Fire Door Maintenance and Servicing: Contracts, Checks and Costs
By Sebastian Grabowski, DC Fire & Security, Luton. Updated October 2026.
How often do fire doors need maintenance?
Check them regularly and fix faults as soon as they are found. In blocks of flats over 11 metres, the law says communal fire doors must be checked at least every 3 months and flat entrance doors at least once a year, as far as the responsible person can. Elsewhere, checks every 6 months are a sensible minimum, and more often for busy doors. On a first visit, 72% of the doors we inspect need at least one repair, so a door that has not been looked at for a year usually needs work.
What does the law say about fire door maintenance?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 says fire safety equipment, including fire doors, must be kept in efficient working order and good repair. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 add set checks in blocks of flats over 11 metres.
The checks must be recorded. A report with a photo and a result for each door is the simplest way to show the work was done.
| Building | What is expected | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Block of flats over 11m, communal fire doors | Checked at least every 3 months | Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 10 |
| Block of flats over 11m, flat entrance doors | Checked at least every 12 months, as far as possible | Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 10 |
| Any non-domestic premises or common parts | Kept in efficient working order and good repair | Fire Safety Order 2005, article 17 |
| Busy doors (schools, hospitals, hotels) | Commonly checked more often than every 6 months | Industry guidance and BS 8214 |
What happens on a fire door maintenance visit?
Each door is checked against the same list, small faults are fixed on the spot where you have agreed it, and you get a report with photos of every door.
- Gaps measured round the frame and under the door
- Intumescent strips and smoke seals checked for damage, gaps and paint
- Self-closers checked to close the door fully from any angle
- Hinges, locks, latches and hold-open devices checked
- Glazing, signage and the certification label checked
- Doors that need more than a quick fix are listed and priced separately
What usually needs fixing?
Small things, most of the time. Across our inspections the most common faults were gaps round the frame, damaged or painted-over seals, closers that did not shut the door and missing signs.
Regular maintenance keeps these faults small. The full figures are on our fire door inspection statistics page, and the repair-or-replace results are on repair or replace a failed fire door.
| Finding | Our figure | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Doors needing at least one repair, first visit | 72% | 339 of 470 doors |
| Gap between the door and the frame over 4mm | 42% | 156 of 371 doors measured |
| Repair actions per failed door | 1.5 | 671 actions on 435 doors |
| Failed doors repaired rather than replaced | 95% | 140 of 147 doors |
How is a fire door maintenance contract priced?
It is priced on the number of doors and how often they are visited. We start with a full inspection, which costs from £250 + VAT for a small building, and then quote a fixed price per visit for the contract.
Repairs found on a visit are usually £150 to £900 a door, depending on the fault and how many doors are done together. Small adjustments can be included in the visit price if you want them done on the day. These are rough figures; we confirm a fixed price once we have seen the doors.
Who carries out the work?
Inspections and routine maintenance follow BS 8214 and the door manufacturer's instructions, with photos of every door before and after.
Where your managing agent, council or insurer asks for third-party certificated maintenance, the work is carried out by our BM TRADA Q-Mark certificated contractors and the certificate goes in your fire safety file. Repairs follow through our fire door repairs service, and new doorsets through fire door installation.
Sources
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: fire door guidance (GOV.UK)
- The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (legislation.gov.uk)
- BS 8214 Timber-based fire door assemblies: code of practice (BSI)
Updated October 2026 by Sebastian Grabowski, DC Fire & Security. We inspect and repair fire doors across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, London, the Thames Valley and the East Midlands. Our own figures: fire door inspection statistics 2026.
Certified work, with the paperwork to prove it
Inspections follow BS 8214 and the government's fire door guidance. Repairs and new doorsets that need a third-party certificate are done by our BM TRADA Q-Mark certificated contractors, and fire stopping by our FIRAS-certificated contractors. Every job ends with photos and a report for your fire safety file.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should fire doors be serviced?
Is fire door maintenance a legal requirement?
What is the difference between a fire door inspection and maintenance?
Can small faults be fixed on the same visit?
Do you provide a certificate?
Send us your report or photos
Email your fire door inspection report or photos to info@dcsecurity.co.uk, or use the form. We usually come back with a fixed price the same day. Luton, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London.
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