Testing for offices, shops and warehouses
Our commercial fire door testing in London proves that the doors on your escape routes close, latch and seal every time. We test out of hours, check access control releases on the alarm, and give you measured results for each door.
Testing doors at work
Office and shop doors can be pushed open hundreds of times a day. Closers lose power, hinges wear and doors start to stop a few millimetres short of the latch.
Commercial fire door testing catches this before it matters. Each door is opened, released and measured, so you know which ones would fail in a real fire.
Card readers, mag-locks and electric strikes are common on workplace fire doors. In a fire, every one of them must release the moment the alarm sounds.
A door that stays locked can trap staff on a floor. We test each one with your alarm engineer present and record how quickly it lets go.
Looking after hotels, care homes or flats as well? Our fire door testing in London uses the same measured checks in any building.
If tests show wider problems, a commercial fire door survey prices every door so you can budget for the work.
What we test
Every workplace door goes through the same tests in the same order. That way results are easy to compare floor to floor, and year to year.
The door is opened to its full swing and let go. It must close and latch on its own, with no push from anyone.
Many doors pass from wide open but stall from halfway. We test both, because people rarely open a door all the way.
Mag-locks and strikes must drop out on the alarm signal.
Head and side gaps are measured at several points with a gauge. Gaps over 4 mm let smoke and flame through.
Smoke seals checked for contact all round.
Doors held open for staff must swing shut when the alarm sounds, then latch firmly.
How it works
We plan around your trading hours and your other contractors, so nothing stops while we work.
Send floor plans or a door schedule. If you have neither, we build one as we test.
Lock and hold-open tests need the alarm set off.
Escape routes first, then every other door on the list.
Failed doors are fixed and tested again, so each result is closed off.
Other buildings
The same test method, planned around very different buildings.
Your results
Results are grouped by stair core and floor. Your facilities team can see straight away which doors need work and why.
Common failures
These are the failures we find most often on workplace doors. Most come from heavy daily use, not poor fitting.
The access control is not wired to the alarm, or a relay has failed. The door stays locked when it should release.
Worn closers stall short of the latch.
Heavy doors sag over time and start to catch the frame at the bottom corner.
Constant use wears hinges, which widens the head gap.
Deliveries and cleaning carts strip seals from the frame. Once a strip is gone, smoke can pass the door freely.
New wiring is sometimes run straight through doors and frames.
Pricing
Testing is priced per door, with a set rate for each access control or hold-open device tested with the alarm.
| Work | Guide price |
|---|---|
| On-site fire door testing | £20–£45per door |
| Hold-open device test with alarm | £15–£35per device |
| Minimum testing visit | £300–£550per visit |
| Overhead closer replaced | £120–£250per door |
Guide prices updated October 2026. Your fixed quote follows a visit or survey.
Stair cores, office doors and access-controlled doors.
£690–£1,560
Escape route, plant room and store doors.
£360–£810
Larger sites cost less for each door.
Each lock or hold-open test needs the alarm set off, which adds time.
Early, late and weekend slots may cost a little more.
Adding re-tests to the repair visit saves a second trip.
Areas covered
We test workplace fire doors in the City, the West End and every outer borough.
In central London, most of our testing happens before 8am or after 6pm, when stair cores are quiet and lifts are free for our kit.
Trading estates and retail parks further out often suit a weekday morning before deliveries start arriving.
Central London
North London
East London
South London
West London
Related services
When doors fail, these services get them passing again and keep them that way.
Closers, hinges and seals fixed, often on the same visit as the test.
View servicePlanned servicing so busy doors keep passing.
View serviceA full check of labels, glass and condition as well as function.
View serviceTest results kept with your other fire safety records.
View serviceFAQ
What facilities managers, landlords and business owners ask us about testing.
Testing usually costs £20–£45 per door before VAT. Access control and hold-open devices tested with the alarm cost £15–£35 per device. Small sites have a minimum visit of £300–£550. Larger sites pay less per door, and re-tests can be added to the repair visit.
Under the Fire Safety Order 2005, the Responsible Person must keep fire doors working properly. The law does not name a test, but regular testing is the clearest way to show your doors work. Insurers and fire risk assessors often ask to see the results.
We work with your alarm engineer, who sets off the alarm in a controlled way. We watch each mag-lock or strike release, then check the door closes and latches on its own. Any door that stays locked is marked as high risk and reported straight away.
Many workplaces test every six months, with busy escape route doors checked more often. Doors linked to the alarm should be tested whenever the alarm is serviced. Your fire risk assessment may set a different interval for your site, so check that first.
Yes, but most businesses prefer us to test before opening or after closing. Lock and hold-open tests need the alarm to sound, which is easier when the building is empty. Normal closing tests are quiet and can be done during the day if needed.
A drop test is a common name for letting a door close on its own from fully open and checking it latches. We do this from wide open and again from half open. A door that stalls before the latch fails the test, even if it looks shut.
We record why it failed, take a photo and suggest a fix with a price. Many failures, such as a weak closer, can be adjusted on the same visit. Once fixed, the door is tested again so your results show the problem has gone.
Yes. In a multi-let building, the landlord is usually responsible for shared stair and lobby doors, and each tenant for doors inside their space. We can test both and split the results, so each party gets the records they need.
Many insurers want proof that fire doors are checked and kept working. Measured test results, with photos and re-test records, give them that proof. Keep the results with your fire risk assessment so they are easy to find when asked.
No. Testing checks how each door works, using measured results. A full inspection adds checks on labels, glass, damage and paperwork. Many sites book both together, so they get a full picture of every door in one visit. Testing is a good fit for busy doors that need checking often, with a full inspection less often.
Next step
Tell us about your site and how many doors you have. We will plan the visit around your hours and your alarm engineer.
