Who carries out compartmentation surveys in Greater London?

What a compartmentation survey covers

A compartmentation survey inspects the walls, floors, risers and ceiling voids that are meant to contain fire and smoke, and records each breach with a photo, a number and a location on the plans. The output is a defect schedule ranked by priority that says what is needed at each location, which a contractor can price. Doors in the compartment line are checked separately in a fire door inspection. Our main page on compartmentation surveys sets out the types and the report.

What London buildings bring

London stock has features that change how a survey is done.

• Converted buildings. Offices and houses turned into flats, and flats created over shops, are common. Each conversion added walls and services in places the original building did not expect.
• Tall residential blocks. Many blocks are over 11 metres, and some are higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act. Records matter more for these, and our guide to the Building Safety Act explains what is asked for.
• Shared and mixed use. A pub, shop or restaurant under flats puts a commercial kitchen and its extract under a residential compartment floor.
• Access and parking. Central and busy sites need booked loading, security passes and working hours that suit tenants. We plan this before the day.
• Occupied buildings. Intrusive work in a building with residents needs notice, clean working and making good the same day.

What to ask any compartmentation contractor

• Do they report each breach with a photo, a number and a plan reference?
• Can they show a defect schedule from a previous job like yours?
• Do they check for asbestos before opening anything up in an older building?
• Is the survey separate from the repair, so you can get a second price for the fire stopping?
• Who does the sealing, and do they hold third-party certification for it?
• Do they cover the whole compartment line, including doors and risers, or only what is visible from the corridor?

A contractor that surveys and seals gives you one point of contact. A schedule that anyone can price keeps the repair honest.

What we do in London

We run surveys across Greater London from our base in Luton. A survey starts from your plans and the address, and we confirm the type of survey, the price and the date before anyone visits. Surveys are paid for when booked, and the date is confirmed once the payment clears. After the survey we price the sealing from the schedule, and you are free to take it elsewhere. Our guide to choosing a fire stopping contractor covers the repair work.

We also cover specific areas with their own pages, including London, Harrow, Wembley, Hayes and Uxbridge. If your building is elsewhere in Greater London, send the postcode.

What it costs

A compartmentation survey is priced per job from the plans. The cores, the storeys, the number of compartment areas, the amount of opening up and whether the building is occupied decide the time on site. We do not publish a figure, because the same building footprint can need very different amounts of work.

Sources

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 17 (legislation.gov.uk)