Fire Door Inspections: What Surveyors Look For

Fire door inspections are a routine part of fire risk assessments under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and are increasingly formalised under the Building Safety Act 2022. Whether the inspection is carried out by a fire risk assessor, a building surveyor, or a specialist fire door inspector (such as those certified by the BM TRADA Q-Mark or BWF Fire Door Alliance schemes), the process follows a consistent methodology. Understanding what inspectors look for allows building managers to identify and fix issues before the formal assessment.

The Inspection Process

A thorough fire door inspection begins before the inspector even touches the door. They will look at the door's certification label or plug — a small disc embedded in the top edge or hinge edge of the door that identifies the manufacturer, the fire rating, and the product reference. If this label is missing or illegible, the inspector cannot confirm the door's rating, which is an automatic fail in many assessment schemes. They will also check whether the door has a valid chain of certification — meaning the door, frame, seals, and hardware were all supplied and installed in accordance with the manufacturer's tested specification.

The physical inspection covers a standardised set of checkpoints. The inspector will measure the gaps around the head, jambs, and threshold using a feeler gauge or gap gauge, checking that they fall within the 2-4mm tolerance at the head and jambs and do not exceed 8-10mm at the threshold. They will examine the intumescent strips and smoke seals for continuity, damage, and paint contamination. They will test the self-closing device by opening the door to various angles and confirming that it latches fully each time. They will check the hinges — are there three? Are they the correct grade? Are all screws present and tight?

Common Fail Points

The most frequently identified defects during fire door inspections include gaps exceeding 4mm (particularly at the hinge side where hinge wear causes the door to drop), missing or damaged intumescent strips, closers that fail to latch the door, and the use of non-fire-rated hardware. Other common issues include unapproved modifications such as drilled holes, removed glazing beads, wedged-open doors, and the installation of non-fire-rated letter plates or viewers.

Glazed fire doors attract particular scrutiny. Inspectors check that the glass is fire-rated (wired, borosilicate, or intumescent-laminated), that the glazing beads are the correct fire-rated type, and that the intumescent gaskets between the glass and beads are intact. A glazed fire door with standard timber beading instead of fire-rated beading is one of the most serious defects an inspector can find — it renders the entire door non-compliant.

Preparing for an Inspection

The best preparation is ongoing maintenance. Implement a six-monthly inspection routine using a standardised checklist (see our separate article on this topic), fix defects promptly, and keep records of all maintenance and replacements. Before a formal inspection, walk the building and check every fire door yourself. Ensure all doors close and latch properly, all seals are intact, and no doors have been propped or wedged open. Having your records organised — certification documents, maintenance logs, replacement histories — demonstrates competence and can turn a potentially difficult inspection into a straightforward one.