Booking

Book a Fire Risk Assessment

Updated September 2026 · England and Wales

Short answer: tell us about your property using the quote form, and we aim to come back within one working day with a fixed price including VAT and available dates from a qualified assessor near you. Once you’re happy, the assessor visits, and you receive a written report with a prioritised action plan. There’s no obligation until you accept the quote.

Booking a fire risk assessment should be simple, and knowing what happens at each step saves time on both sides. This page explains how booking works, what to have ready, what a good quote should tell you, and what your report must contain under the current law.

How it works

Booking a fire risk assessment, step by step

Tell us about the propertyProperty type, postcode, number of floors and rooms or units, and roughly how many people use it. If there’s a deadline, such as a licence application, a sale or a fire service notice, tell us that too.
Get a clear quoteWe aim to reply within one working day with a price including VAT, the type of assessment, the likely time on site and when the report will follow.
Pick a dateMost assessments can be booked within one to two weeks. If you need it sooner, see our urgent assessments page.
The visitThe assessor walks the whole building, looks at escape routes, detection, fire doors, compartmentation, sources of ignition and how the building is actually used, and asks about your procedures and records.
Your reportA written fire risk assessment with a prioritised, dated action plan, typically within a few working days of the visit.
Stay currentYour assessment must be reviewed regularly and after any significant change. Most sleeping-risk premises review annually.
Be ready

What to have ready for the assessor

Fire services ask to see these records when they audit a building, so a competent assessor will want them too. Having them ready makes the visit quicker and the assessment more accurate.

Your previous fire risk assessmentIf there is one. A review of an existing assessment is often quicker than starting again.
Fire safety log bookWeekly alarm tests, monthly emergency lighting checks and any faults and repairs.
Servicing recordsFire alarm, emergency lighting and fire extinguisher servicing certificates.
Training and drill recordsWho has been trained, when drills happened and how long evacuation took.
Floor plansEven a simple sketch helps, especially for larger or multi-storey buildings.
Evacuation plansPersonal evacuation plans for anyone who needs help to get out, and your general emergency plan.
Shared building detailsIf you share the building, the relevant lease clauses and the contact details for the landlord or other occupiers.
AccessKeys or access to plant rooms, risers, lofts, cupboards and any locked areas.

Source for the core list: Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, what to expect from an audit.

Compare quotes

What a good fire risk assessment quote tells you

  • The price including VAT. Many firms quote before VAT, and some don’t say either way.
  • The type of assessment. Type 1 (non-destructive, common parts) is the standard for most buildings. Types 2 to 4 cost more and should only be quoted if there’s a reason.
  • Roughly how long they’ll be on site. Twenty minutes in a three-storey HMO or a care home is a warning sign.
  • When the written report will arrive, and in what format.
  • Who the assessor is, and whether they are on a professional register or third-party certification scheme you can check.
  • What isn’t included. Remedial works, fire door surveys and external wall appraisals are separate. An assessor who also sells those works has a reason to find problems, so ask.

Typical prices are in our fire risk assessment cost guide, based on 20 published UK price lists.

Your report

What your fire risk assessment report must include

Since 1 October 2023, the law is clearer about what has to be written down. Your report should include:

  • All the findings, not just the “significant” ones. The old exemption for businesses with fewer than five employees has gone.
  • Your fire safety arrangements: how fire safety is planned, organised, monitored and reviewed.
  • Who carried out the assessment, including their name and, where relevant, their organisation.
  • A prioritised action plan with realistic timescales, so you can show what you’ve done and when.
  • A review date.

In buildings with two or more homes, such as blocks of flats, the key findings must also be shared with residents in a format they can understand. More detail is in our blocks of flats guide.

By property type

Guides for your type of property

What people actually ask

Pay for an assessor or do it yourself?

“Should we pay someone to do one (and split the cost between the three flats)?”

Flat owner taking over a building’s management company, MoneySavingExpert forum, June 2014

A small building of three flats is exactly where people weigh up a free template against a professional. You can do it yourself if you are competent to, but most owners pay, and split three ways the cost is modest: our cost guide puts the common parts of a small conversion at around £150 to £300. Whoever does it, the written record must include all the findings and who carried it out.

FAQ

Booking questions

Is the quote free?

Yes. Requesting a quote is free and there is no obligation until you accept it.

How quickly will I hear back?

We aim to reply within one working day with a price including VAT and available dates.

Do I need to be there during the assessment?

Someone who knows the building and how it’s used should be available, at least at the start. For HMOs and blocks of flats, tenants don’t usually need to be in, because a standard assessment covers the shared parts.

How long does the visit take?

Under an hour for a flat or small shop, one to two hours for a typical HMO or small office, and longer for care homes and large buildings.

What happens after I receive the report?

Work through the action plan in priority order, keep a record of what you complete and when, and book a review for the date on the report or after any significant change.

Can I use the report for my HMO licence, insurer or buyer’s solicitor?

Yes. A current, written fire risk assessment by a named, competent assessor is what licensing teams, insurers and solicitors normally ask to see.

Book Your Fire Risk Assessment

Tell us about your property and when you need it done. We’ll come back with a clear price including VAT and available dates.

Get Your Free Quote →