Fire Door Inspection in Hertfordshire

Independent fire door inspections in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a wide commuter belt with very different rental markets, from the dense HMO stock of Watford to the period homes of St Albans and the New Town housing of Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead. Several district councils run their own HMO licensing schemes, and fire door condition is a common condition across them. Our inspections cover the county with dated, photographic evidence for every door.

Why Hertfordshire landlords and building owners need this

Hertfordshire covers a wide commuter belt and contains multiple HMO licensing regimes. Documented fire-door inspections are a common condition on both mandatory and additional HMO licences across the county.

What the law says

• Fire Safety Act 2021 — clarified that external walls, flat entrance doors and structure are all in scope of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for multi-occupied residential buildings.
• Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, Regulation 10 — in residential buildings over 11 m, responsible persons must carry out best-endeavours annual checks of flat entrance fire doors and quarterly checks of communal fire doors.
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Article 17 — all relevant fire safety equipment must be maintained in efficient working order.
• HMO licensing — ten district and borough councils including St Albans City & District Council, Stevenage Borough Council and Watford Borough Council will typically require documented evidence of fire door condition as part of licence inspections.

What we check during a fire door inspection in Hertfordshire

We follow the standard 10-point fire door checklist used in the industry. For each door, we record:

1. Certification and labelling — is there an FD30, FD60 or similar rating label? Top edge, hinge edge, or lock edge.
2. Gaps around the door — 2–4 mm at sides and top, 10 mm maximum at the threshold.
3. Seals — intumescent strips and cold smoke seals continuous and undamaged.
4. Hinges — minimum 3, CE-marked, all screws fitted.
5. Self-closer — closes the door fully from any angle, no slamming.
6. Glazing — fire-rated glass in a fire-rated bead system, correctly sized.
7. Leaf and frame — no holes, no repairs that compromise the fire-resisting line.
8. Threshold — solid, continuous, no damage.
9. Signage — 'Fire Door — Keep Shut' on both sides.
10. Ironmongery — locks, latches and handles appropriate grade and correctly fitted.

How much does a fire door inspection cost in Hertfordshire?

• Single HMO with 3–6 internal fire doors: from around £100–£180.
• Small block of flats with 10–20 doors including flat entrance doors: from around £300.
• Commercial premises with 30+ doors: bulk rate — please request a quote.

All prices are fully inclusive of the report and remedial recommendations.

Typical fire door issues found in Hertfordshire

Across Hertfordshire's commuter-belt rentals and HMOs, the issues we see most often are:

• Watford HMOs with worn smoke seals and over-painted intumescent strips.
• Large period houses converted to flats with non-fire-rated original doors.
• Self-closers removed from communal doors in maisonette and apartment blocks.
• Glazed doors fitted with ordinary rather than fire-rated glass.
• Letterplates cut into flat entrance doors without an intumescent sleeve.

Related services in Hertfordshire

• PAT testing in Hertfordshire
• HMO compliance (EPC + PAT + Fire Door)
• Full compliance bundle — EPC + PAT + Fire Door
• Fire door inspections: what the law requires
• Fire Safety Act 2021 — your obligations