A fire risk assessment is a structured check of a building or site that identifies fire hazards and the people at risk, decides what precautions are needed, and records the findings and actions. In England and Wales the responsible person for any non-domestic premises, including the common parts of blocks of flats and HMOs, must have one by law. Published cost guides put a fire risk assessment for a small shop or office at about £180 to £350, with larger, sleeping-risk and high-rise buildings costing more.
Who needs a fire risk assessment?
Shops, offices, warehouses, venues
The employer, owner, landlord, occupier or anyone else in control of the premises is the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Enforced by the local fire and rescue authority.
HMOs and blocks of flats
The assessment covers the common parts, and since the Fire Safety Act 2021 also the structure, external walls and flat entrance doors of multi-occupied residential buildings.
Extra duties apply to blocks over 11 m.
Site fire risk assessment
The principal contractor or sole contractor should include a site-specific fire risk assessment in the construction phase plan and review it as the site changes.
HSE enforces fire safety on most construction sites.
In Scotland the duty comes from the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, and in Northern Ireland from the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010. The principles are similar, but check the local rules if you have premises there.
The five steps of a fire risk assessment
Government guidance for simple premises sets out five steps. A professional assessor follows the same logic in more depth.
- Fire hazardsIdentify sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen: heaters, cooking, electrics, hot work, stored waste and flammable materials.
- People at riskStaff, visitors, residents, contractors, and anyone especially at risk, such as people who sleep on the premises or have limited mobility.
- Evaluate and actRemove or reduce the hazards, then check escape routes, fire doors, detection and alarms, emergency lighting and firefighting equipment.
- Record, plan and trainWrite down the findings and actions, prepare an emergency plan, and give people the instruction and training they need.
- ReviewKeep it up to date, record when you reviewed it, and review it again after any significant change.
What changed from 1 October 2023
Record it in full, in writing Legal duty
In England and Wales, section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 means every responsible person must record the full fire risk assessment, including all findings, and their fire safety arrangements, whatever the size of the business. Before this, a written record was only needed in certain cases, such as employing five or more people.
Name who helped Legal duty
If you engage someone to carry out or review any part of the assessment, you must record their name and, where relevant, their organisation. Anyone you appoint must be competent.
Share information Cooperation
Responsible persons sharing a building must cooperate, and a departing responsible person must pass relevant fire safety information to the incoming one. In multi-occupied residential buildings, residents must be given fire safety information, including the name and UK address of the responsible person.
Blocks of flats Checks
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, in force since 23 January 2023, require quarterly checks of communal fire doors and annual checks of flat entrance doors in residential buildings over 11 m, and fire safety instructions for residents in all multi-occupied residential buildings.
How often should it be reviewed?
The law sets no fixed interval. The Fire Safety Order says the assessment must be reviewed regularly to keep it up to date, and in particular when there is reason to think it is no longer valid or after a significant change, such as alterations, an extension, a change of use or new work processes.
Construction sites
HSE guidance HSG168 Fire safety in construction explains how clients, designers and contractors meet their duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. CDM regulations 29 to 32 cover prevention of risk from fire, emergency procedures, emergency routes and exits, and fire detection and firefighting.
- Site-specific assessment. HSG168 expects it to form part of the construction phase plan, with a review process, because sites and workforces change quickly.
- Hot work permits. Where hot work cannot be avoided, a permit should set out the location, the work, the time and duration, how long the permit is valid and the precautions.
- Occupied buildings. Where work takes place in or next to occupied premises, the Fire Safety Order still applies to those premises, so the building's responsible person and the contractor need to coordinate.
- Complex projects. Large timber-frame and other high-risk sites may need a fire engineer or a competent fire risk assessor with construction experience.
What a fire risk assessment costs
Prices depend on size, layout, occupancy and risk. These ranges come from published cost guides and usually exclude VAT.
| Residential building | First assessment | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Small HMO (up to 6 lets) | £150–£450 | £100–£200 |
| Large HMO (7+ lets, 3+ storeys) | £250–£800+ | £150–£350 |
| Converted block under 11 m | £250–£600 | £150–£400 |
| Purpose-built block, 11 m to 18 m | £400–£900 | £250–£600 |
| High-rise, 18 m+ or 7+ storeys | £800–£1,500+ | £500–£1,000+ |
A review is cheaper only if the previous assessment is available and sound. If it is missing or poor, expect to pay for a first assessment. External wall and cladding investigations are usually priced separately and add significant cost.
Check each quote covers the same premises, the whole building or only the common parts, a site visit rather than a desktop review, a written report with a prioritised action plan, and VAT. A very cheap assessment that is not suitable and sufficient leaves the legal risk with you.
Choosing a competent fire risk assessor
You can do the assessment yourself in simple premises using government guidance, but you must be competent, and most larger or higher-risk premises use a professional. The Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council guide recommends two ways to check competence:
Registers run by professional bodies, such as the Institution of Fire Engineers' register of fire risk assessors, which is publicly searchable and aligned with BS 8674:2025.
Third-party certification of a firm or sole trader by a UKAS-accredited certification body, such as the BAFE SP205 Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment scheme.
The Fire Protection Association and the National Fire Chiefs Council also offer advice on appointing a competent assessor. Your local fire and rescue service enforces the law but will not carry out the assessment for you.
What to check before you hire
- Are you on a professional register, or is your firm third-party certificated, for example to BAFE SP205? Ask to see the certificate or register entry.
- Have you assessed premises like mine, such as HMOs, blocks of flats, care settings or construction sites?
- What professional indemnity and public liability insurance do you hold?
- Can you give references from similar clients?
- Will you inspect the whole building, and which methodology will the report follow?
- Will the report give a prioritised action plan, and does the price include VAT and a later review?
Prices in this guide are typical ranges from suppliers' published price lists and cost guides. They change and vary by area, so always confirm the price with the supplier before you book. Rules, fees and tax rates are checked against official sources.