Preparing for a fire door survey

Preparing for a fire door survey means agreeing which doors are included, what the survey is intended to establish and how each location will be reached. A clear brief helps reduce avoidable gaps in the report and makes subsequent maintenance planning easier.

Start by sharing the reason for the survey. Are you investigating specific defects, reviewing an existing door register, planning remedial works or responding to an action from a fire risk assessment? Those purposes may require different levels of information.

Confirm the scope before booking access

Identify whether the brief covers flat entrance doors, shared corridors, stairways, service cupboards, plant rooms or a combination. State whether every listed door is included or an agreed sample is proposed. Ask how any exclusions will be shown in the report.

In England, routine checks required by the Fire Safety (England) Regulations and a specialist assessment of door suitability serve different purposes. The government's fire door guidance explains that distinction. Make the intended task explicit when commissioning fire door surveys.

Build a door schedule

A useful schedule allows someone unfamiliar with the property to find the same door again. Record the building, floor, location and existing asset number. If there is no numbering system, agree one before inspection rather than using inconsistent descriptions across separate documents.

Provide an estimated quantity for planning, and say how that estimate was obtained. A drawing count and a current site register may differ. Agree how additional doors discovered during the visit will be handled and authorised.

Collect records without filling gaps with assumptions

Gather what is available:

• Current fire risk assessment actions relevant to the doors.
• Plans or a fire strategy showing the doors and their intended roles.
• Existing inspection and maintenance records.
• Product, installation or replacement records for identified doors.
• Information about recent changes to locks, glazing or other components.
• Known access restrictions or unresolved findings from earlier visits.

If records cannot be found, say so. Missing paperwork is a question for the assessment to consider; it is not, by itself, an instruction to replace every door. Keep old and new records clearly dated so that superseded information is not mistaken for the current position.

Arrange the practical visit

Confirm the site contact, keys, induction and any escort requirements. Flat entrance inspections may need appointments with residents, so agree the communication and rebooking process early. Use our resident access guide to plan notices and contact routes.

Tell the survey team about occupancy constraints and any assistance required to arrange access. Share only information needed for that purpose through an agreed private channel. Leave technical preparation to the agreed survey process: removing components or attempting repairs before the visit can change the condition being assessed.

Agree what happens after the survey

Confirm how findings, photographs, locations and inaccessible doors will be presented. Identify who will review the report, how concerns requiring prompt attention will be communicated and who can authorise further investigation.

After receipt, use our guide to understanding your survey report before developing a remedial brief. If the scope is still uncertain, contact Interseal with the door schedule and available records so we can discuss the appropriate next step.