For landlords buying, licensing or refurbishing
Our HMO fire door survey in London tells you what every door in a shared house needs, and what it will cost, before you commit. Landlords use it before buying, before a licence application and before a refurb.
Surveying shared houses
Fire doors are one of the biggest hidden costs in an HMO. A house with cheap interior doors may need every one replaced before it can be licensed.
An HMO fire door survey gives you that number up front. You can budget for it, build it into your offer or plan it into a refurb.
An inspection marks each door as passed or failed. A survey goes further. It measures each opening, says whether to repair or replace, and puts a price on every door.
That makes it the right choice when you are making a decision, rather than checking doors you already manage.
Surveying a block, office or school instead? Our fire door surveys in London work the same way in every building.
When you are ready to act, HMO fire door installation can fit every new door the survey calls for.
When to survey
A survey pays for itself at three key moments. Each one is a point where you can still change your plans.
What we record
For every door in the house, we record the details you need to make a decision and place an order.
Fire door or not, and how we know. Unlabelled doors are noted with the reasons.
Width, height and wall thickness measured.
What is fitted now and what the licence may need.
Seal condition and gaps measured.
Whether tenant locks are fire rated and allow a quick way out.
Our advice for each door, with a price.
How it works
Quick to book, quick to report.
Buying, licensing or refurbishing, plus any council letters.
Every door checked and measured, often in an hour or two.
Repair or replace, with a cost for each.
A costed schedule within a few working days.
Other buildings
Door surveys for other types of building.
Your schedule
The schedule lists every door, what it needs and what it will cost. Totals at the bottom make budgeting simple.
Common findings
These findings come up again and again in shared houses.
Hollow doors that look fine but offer almost no fire protection. Very common in older lets.
Kitchen and bedroom doors with no closer.
Locks that need a key to get out slow tenants down in a fire.
Glazed kitchen doors using normal glass.
Old fire doors without seals.
Older houses with tall or out-of-square openings that need made-to-measure doors.
Pricing
Most shared houses fall under the minimum survey fee. Larger houses are priced per door.
| Work | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Minimum survey fee | £450–£850per building |
| Fire door survey with costed schedule | £40–£90per door |
| FD30 internal doorset, supplied and fitted | £550–£950per door |
| Overhead closer replaced | £120–£250per door |
Guide prices updated October 2026. Your fixed quote follows a visit or survey.
Bedrooms, kitchen and stair door surveyed and priced.
£450–£850
A larger house surveyed before an offer.
£450–£900
Larger houses take longer to survey.
Fast turnaround for purchases is available.
Nearby houses can be surveyed together.
Plans and order sizes add a little time.
Areas covered
We survey HMOs in every London borough.
Buyers often need a survey within days of an offer being accepted. Tell us your timescale and we will do our best to meet it.
Many boroughs now license smaller HMOs too, so a survey before applying can save a lot of hassle.
Central London
North London
East London
South London
West London
Next steps
Once you have the schedule, these services put it into action.
Fit the new doors the schedule calls for.
View serviceFix the doors worth saving.
View serviceClear the whole schedule in one programme.
View serviceKeep the house licence-ready from now on.
View serviceFAQ
What HMO landlords and buyers ask about surveys.
Most shared houses fall under the minimum fee of £450–£850, before VAT. Larger houses are priced at £40–£90 per door. The fee covers the visit, measurements and a costed schedule for every door. Surveying several houses on the same day lowers the cost per house.
An inspection simply says whether each door passes or fails. A survey also measures each opening, says whether to repair or replace, and prices every door. Choose a survey when you need to make a decision or set a budget. Once the work is done, regular inspections keep the house in good order. Our fire door survey vs inspection guide compares them side by side.
Yes, if you can. Fire doors can cost thousands to put right. A survey tells you the likely cost before you commit, so you can budget or negotiate the price. It can also help you plan the work, so the house is ready to let as soon as possible after you buy. Fast surveys for purchases are available.
It will tell you what most councils expect, based on the size and layout of the house. Each council sets its own conditions, so check yours too. The survey gives you a strong starting point. If you have already had a letter from the council, send it to us and we will include its points.
Yes. Send us the plans and we will survey the existing doors and openings. That helps you plan which doors to keep, which to replace and where new ones are needed. Planning door work early also means new doors can be ordered in good time, so the build is not held up. It avoids fitting doors twice.
Most shared houses take one to two hours on site. You get the costed schedule within a few working days, or sooner if you are buying. If you are buying, tell us your timescale and we will try to report sooner. Larger houses or several houses on one day may take a little longer.
Ideally, yes. We need to see each door to survey it. If a room is locked, we note it on the schedule and can come back. If you are buying, the seller or agent can usually arrange access for us. We give tenants notice if the house is let.
Yes. The schedule is yours. It lists every door and what it needs, so other contractors can price the same work. Because every contractor prices the same list, it is easy to compare quotes. We are happy to quote as well, and we will price the work line by line from the schedule.
We note it and explain what we found. An unlabelled door may still be a fire door, but without proof, most councils will expect it to be replaced or certified. In some cases, an unlabelled door can be traced and certified, which costs less than a new door. The schedule tells you which doors may qualify.
Yes. Landlords with portfolios often book several surveys on one day. Each house gets its own schedule, and the cost per house is lower. This makes it easy to compare costs across the portfolio and plan work in order of need. Each house is surveyed in the same way, so the schedules can be compared.
Next step
Tell us about the house and your plans. We will survey every door and price the work.
