A fire door inspection answers one question: if a fire started today, would this door close, latch and hold back fire and smoke the way it did in the test? Most failures are small: a missing hinge screw, a painted seal, a widened gap or a wedge under the leaf. A short, repeatable checklist catches them before they matter.
Below is a 10-point fire door inspection checklist with a pass condition for each point, followed by guidance on frequency, inspectors and records.
Why fire rated doors need regular inspection
A fire rating belongs to the complete assembly that was tested: leaf, frame, seals, glazing and hardware. The day the door is installed, it should match that tested construction. From then on, daily use works against it. Closers lose adjustment, hinges wear, frames get knocked, and staff add locks, signs or hooks without knowing that each new hole can affect the rating.
A door that cannot close and latch on its own offers almost no protection, whatever its label says. Inspection is how you confirm that the door in the wall is still the door on the certificate.
The 10-point fire door inspection checklist
Work through each door with it closed first, then open it fully and release it. Use the door's documentation (certificate, data sheet or installation instructions) as the reference for any measured limit.
| No. | What to check | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Label or certification mark | Present on the leaf and, where applicable, the frame. Legible, not painted over, not removed. |
| 2 | Leaf and frame condition | No holes, splits, deep dents, delamination or open screw holes. Frame firmly fixed to the wall with no gaps behind it. |
| 3 | Perimeter gaps | Gaps at the head and jambs are even and within the limits in the door's documentation. |
| 4 | Intumescent and smoke seals | Continuous, undamaged, firmly bonded and not painted over. Brush or blade seals are not crushed or missing. |
| 5 | Hinges | Correct number fitted, none missing, all screws present and tight, no excessive wear or play. |
| 6 | Closing and latching | From any open position, the door closes fully and the latch engages without being pushed. |
| 7 | Closer and hold-open devices | Closer adjusted to close the door firmly without slamming. Any hold-open device releases automatically on the fire alarm. |
| 8 | Vision panel | Glass intact and uncracked, glazing beads and fixings secure, glazing seals in place. |
| 9 | Modifications and obstructions | No wedges, hooks or ties. No added locks, cat flaps, letter plates or signs screwed through the leaf without approval. |
| 10 | Threshold, floor finish and signage | Bottom gap within the stated limit, floor covering not jamming the door. Correct signage fitted, such as "Fire door keep shut". |
What each point means in practice
Label, leaf and frame
The label is your evidence that the door is a rated product. If it is missing or illegible, the door cannot be verified, and the usual remedy is to contact the manufacturer or certification body rather than assume. Look closely at the leaf for holes left by removed hardware. An open hole is a direct path for fire and hot gases, and it should be repaired with a method the door's certification allows.
Gaps and seals
Perimeter gaps are where fire and smoke get through first. Many standards and industry guides cite a gap of about 3 mm at the head and jambs, with tolerances up to around 4 mm, but the figure that applies is the one in the door's own documentation. Check the gap along the full length of each edge, not just at one point; a door that has dropped on its hinges will show a tight gap at the top of the lock side and a wide one below.
Intumescent seals expand in heat to close those gaps. They must be continuous and firmly bonded. Paint over an intumescent strip can affect how it performs, and paint on a smoke brush seal stops it working as a seal at all.
Hinges, closer and latch
Fire doors are tested with a specific number and type of hinge, commonly at least three on a standard-height leaf. Count them, check every screw, and look for wear on the knuckles. Then test the door: open it fully, let go, and watch it close. Repeat from a half-open position and from a small opening of around a hand's width. It should close and latch every time without help.
Hold-open devices are a common problem. The only acceptable ones are those that release the door automatically when the fire alarm operates, such as electromagnetic holders or closers linked to the alarm system. Kick-down stops, hooks and wedges defeat the door.
Vision panels, modifications and signage
Fire-rated glass is part of the tested assembly. Cracked glass, loose beads or missing glazing seals are a fail. Unauthorised changes are another: an extra lock, a cat flap, a letter plate or a sign screwed through the leaf may all fall outside the door's tested scope. Signs should be fixed in a way the door's documentation permits, typically adhesive rather than screws.
At the threshold, check that the bottom gap is within the manufacturer's stated limits and that new flooring has not raised the floor so far that the door drags or no longer closes.
How often to inspect
NFPA 80, the standard widely referenced for fire doors, calls for swinging fire doors to be inspected and tested at least annually, with a written record of each inspection. Annual inspection is the floor, not the target. Doors on busy corridors, stairs and hospital wards wear far faster than a plant room door, and many facility managers add a quick monthly or quarterly visual check for high-traffic doors, with the full checklist done at least once a year.
Inspect again after building works near the opening, new flooring, a hardware change, or a report of a door failing to close.
Who should inspect and what to record
The full inspection should be carried out by a competent person: someone with training in fire door construction who understands how the components work together and can recognise when a repair or change falls outside the door's certification. Routine visual checks can be done by trained in-house staff, with anything doubtful passed to the competent inspector.
Keep a record for every door, identified by a unique number on the door schedule or building plan. For each inspection, record:
- Door reference and location
- Date and name of the inspector
- Result for each checklist point
- Defects found and the action required
- Date the remedial work was completed and who signed it off
Good records reveal repeat faults and are the evidence an authority or insurer will ask for.
Acting on a failed fire door inspection
Treat a failed door as a gap in the building's fire protection until it is fixed. A loose screw or a closer that needs adjustment can usually be corrected on the spot. Damage to the leaf or frame, missing labels, or repairs involving seals, glass or hardware should be referred to the manufacturer or a specialist, using parts covered by the door's certification. Where a door cannot be restored to its tested condition, replacing the complete assembly is usually the right answer.
If you are planning replacements, see our fire-rated steel doors, fire-rated wood doors and emergency exit doors pages.
