Planning
Choosing a passive fire protection contractor: a procurement checklist
Questions to ask before appointing a passive fire protection contractor, covering relevant competence, technical scope, inspection arrangements, resident access and completion evidence.
Choosing a passive fire protection contractor is easier when the enquiry describes a clear outcome. A request to “make the building compliant” is too broad to compare fairly and leaves important responsibilities unresolved. A defined survey or schedule of remedial work gives bidders a common basis for their proposals.
This guide helps housing providers, facilities teams and procurement professionals assess an appointment in England. It is a set of practical questions to adapt to the project, not a universal qualification standard or a substitute for technical advice.
First, identify the role you are buying
A fire risk assessment, a compartmentation survey, the design of a repair detail and its installation are different activities. Establish which are included in the appointment and who is responsible for the parts that sit elsewhere.
For instance, an installer may be asked to follow an agreed detail or may be expected to propose a solution for technical review. Those briefs require different information and resources. State who will confirm the required performance, accept the proposed detail and authorise changes.
The government's building regulations dutyholder guidance explains competence in terms of relevant skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours, together with organisational capability. Check the requirements for the actual role being appointed.
Ask for evidence relevant to this work
Request examples involving similar construction, building use and site constraints. A polished project list is less helpful than an explanation of the contractor's role, the challenges encountered and the evidence produced at completion.
For any claimed certification or third-party scheme membership, check the current status directly with the issuing organisation and confirm the scope covers the proposed work. A logo on a quotation is a starting point for verification, not the end of it.
Ask who will supervise the work, how the team is selected and what happens when an operative encounters a condition outside the agreed method. Where subcontractors are proposed, establish how their competence and work will be managed. Request current insurance information and review its suitability with your procurement advisers.
Compare technical proposals using the same questions
Give each bidder the same findings and site information. Ask them to identify uncertainties instead of burying assumptions in a fixed price.
Useful questions include:
- How will the existing construction and relevant service details be confirmed?
- Who selects the system or repair method and checks its application?
- What technical evidence will support the proposed detail?
- How are unexpected conditions recorded and resolved?
- What inspection stages are proposed before work is concealed?
- How will completed work be linked to the original survey references?
These questions apply differently to fire stopping and fire door maintenance, so allow the proposed approach to reflect the work. Avoid prescribing a particular product before its suitability for the location has been established.
Look for an achievable delivery plan
Ask how the contractor will obtain access, sequence the work and coordinate with others. In occupied housing, check how appointment information reaches residents and how unsuccessful visits will be reported. In commercial premises, consider operating hours, security procedures and the availability of building staff.
Allow enough time for information review, procurement and checking. A fast start is not useful if unresolved technical questions prevent the team from completing the work.
HSE's commercial client guidance explains the client's role in construction arrangements. Appointing a contractor does not remove the need for the client's own planning and coordination.
Make the handover part of the quotation
Request a redacted example of the final record format. Look for clear locations, work descriptions, supporting photographs, relevant system information and outstanding items. Ask how changes are recorded and how the client receives usable copies of the information.
Define the acceptance process. Who reviews technical evidence? Who confirms the records reconcile with the scope? What happens if a required record is missing? An agreed answer before mobilisation is more useful than a dispute after access equipment has been removed.
Our guide to passive fire protection records explains the distinction between product evidence, installation records and different forms of certification.
Compare exclusions before comparing totals
A tender comparison should show assumptions about access, surveys, opening up, specialist equipment, making good, associated trades and additional visits. Ask for clarification where one bidder includes something another has excluded.
Consider a small number of project-specific evaluation headings: relevant experience, technical approach, delivery arrangements, evidence and price. Record why the selected proposal is suitable for the scope and identify any conditions that must be resolved before work begins.
A useful procurement result is an appointment both sides understand. Assemble your reports, drawings and access information using the quote preparation guide, then invite proposals against that common brief.
Sources and further reading
Checked 14 October 2026. Apply the procurement questions proportionately to the work and your organisation's requirements.
