The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 quietly turned fire-door inspection into a quarterly task for any block taller than eleven metres, and an annual one for the entrance door of every flat. Plenty of landlords and managing agents have realised they don't actually know what an inspector is looking for. The good news is that the criteria are not arcane — they are practical, observable, and you can self-check most of them in a few minutes per door.
Below is the working checklist our two FDIS-qualified engineers carry on their clipboards. We use it on every flat. If you run a portfolio, copy it into a spreadsheet and tick it off as you walk; if you run a single property, do it once a year and keep the dated photo in a folder somewhere safe.
1. Door identification and certification
Look for a small label on the top edge or hinge edge of the door. It should bear an FD30 or FD60 mark and a manufacturer reference. If the label has been painted over, planed off, or never existed, that is your first finding — the door cannot be confidently certified, and your inspector will record it as such.
2. Gap consistency around the perimeter
The Building Research Establishment expects a 2–4mm gap between door leaf and frame down both sides and across the top, and an 8–10mm threshold gap. Anything outside that range is a finding. A 3mm packing card or feeler gauge does the job; in practice, a £1 coin (2.4mm) and a £2 coin (2.5mm) work well enough. Take a photo at each measuring point and timestamp it.
3. Intumescent and cold-smoke seals
Run a finger around the seal track. Intumescent strips should be continuous, snug, and undamaged — they expand to fifty times their thickness when exposed to heat and seal the door against smoke. Look for visible gaps where the strip has been cut short, lifted away, or painted over. Cold-smoke brush seals (the bristly part) should be unbroken and not flattened by repeated closure.
4. Hinges
Three CE-marked hinges minimum on a fire door. Check that none are missing screws, that the screws are flush, and that the hinge knuckle is not deformed or bent. A door that rocks slightly when pushed at the lock edge has a worn hinge — record it as a finding even if the door is otherwise fine.
5. Door closer
The closer must hold the door fully shut from any opening angle. Start by opening the door 5 degrees and letting go: it should self-close and latch. Repeat at 30 degrees, 45 degrees, and 90 degrees. A closer that lets the door rest unlatched at any angle is a finding. Check the closer for oil leaks — a hydraulic closer that has begun to weep needs replacing within thirty days.
6. Latches, locks and flush bolts
The door must close fully under its own closer action, and the latch must engage automatically. If you have to push the door for the latch to seat, that is a finding. Multi-point locks must be in working condition; flush bolts on double doors must engage cleanly. Wedges, hooks-and-eyes, and any device that holds a fire door open without a magnetic release are not permitted.
7. Glazing and signage
If the door has a glazed vision panel, the glazing must be the original specification — usually a Pyroshield-type wired or laminated pane, with the original beads. A replacement that does not have the manufacturer's certification breaks the certification of the entire door. Signage must be present at the appropriate height, durable, and legible.
One sentence to take away: if a fire door does not look exactly the way it was originally fitted, somebody needs to be able to evidence why. That is the test the regulations apply, and it is the test the inspector will apply.
Bringing the inspection visit forward
If you self-check before booking the formal inspection, two things happen: the inspection takes less time (because the inspector is confirming a tidy door rather than discovering a list of issues), and the cost of any remedial work falls (because you've already arranged the timing of the parts). For our portfolio clients, we'll happily send the FDIS Inspector and the remedial engineer in the same vehicle on the same day — we still come back at the end of the quarter to re-inspect any altered doors.
If you'd like a structured remedial visit booked, see our wooden & fire-rated door repair service page or drop us a brief with your portfolio size and the borough you operate in.