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Inspections & Surveys

Fire Compartmentation Surveys

Detailed inspections of fire rated walls, floors and ceilings to identify breaches in compartmentation. Clear reports with photographic evidence and practical remedial recommendations.

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What Is a Fire Compartmentation Survey?

A fire compartmentation survey is a systematic inspection of a building’s passive fire protection measures. The survey assesses the integrity of fire-rated walls, floors and ceilings, identifying any breaches or deficiencies that could allow fire and smoke to spread between compartments. Common findings include unsealed service penetrations, missing or damaged cavity barriers, degraded fire stopping materials and openings around fire door frames. 

Compartmentation surveys are typically triggered by a fire risk assessment that has identified concerns about the building’s passive fire protection, or as part of a proactive maintenance programme to ensure ongoing compliance. They are particularly important in higher-risk buildings such as residential blocks, healthcare facilities, care homes and educational establishments where the consequences of compartmentation failure are most significant. 

Our survey process

Our survey process is structured to minimise disruption to building occupants while providing a thorough and accurate assessment of the building’s fire compartmentation. 

Pre-Survey Review: Before we attend site, we review the building’s fire strategy, as-built drawings and any previous fire risk assessment findings to understand the compartmentation design intent and identify priority areas for inspection. This stage is critical, without an understanding of where the compartment lines are designed to be, a survey becomes little more than a visual walkthrough. We ensure we know what we are looking for before we start looking for it. 

Physical Inspection: Our surveyors carry out a detailed physical inspection of all accessible fire-rated elements, systematically working through compartment walls, floors, ceilings, risers, service routes and void spaces. Every breach and deficiency is documented with photographs, a clear description of the issue and a geo-located pin within the building to show the exact position of each finding. We assess the type and severity of each deficiency, distinguishing between a missing seal that requires a straightforward installation and a systemic failure that indicates a wider problem with the original fire stopping specification or installation quality. 

Our survey process

Reporting & Remedial Recommendations: The final report provides a clear, structured summary of all identified breaches, prioritised by risk and severity. Each finding includes a description of the deficiency, photographic evidence, the location within the building and a recommended remedial action with reference to the appropriate tested system. We also provide cost guidance for the remedial works, giving you the information you need to budget, plan and instruct the necessary repairs without delay. 

Remedial Delivery: Unlike many survey providers, we do not simply identify problems and hand you a report. As a FIRAS-certified passive fire protection contractor, we are able to carry out the full scope of remedial works ourselves; from fire stopping and cavity barrier installation through to structural boarding and intumescent coatings. This means a single point of responsibility from survey through to completion, with every remedial installation carried out to the same certified standard and with the same level of documentation as any new build project. No handoff to a third party, no gap between what is recommended and what is delivered. 

Who Needs a Compartmentation Survey?

If you are a building owner, facilities manager, property manager or responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, you have a legal duty to ensure that the fire safety measures in your building are adequate and properly maintained. A fire compartmentation survey provides the evidence you need to demonstrate compliance and identify any remedial works required to bring your building up to standard. 

Compartmentation surveys are equally valuable for developers and main contractors during the construction phase, particularly on projects subject to Gateway 2 requirements under the Building Safety Act. A survey carried out before handover can identify and resolve deficiencies before they become inspection failures; saving time, cost and difficult conversations in the final stages of the programme. 

Our experience delivering fire stopping, cavity barriers, structural boarding and intumescent coatings across hundreds of projects means our surveyors understand not just what a deficiency looks like, but why it happened, what it takes to fix it and what it will cost. That practical, installation-led knowledge is what separates a useful survey from a list of problems with no clear path to resolution. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

The duration depends on the size and complexity of the building. A typical survey of a medium-sized commercial or residential building can be completed in one to three days. We provide a clear timeline during the initial scoping discussion. 

We design our survey programme to minimise disruption. Where possible, we work around occupancy schedules and coordinate access with your facilities team. Some areas may require temporary access to ceiling voids or service risers, which we plan in advance. 

You receive a comprehensive report including photographic evidence of every identified breach, a location plan showing where each issue is within the building and prioritised remedial recommendations. If required, we can also provide a quotation for the remedial fire stopping works. 

While a compartmentation survey itself is not explicitly mandated by law, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires responsible persons to ensure that fire safety measures in their building are adequate. A compartmentation survey is the most effective way to assess and demonstrate this compliance. 

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