Repair or Replace a Failed Fire Door? What 147 Doors Showed Us
By Sebastian Grabowski, DC Fire & Security, Luton. Updated October 2026.
Should a failed fire door be repaired or replaced?
Repair it unless the door cannot be shown to be a fire door, or the leaf, frame or glazing is damaged beyond repair. On three finished repair programmes we repaired 140 of 147 doors (95%) and replaced 7. Across our inspections, a door was recommended for replacement in about 8% of cases. Repairs usually cost £150 to £900 a door. A new certified doorset starts from about £1,000 fitted.
How often do failed fire doors really need replacing?
Not often. About 8% of the doors we inspected were recommended for replacement, and on the three repair programmes we have finished, 5% were replaced (7 of 147). The rest were put right on site.
The reason is simple. The most common faults are small ones: gaps round the frame, missing or painted-over seals, a closer that does not shut the door, missing signs. Each is a repair, not a new door. Our fire door inspection statistics show how the faults break down.
| Result | Figure | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Failed doors repaired rather than replaced | 95% | 140 of 147 doors, 3 finished programmes |
| Doors recommended for replacement at survey | about 8% | about 35 of 448 doors, 6 surveys |
| Repair actions needed per failed door | 1.5 | 671 actions on 435 doors |
| Hotel survey, failed doors priced for replacement | 15% | 15 of 101 failed doors |
When is repair enough?
Repair is enough when the door is a genuine fire door and the fault can be brought back to the standard it was tested to. That covers most gaps, seals, closers, hinges, signage and ironmongery.
Government fire door guidance says doors that are properly inspected and maintained do not need replacing just because they are old. A repair has to leave the door as good as the tested design, so we photograph it before and after and record what was done.
- Gaps between the leaf and the frame over 4mm, or a gap under the door over 8mm
- Intumescent strips and smoke seals missing, damaged or painted over
- Self-closers that are missing, too weak or leaking
- Loose or missing hinges, or the wrong type
- Missing fire door signage
- Locks, latches and hold-open devices that are not suitable
When does a fire door have to be replaced?
Replace the door when it is not a fire door in the first place, or when the damage cannot be repaired to the tested specification. Looking like a fire door is not enough.
These are the cases that ended in a replacement doorset in our work:
| Reason to replace | What we found |
|---|---|
| Not fire-resisting construction | In a primary school, 8 of 47 doors looked like fire doors but were not of fire-resisting construction |
| Cut for ventilation or services | In a block of flats, all 4 riser cupboard doors had been cut for ventilation, which destroys the fire rating |
| Glazing that cannot be confirmed as fire rated | In a hotel, 20 escape-route doors had glazing we could not confirm |
| Damaged or delaminated leaf, rotten frame | The door fails again after repair, or the frame cannot hold the fixings |
| Gaps too large to close within tolerance | Planing or packing would take the leaf below its tested thickness |
What do repair and replacement cost?
Repairs usually cost £150 to £900 a door, depending on the fault and how many doors are done on one visit. A new certified FD30S doorset starts from about £1,000 + VAT fitted, and glazed, FD60, double or premium doorsets are £3,000 or more.
These are rough ranges. We confirm a fixed price once we have seen the doors. Doing many doors on one visit brings the cost per door down. For prices by door type, see fire door costs, supply and fit and fire door remedial costs.
How do you decide, door by door?
Start with a door-by-door inspection that records the construction, the certification and the faults. The report then separates repairs from replacements, so you only pay for a new door where one is needed.
This is why a survey first usually saves money. We have seen blocks priced for full replacement where inspection showed most doors could be repaired. Our fire door inspections start from £250 + VAT, with a photo report on every door, and the repairs follow from the report through our fire door remedials service. Where a new doorset is the right answer, we supply and fit it through fire door installation.
Sources
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: fire door guidance (GOV.UK)
- BS 8214 Timber-based fire door assemblies: code of practice (BSI)
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (legislation.gov.uk)
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 many failed fire doors can be repaired?
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a fire door?
Can a fire door that has been cut for ventilation be repaired?
How do I know if my door is a real fire door?
Who decides whether to repair or replace?
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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