Preparing for a Fire Door Survey
A little preparation before a fire door survey can make the inspection smoother, reduce disruption and help you get the most value from the report. This checklist sets out the key things to think about.
Every building is different, but the points below are relevant to most fire door surveys in residential, office, education, healthcare and mixed-use buildings.
If you are at the early planning stage, we can help you scope a survey for a single building or a wider portfolio. Our services overview and multi-site fire door inspection programme pages explain how we structure inspections across London and the South East.
1. Clarify the scope of the survey
Before the survey starts, agree which doors are to be inspected and how they will be referenced. Common options include:
- All doors forming part of escape routes
- Flat entrance doors only, plus communal doors
- All fire doors in a particular block, floor or zone
- A sample of doors in very large or repetitive buildings
Having a clear scope helps both you and the inspector understand what will be covered and how long the survey is likely to take.
2. Gather available information
Any existing information you have about the building and its fire doors is helpful. This might include:
- Previous fire risk assessments
- Earlier fire door inspection reports
- Door schedules or asset registers
- Certificates or data sheets for existing fire doors
You do not need perfect information to proceed, but whatever you have can help the inspector understand the context and history of the doors being inspected.
3. Plan access and keys
Poor access is one of the most common reasons doors cannot be inspected. Ahead of the survey:
- Confirm how inspectors will access plant rooms, risers and secure areas
- Arrange keys or passes for any locked doors included in the scope
- Agree a process for entering flats, bedrooms or sensitive areas
- Identify an on-site contact who can assist with any access issues
Planning access in advance helps avoid repeat visits and keeps disruption to a minimum.
4. Communicate with residents and occupiers
For residential buildings, care settings and workplaces, good communication is essential. Consider:
- Letting residents or occupiers know when inspections will take place
- Explaining what a fire door inspection involves and how long it usually takes
- Providing contact details for queries or concerns
- Agreeing how to handle vulnerable residents or sensitive spaces
Clear communication builds trust and helps ensure inspectors can gain access to the doors that need to be checked.
5. Consider operational constraints
In some buildings inspections need to be planned around specific activities, such as teaching timetables, visiting hours, quiet periods or peak trading times. Let the inspector know about:
- Any areas that can only be accessed at certain times
- Parts of the building that need special handling or supervision
- Restrictions on noise or movement
This allows a realistic survey programme to be agreed and reduces the risk of uninspected doors.
6. Agree how findings will be reported
A fire door survey should result in a report that is usable for your organisation. Before the survey, discuss:
- How doors will be numbered and referenced
- What level of photographic evidence you require
- Whether priority ratings or risk categories should be included
- Any specific format you need for internal systems
At Goldcrest Fire Doors, we tailor our reporting to your needs so that it slots into your existing compliance processes.
7. On the day of the survey
On the day, make sure:
- Someone is available to meet the inspector and confirm any last-minute details
- Agreed access arrangements are in place
- Any changes to the scope are discussed and documented
A short walk-through at the start of the survey can be very helpful in confirming routes and priorities.
After the survey
Once you receive the report, you can use it to brief contractors, plan remedial works and update your fire risk assessment. It is often helpful to schedule a short review call with the inspector to run through the findings and answer any questions.