Nobody can quote a fire risk assessment properly without knowing the building, which is why the prices advertised online are for the simplest case and why two quotes for the same job can differ by a factor of three. The variables are few and they are knowable, so the useful thing is to know what an assessor is pricing before you ask.
What moves the fee for the assessment
Floor area and number of storeys. Number of separate premises or units. Occupancy type, because sleeping accommodation and care settings take longer and carry more risk. Whether the building has been altered and whether drawings exist. Whether access to flats or plant rooms is needed and whether it can be arranged in one visit. And travel, which matters more than people expect for a single small premises.
Why the type changes the price
A type 1 assessment of the common parts of a small block is a different job from a type 3 that samples flats, and a type 4 with destructive opening up needs making good afterwards. An assessor quoting without saying which type they will carry out has not given you a comparable number.
The surveys that usually follow
A fire door survey is priced per door or per block of doors, and the number is usually higher than the client expects once cupboards and risers are counted. Fire alarm work is priced on the number of devices and the grade of system. Extinguisher servicing is priced per unit with a minimum visit charge, which is why one extinguisher costs almost as much as five. Compartmentation surveys are priced on the number of openings inspected and whether ceilings have to be opened.
Comparing quotes that are not comparable
Ask each firm for the same four things: the type or scope, whether the person attending writes the report, what the report will contain, and whether a re-visit after remedial work is included. Quotes that differ wildly usually differ on scope rather than on rate, and the cheapest desk exercise costs the most once an inspector reads it.
Questions people ask about fire risk assessment cost
How much does a fire risk assessment cost?
It depends on the building rather than on a list price: floor area, storeys, units, occupancy type, access and the type of assessment. Ask for the scope before comparing figures.
Is a cheap fire risk assessment a false economy?
It can be. An assessment that does not look at the escape routes, the compartmentation and the management arrangements will not be suitable and sufficient, and the responsible person carries the duty either way.
Why is fire door survey cost quoted per door?
Because the work is per door: each is inspected against its certification, gaps, seals, hinges, closer and glazing, and recorded individually. The count usually includes riser and cupboard doors people forget.
Does the fee include the remedial work?
Normally not. The assessment or survey identifies what is needed; the remedial work is quoted separately, and a firm that does both should say clearly which part of the price is which.