Fire Door Inspection Requirements Explained
Fire doors are a critical part of a building's compartmentation, and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 set explicit inspection duties. This guide explains what to check and how often.
In short
Fire door inspection is the routine checking of fire door assemblies — gaps, seals, closers, hinges, and glazing — to confirm they will resist fire and smoke. Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, communal fire doors in buildings over 11m must be checked quarterly and flat entrance doors annually.
What an inspection checks
A fire door only performs if every part of the assembly is intact and working together. Inspection is largely visual and functional, confirming the door closes fully and the seals, gaps, and hardware are all correct. A single failed component — a disconnected closer, a damaged seal, an oversized gap — can stop the door doing its job.
- Gaps around the leaf are even and within tolerance (typically ~3mm)
- Intumescent and smoke seals are intact and undamaged
- The door closes fully onto the latch from any position
- Hinges are secure with all fixings present
- Glazing and beading are intact and fire-rated
- Correct signage is present and the door is not propped open
Inspection frequencies under the 2022 Regulations
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced specific duties for buildings over 11 metres in height. Responsible persons must carry out checks of communal fire doors at least quarterly and use best endeavours to check flat entrance fire doors annually. For other premises, the fire risk assessment sets the frequency, commonly every six months. The duty applies to the whole assembly, not just the leaf.
Records and remedial action
Each inspection should be recorded against the individual door reference, with any defects and the remedial action taken. This per-door record is the evidence that the duty is being met and that defects are being managed. With potentially hundreds of doors in a building, keeping an accurate door register and being able to retrieve each door's specification, rating, and history is essential — and is exactly the kind of information that is often scattered across handover documents and hard to find when needed.
Related maintenance checklists
Related inspection checklists
Further reading
Sources
The regulatory positions on this page come from the following primary sources. Where guidance and legislation differ, the legislation governs — always confirm the requirements that apply to your own site and jurisdiction.
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 — legislation.gov.uk
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: guidance — GOV.UK
Frequently asked questions
How often must fire doors be inspected?
Can a fire door be repaired or must it be replaced?
What is the most common fire door failure?
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