Fire Door Replacement Programmes: Scope to Sign-Off

A fire door replacement or remediation programme succeeds or fails on its records. This guide walks through a programme from the first survey to final sign-off, with checklists for specification, certification, resident access, installation records and the evidence you need at handover.

It is written for building managers and managing agents running programmes in occupied buildings in England. The same principles apply elsewhere in the UK, but the legal duties differ.

Start with a reliable survey

Everything that follows depends on the survey. A useful survey gives every door a unique reference and records:

Location, door type and the fire resistance it needs to provide, taken from the fire strategy or fire risk assessment.
The condition of the leaf, frame, seals, glazing, ironmongery, closer and gaps.
Any evidence of certification, such as labels or plugs.
A recommendation: leave, repair or replace.
Photographs tied to the door reference.

GOV.UK's fire door guidance makes an important point: the absence of intumescent strips, smoke seals or any form of certification does not by itself mean a door is unfit for purpose. A replace decision should rest on assessment, not on a missing label.

Decide repair or replace

Repairing a sound door is often quicker and less disruptive than replacing it. Replacement becomes the better option where the leaf or frame is damaged beyond reasonable repair, the door does not provide the required fire resistance, or earlier alterations cannot be shown to be safe.

Record the reason for each decision. When someone asks in two years why a door was replaced, the answer should be in the file.

Specify the doorset properly

A fire door performs as a complete assembly: leaf, frame, seals, glazing, hinges, closer and other hardware, installed together. Your specification should cover:

The fire resistance and smoke control required for each location.
Doorsets with test evidence for the configuration being installed, including glazing and hardware.
Ironmongery compatible with the test evidence.
How the frame will be fixed and how gaps between the frame and the wall will be fire stopped.
Accessibility, security and acoustic needs where they apply.

BS 8214 is the code of practice commonly used for timber-based fire door assemblies. Ask suppliers to show how their doorsets and installation method match the evidence.

Certification and third-party schemes

Approved Document B notes that third-party certification schemes for fire protection products and related services can provide assurance of quality, reliability and safety, and that building control bodies may accept certification under such schemes as evidence of compliance with a relevant standard.

In practice, ask for:

Third-party certification for the doorsets.
Evidence that installers are competent, and third-party certified installation where your contract or client requires it.
A clear statement of what each certificate covers.

The fire door guidance also says that repairs or replacements identified by inspections should be carried out by a competent contractor as soon as reasonably practicable.

Check whether building control approval is needed

In a higher-risk building, BSR guidance lists work involving passive fire safety measures as category A work, while its list of exempt work includes most repairs, replacements and maintenance. Whether your programme needs approval depends on its scope, so agree the position with your principal designer and record the reasoning before starting. Our BSR submissions guide explains the process.

Plan resident access

Flat entrance doors make access the hardest part of most residential programmes. Build a plan that covers:

Advance letters with clear dates, what will happen and how long it takes.
A simple way to book or rebook appointments.
Alternative arrangements for vulnerable residents.
A record of every access attempt, missed appointment and follow-up.
Leaseholder considerations, since flat entrance doors may be demised to the leaseholder. Check the leases and take advice.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 already require Responsible Persons in multi-occupied residential buildings to tell residents that fire doors should be kept shut, that self-closing devices should not be tampered with, and that faults should be reported. A programme is a good time to repeat that message.

Keep installation records door by door

For every door, the completion record should include:

The door reference and location.
Product details and certification references for the leaf, frame and key hardware.
Installer name and competence or certification details.
Before, during and after photographs, including the frame fixing and gap fire stopping before it is covered.
Gap measurements and closer adjustment at completion.
Any deviation from specification, with approval recorded.

Snagging, sign-off and handover

Before closing the programme, carry out a snagging inspection against the specification and confirm every defect has been closed. The handover pack should bring together:

The door schedule with final status for every door.
Completion records and certificates per door.
Product data and maintenance instructions.
Outstanding access cases and the plan to complete them.
Updated information for the fire risk assessment and, for higher-risk buildings, the golden thread.

Then put the doors into the routine checking cycle. For blocks of flats with a top storey above 11 metres in England, the fire door guidance requires communal fire doors to be checked at least every 3 months and best endeavours to check flat entrance doors at least every 12 months.

How Oracle can help

Oracle FM delivers fire door surveys, inspections and replacement programmes, from survey to certificate. Oracle holds certification under the Q-Mark Fire Door Installation Scheme and the Q-Mark Fire Door Maintenance Scheme.

Start with fire door inspections or a fire stopping and compartmentation survey, then see our passive fire protection and projects services for delivery. For higher-risk buildings, our Building Safety Regulator support can help with approvals and records. To discuss a programme, contact our team.