection. A damaged or incorrectly fitted fire door can fail in seconds. Our inspections ensure every door does its job when it matters most.
Why fire door inspections matter
Fire doors are not ordinary doors. They are engineered to resist the spread of fire and smoke for a specified period — typically 30 or 60 minutes — giving occupants time to evacuate and limiting damage to the building. But a fire door only works if it is correctly installed, properly maintained, and free from damage or unauthorised modifications.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person for any non-domestic premises must ensure that fire doors are maintained in an efficient state and good working order. The Fire Safety Act 2021 extended these duties to include the entrance doors to individual flats in multi-occupied residential buildings.
A fire door that has been propped open, had its intumescent strips removed, or has a gap that exceeds the permitted tolerance is not a compliant fire door — and in the event of a fire, it may provide no protection at all.
Who needs fire door inspections?
Any premises with fire doors installed should have them regularly inspected, including:
- Offices and commercial buildings
- Shops, retail units and shopping centres
- Restaurants, cafés and hospitality venues
- Hotels, B&Bs and guest houses
- Warehouses and industrial premises
- HMOs and multi-occupied residential buildings
- Schools, colleges and educational settings
- Healthcare facilities and care homes
- Places of worship and community buildings
- Any premises where fire doors form part of the means of escape
What our inspection covers
Door leaf condition
We check the door leaf for damage, warping, holes, or unauthorised modifications that could compromise its fire resistance rating.
Intumescent seals & smoke seals
We inspect all intumescent strips and cold smoke seals to confirm they are present, undamaged, and correctly fitted around the full perimeter of the door.
Gaps and clearances
We measure the gaps around the door leaf. Gaps exceeding 3–4mm on the sides and top, or 8mm at the bottom, indicate the door will not perform to its rated standard.
Self-closing mechanism
Every fire door must be fitted with a functioning self-closer that pulls the door fully shut from any open position. We test each closer and check for correct tension.
Hinges and hardware
We inspect hinges for correct specification, secure fixing, and signs of wear. We also check that all hardware — handles, locks, vision panels — is fire-rated and correctly installed.
Signage and certification
We check that appropriate fire door signage is in place and, where accessible, verify that the door carries a third-party certification label confirming its fire resistance rating.
Common fire door failures we find
Many fire door defects are invisible to the untrained eye but can render a door completely ineffective. These are the issues we most commonly find during inspections.
Book an inspection- Missing or damaged intumescent seals
- Self-closer removed or disconnected
- Door propped open with a wedge or hook
- Gaps exceeding permitted tolerances
- Damaged or replaced door leaf without fire-rated replacement
- Non-fire-rated glazing installed in a fire door
- Hinges missing screws or showing signs of wear
- No certification label or signage present
How it works
Request a quote
Tell us how many fire doors you have and where your premises are located. We'll confirm a fixed price with no hidden costs.
On-site inspection
Our inspector visits at a time that suits you and carries out a thorough check of every fire door on your premises.
Written report
You receive a detailed written report for each door inspected, including pass/fail status, identified defects, and recommended remedial actions.
Remedial guidance
We provide clear, practical advice on how to address any failures found — and can schedule a follow-up inspection once works are complete.
Common questions
Book your fire door inspection today
Fixed-price, no-obligation quotation. We cover Hertfordshire and North London.