The short answer
- A fire door inspection tells you whether each door passes or fails today.
- A fire door survey also measures each door and prices the work, so you can budget or buy with confidence.
- A fire risk assessment looks at the whole building, including alarms, escape routes and fire doors. Most buildings with shared parts must have one by law.
- Most buildings need all three over time. They work best in order: assessment, survey, works, then regular inspections.
Fire Door Survey vs Inspection: The Key Difference
Both a survey and an inspection check the same parts of each door: the leaf, frame, gaps, seals, hinges, closer, glass and signs. The difference is what you get at the end.
An inspection gives each door a result: pass or fail, with photos and a reason. A survey goes further. Each opening is measured, each door gets repair or replace advice, and every fix is priced. That turns a list of faults into a budget.
Some companies use the two words to mean the same thing. When you book, ask what the report will contain. If you need prices and sizes, you need a survey, whatever it is called.
What a Fire Door Inspection Involves
A fire door inspection is a hands-on check of each door against a set list. The inspector opens and closes the door, measures the gaps, checks the seals and looks for damage.
- A pass or fail for every door, with the reason.
- Photos of each fault.
- A simple action for each failure.
- A record you can show a council, insurer or fire risk assessor.
Inspections are the routine check. Many buildings book them every six months, and blocks over 11 metres have legal minimums. See our fire door inspections in London for details.
What a Fire Door Survey Involves
A fire door survey records every door in the building and what it needs to be right. It is the check to book before you spend money.
- Every door numbered, photographed and recorded.
- Openings measured, so new doors can be ordered.
- Repair or replace advice for each door.
- A price for every fix, with totals for budgeting.
Surveys suit buying or leasing a building, applying for an HMO licence, planning a refit and setting budgets. See what you get in our sample fire door survey report, or read about fire door surveys in London.
Where a Fire Risk Assessment Fits With Fire Door Checks
A fire risk assessment (FRA) looks at fire safety across the whole building. It covers alarms, escape routes, emergency lighting, fire doors and how the building is managed. Under the Fire Safety Order 2005, the responsible person must have one for any workplace or shared residential parts.
A fire risk assessor looks at fire doors, but usually not one by one in detail. The assessment often ends with actions like “upgrade fire doors” or “fit closers”. A door survey or a fire door risk assessment then turns those notes into a detailed, priced plan.
Fire Door Survey, Inspection and Risk Assessment Side by Side
| Fire door inspection | Fire door survey | Fire risk assessment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main question | Does each door pass today? | What does each door need, and what will it cost? | What are the fire risks in the whole building? |
| What you get | Pass or fail report with photos | Costed schedule, sizes and photos | Written assessment with an action plan |
| Looks at | Each fire door | Each fire door, in more depth | The whole building |
| Required by law? | Doors must be maintained. Set checks over 11 metres | No, but often needed for licences and budgets | Yes, for shared parts and workplaces |
| How often | Often every 6 months | Once, then kept up to date | Reviewed regularly, often yearly |
| Guide price | £35–£65 per door | £40–£90 per door | Quoted by a fire risk assessor |
Guide prices before VAT. Minimum visit fees apply for small buildings.
Which Fire Door Check Do You Need?
Start with the situation you are in. These are the most common ones we see.
| Your situation | Best check | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Buying or leasing a building | Fire door survey | You need to know the cost of door work before you commit |
| Applying for or renewing an HMO licence | Fire door survey, then inspections | Fix doors before the council visits, then keep proof |
| Your FRA says “upgrade fire doors” | Fire door survey or door risk assessment | Turns a vague action into a priced plan |
| Routine upkeep of doors you manage | Fire door inspection | A regular pass or fail record |
| Block of flats over 11 metres | Fire door inspections | Quarterly shared door checks and yearly flat door checks |
| No fire risk assessment yet | Fire risk assessment first | It is a legal duty and sets what the doors need |
| Insurer or buyer asking for proof | Inspection or survey | A dated report with photos answers the question |
How Fire Door Surveys and Inspections Work Together
The three checks are not rivals. Used in order, each one makes the next cheaper and quicker.
- 1
Fire risk assessment
Finds the building’s fire risks and flags doors that need work.
- 2
Fire door survey
Records every door and prices what it needs.
- 3
Repairs and new doors
Fixes everything the survey found, in order of risk.
- 4
Regular inspections
Proves the doors keep passing, year after year.
Fire Door Testing and Certification: Two More Terms
You may also hear about testing and certification. Here is how they fit in.
Fire door testing
Measured checks of how each door works: closing, latching, gaps and hold-open devices. Often part of an inspection. See fire door testing in London.
Fire door certification
Proof of what a door is: its rating, maker and test evidence. Needed for new doors and doors with no label. See fire door certification in London.
Who Can Carry Out Each Fire Door Check?
The law asks for a competent person: someone with the training and experience to do the job well. In practice, look for these signs.
- Fire door inspections and surveys: an inspector trained in fire doors, with a recognised qualification, who works to BS 8214 and the door maker’s rules.
- Fire risk assessments: a fire risk assessor listed on a recognised register, with experience of your type of building.
- Either way: clear reports, photos, insurance and a willingness to explain what they found.
Fire Door Survey and Inspection Questions
Is a fire door survey the same as an inspection?
Not quite. Both check every part of each door. An inspection gives a pass or fail. A survey also measures each opening and prices what each door needs. Some firms use the words loosely, so ask what the report will contain before you book.
Do I need a fire door survey if I have a fire risk assessment?
Often, yes. A fire risk assessment looks at the whole building and may only say “upgrade fire doors”. A fire door survey tells you exactly which doors, what each needs and what it will cost. It turns the assessment’s actions into a plan.
Does the law say I must have fire door inspections?
Fire doors must be kept in good working order under the Fire Safety Order 2005. In blocks of flats over 11 metres, the 2022 Regulations require set checks. Elsewhere, regular inspections are the simplest way to show you meet the duty.
Can a fire risk assessor inspect fire doors?
A fire risk assessor checks fire doors as part of the wider assessment, but usually not in full detail. For a door-by-door check with measurements and photos, book a fire door inspection or survey from a fire door specialist.
Which costs more, a survey or an inspection?
A survey usually costs more per door, as it includes measurements and pricing. Guide prices are £35–£65 per door for an inspection and £40–£90 per door for a survey, before VAT. A survey can save money later by avoiding unneeded replacements.
How often do I need each check?
A fire risk assessment is reviewed regularly, often yearly. Fire door inspections are commonly every six months, or every three months for shared doors in blocks over 11 metres. A survey is usually done once, then kept up to date through inspections.
What is a fire door assessment?
It is a loose term. Some firms use it for an inspection, others for a survey or a fire door risk assessment. Ask whether you will get a pass or fail, a price for each fix or a ranked risk list, then choose the check that fits.
Can one visit cover a survey and an inspection?
Yes. A survey includes everything an inspection checks, plus measurements and prices. If you book a survey, you also get a clear result for each door. Regular inspections can then follow on from it.