Fire door inspection in Princes Risborough
Most buildings here are small. The rules for small buildings are different, and they are often misread.
Get a priceSmall buildings get the rules wrong more often than big ones.
There is a reason. The headline rule everyone has heard is about buildings over 11 metres. People with a three-storey house split into four flats hear that and decide nothing applies to them.
That is not true, and it is worth explaining.
What is different under 11 metres
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 set quarterly and yearly door checks for residential buildings over 11 metres with two or more homes.
Below 11 metres, those timetables do not apply. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 still does. It covers the shared parts of the building, and it asks the responsible person to carry out a fire risk assessment and keep the means of escape working.
So there is no fixed date for a door check. There is still a duty, and it is yours.
What a short visit looks like
A house with four flats might have five or six fire doors that matter.
Typically that is three or four flat entrances, the door at the foot of the stair and the meter cupboard. We can check those in a short visit. You get the same report layout as a larger building, with each door on its own entry and photos.
For a building that small, the report is often one of the few records that exist.
Common problems in converted houses
The front door of a flat is often a normal house door that was kept. Sometimes it is solid timber, sometimes a thin panelled one. A thin panelled door will not do the job of a certified doorset.
Some flat doors open straight onto the stair. If one of those fails, the stair is the only way out for everybody.
A door that is not suitable gets a plain certified doorset, fitted properly. We never suggest upgrading a panelled door.
Who enforces
Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service enforces fire safety in the town. If the building is let, Buckinghamshire Council is the housing authority.
Getting here
Luton, the M40, High Wycombe, then on. A long way for a small building, so we pair it with another job.
Photos of each door can be enough for a price. Otherwise tell us how many doors there are.
Questions we get asked
We have only two flats. Do we need anything?
The shared parts are your responsibility under the 2005 Order. A look at the doors is a sensible first step.
Do you inspect houses with a lodger?
Usually that falls under the rules for a single home, but it depends on the arrangement. Ask us.
Send the postcode and a rough door count. We will come back with a price today.
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