When it comes to fire protection, installing fire doors is one of the most important things you can do. A fire door is designed specifically to slow the spread of a fire by trapping the heat and smoke behind the door, allowing you and your family enough time to escape.
Installing fire doors could save you and your loved ones from fire and smoke poisoning. Fire doors can be installed almost everywhere and are not as expensive as you might think. So, how much does a fire door cost? This guide outlines the UK’s average fire door installation cost as well as different types of fire doors and their benefits.
How Much Does Fire Doors Installation Cost?
Average cost in UK: £215
£65
LOW COST
£600
HIGH COST
£215
AVG COST
Next Step: Find out exactly how much your project will cost.
How Much Does Fire Doors Installation Cost?
Average cost in UK: £215
£65
LOW COST
£600
HIGH COST
£215
AVG COST
Fire Door Installation Cost
Fire doors are crucial safety measures for your family and tenants. They safeguard you against fires and smoke inhalation.
Although we hope accidents never happen, they sometimes do. If you’re not prepared for them, these accidents can have drastic consequences.
In addition, tenants have a legal obligation to ensure that the homes and buildings they lease out are up to fire safety compliance standards and meet all regulations.
The four types of fire doors are FD30, FD60, FD90, and FD120. The numbers in these names refer to the amount of time (in minutes) that the door will be able to resist fire.
So, FD30 is a fire door that will resist fires for 30 minutes, while FD120 is a fire door that will resist fires for 120 minutes.
FD30 doors are quite inexpensive and can provide a basic level of fire safety if combined with a fire alarm system. The heavier FD120 fire doors usually cost more, and due to their heavier weight they are not as suitable for everyday use as light fire doors. These doors will mostly be installed to protect areas with especially valuable or vulnerable equipment, or in commercial storage facilities.
Now, installation takes roughly 1.5-2.5 hours, adding £75-£100 to the total price depending on the job length and your home’s location. The factors impacting the cost will be discussed later in this article.
Fire doors increase in price according to their different types, with FD30 doors being at the lower end of the scale and FD120 doors costing more.
Fire doors range in cost from £75 to £300, but they are a wise investment when you compare them to standard doors that offer little protection against fires.
The table below displays some essential cost information to give you a better understanding of the fees related to fire door installation. We’ll provide more details about these costs in the article.
Fire Door Installation Cost Guide
DOOR Type | DURATION | Cost |
|---|---|---|
FD30 | 1.5-2.5 Hours | £190 |
FD60 | 1.5-2.5 Hours | £250 |
FD90 | 1.5-2.5 Hours | £330 |
FD120 | 1.5-2.5 Hours | £380 |
Galvanised Steel | 1 Day | £600 |
Fire doors don’t just come in unattractive, industrial designs – more modern options are now available for your home or office from a range of retailers and manufacturers. These fire doors cost not much more than a regular front door and they will help you protect your home and family from smoke and fire. For effective fire protection, you will also need to consider installing a fire alarm system. Lets take a look at the additional cost of Installing a Fire Door.
Price of Fire Doors
Fire door prices vary according to your needs and specification, as well as the level of security you require and the preparations required for installation. However, the following glazed fire door prices and costs for other models are as follows:
- Flush Fire Doors – £65 – 170
- Panelled Fire Doors – £79 – 286
- Glazed Fire Doors – £129 – 600
Additional Costs of a Fire Door installation
Although these costs are not required, they are commonly undertaken during a fire door installation. Therefore, we provided more information about them below.
Cost of Installing Fire Alarms
Having fully functioning fire alarms and doors is just as crucial as any other safety measure in your home. Fire accidents happen more often than you might think, but because of fire alarms, thousands of lives are saved each year.
The installation cost ranges from £100-£300. That is a small price to pay when compared to the value of human life.
Some alarms come with a carbon monoxide alarm and a smoke and fire alarm. This is extremely important because carbon monoxide poisoning is relatively frequent and challenging to detect without the assistance of devices like an alarm.
Smoke Seals & Self Closers
Choosing a fire door is only part of an efficient fire security plan for your home or office. The toxic smoke is even more dangerous than the actual fire – it can kill you in just a few minutes, which is especially dangerous if you’re asleep when it happens. Therefore you might want to consider installing smoke seals. Smoke seals for fire doors cost just a little extra and can save your life, they are simple strips that are glued between the fire door and the frame and thus prevent smoke from streaming through the gaps.
Also, an open fire door will not prevent a fire from spreading – so you should consider having a door closer installed as well. Self closers are metal arms that automatically close the door after it’s been left open or ajar – guaranteeing your and your family’s safety.
New Front Door Cost
While you’re improving your home’s interior with fire-rated doors, why not take the opportunity to improve the exterior too?
A new front door will spruce up your home’s look and typically costs around £1,000. The work is generally completed in one day, so there’s no need to stress about long-term construction noise or other issues.
The price of having a front door installed varies depending on the style of door you want. Some luxury doors are more expensive than some simpler doors, but they may also provide more features.
Electrical Safety Certificate
If you want to protect your home from fire damage, then getting an electrical safety certificate is a great way to do so. With this certificate, a contractor will test your home’s electrical circuits for any damages or hazards that could start a fire.
The typical cost of an electrical safety certificate is between £100 – £350.
Labour Costs and Timescales
Installation of fire doors is a rather quick and easy task, only taking around 2 hours per door. However, if you’re having every door in your home replaced, it will take a significantly longer time frame.
Labour costs approximately £40 per day or nearly £200 per hour. If you install multiple doors simultaneously, it will work out more affordably because you will be charged the daily rate instead of the hourly one.
The waste removal of packaging and old doors typically costs about £15, but this price may increase depending on various factors.
Cost Affecting Factors of Installing a Fire Door
Just as with any other job concerning your home, there are a few cost-affecting factors you need to take into account. Below, we’ve organized them into easy sections so you have an idea of how the price could change.
Location of Your Property
The cost of labor fluctuates depending on the region’s cost of living and how many contractors are competing for jobs.
For example, trade rates in bigger cities like London and Birmingham are higher because of the increased cost of living and population density; both of which create more demand for tradespeople.
In contrast, small towns and villages have a smaller population and a lower cost of living. Therefore, contractors need to be more competitive with their pricing to win work from this less abundant client base.
Ease of Access
If your door frames and spaces are already in good condition, the tradespeople or company you hire won’t have any problems hanging new fire doors.
If there are any preexisting access issues or you need repairs before the new doors can go up, they will be more expensive because they’ll take extra time.
Although it won’t be a significant price increase, be aware that the tradesperson has taken this into account when they were quoting you the initial price.
Size of The Job
Earlier, we mentioned that it’s cheaper to hire contractors for the day when you have larger jobs that need to be completed.
If you plan to replace all the doors in your home, you can save a lot of money by doing it all at once instead of changing them one at a time.
Another money-saving tip is to buy your supplies in bulk, rather than individually. But also keep in mind that it’s more efficient to complete an entire job at one time, rather than spreading it out too much.
Building Regulations & Planning Permission to Legally Install a Fire Door
While not every home is required by law to have fire doors, it is always a good idea to proactively install them.
Fire doors could be the lifesaving factor in a fire emergency. While you might not be required by law to have them, it is still a smart idea to install them.
In the following instances, UK building regulations specify that domestic properties require fire doors:
- A two-story house with a door on the first floor that leads to an internal garage, and another door from the garage back into the house.
- All new homes or properties that have undergone significant renovation, including loft conversions and those with three or more stories, must have fire doors leading from each habitable room.
Any home with a solid fuel heating system, such as a wood-burning stove, must have a fire door between the room where the appliance is located and the rest of the house.
If you live in a tenancy property, your landlord is responsible for ensuring that all fire doors are in place and up to regulation standards.
The regulations for businesses are unique, so be sure to speak with your local council. They will have all the information you need.
Types of Fire Rated Door
When choosing the best fire door for your needs, it often boils down to personal preference. There are three primary types of materials used for fire doors: timber, galvanized steel, and glass.
In the section below, we will compare and contrast these three types of fire doors:
Timber Fire Door
Many residential homes use timber fire door because it is inexpensive, has good design qualities, and is easy to install.
Timber fire doors can be used in combination with other materials, such as glass. You can find timber doors among all types of fire doors, including FD120 doors.
Galvanised Steel Fire Door
Many commercial settings use steel for FD 120 and sometimes FD 90 doors because it is more fire resistant and often creates a sleeker look.
You will most likely spot these types of doors with fire exit signs on them in large buildings, such as supermarkets, warehouses, and indoor parking garages.
Glass Fire Door
Glass Doors can give a luxurious feel to any space while still providing the fire safety ratings required by code. They can be expensive, but when combined with timber or steel, they become much more affordable and bespoke. However, reinforcement is necessary to make the glass stronger and more resistant to heat, so it doesn’t shatter.
Benefits of Installing A Fire Door
There are many reasons you should install fire doors in your house, which are summarized as follows.
Fire Safety
Fire doors provide remarkable safety in the event of a fire, giving you the reassurance that you and your family are safeguarded within your home.
Fire doors are beneficial not only because they help protect you in the event of a fire, but also because having them lessens stress and worry about fire safety.
Bolstering Quality
Fire doors are not only thick and solid, but they also feel more luxurious than standard internal doors. The extra weight of fire doors makes them appear sturdier, which can make your property seem overall more high-quality–an advantage when it comes to renting or selling.
A Classy, High-Quality Look
While some fire doors might look boring, many have gorgeous features. Modern fire doors come in either glazed or paneled options, and they can be quite beautiful. While these elements do not create a functional difference, they do make the doors look much more expensive.
Soundproofing
Unlike regular internal doors, fire resistant doors are thick and heavy, making them more soundproof. This is beneficial for people who want to reduce the amount of noise that transfers from room to room, especially in noisy households.
How Much Will It Cost to Remove A Fire Door?
If you’re looking to install new fire doors or renovate your home, it’s important to be aware of the costs associated with removing old fire doors.
In addition to the standard installation process, there are a few extra steps you’ll need to take when removing fire doors. This is especially true if you’re replacing them with non fire resistant doors, as the frame will more than likely need to be changed.
Keep in mind that it will usually take the same amount of time to remove your fire doors as it does to install new ones. So, for each door, you’re looking at about 1-2 hours, including the time it takes to remove the old door.
Expect to spend approximately £35-£50 per hour if you hire a contractor to do the work for you. On the other hand, if multiple fire doors need removal, then it is likely that you will be charged a daily rate by the contractor. The average cost for this service ranges from £150-£200 per day.
Remember, these prices are just estimates based on a range of different shapes and makes, and for the most accurate and up-to-date fire door cost in your area, or for information about other kinds of models such as external fire doors prices, you should get in touch with a local fire door specialist or manufacturer as soon as possible.
Find & Hire a Fire Door Installer
Installing a fire door requires expertise and should not be attempted as a DIY project. To have the job done correctly, you will need to find and hire a professional tradesperson.
Finding a reputable fire door installer shouldn’t be difficult. Wisetradesmen can help connect you with local contractors who will get the job done well and swiftly.
Please click the button below so that we can help connect you with an appropriate professional and get your project started as soon as possible.
While searching for a fire door installer, you may also find a qualified tradesperson through word of mouth. However, there are other things you’ll need to consider as well.
The first factor to consider is whether the carpenter is part of an accredited fire door installer scheme, such as the Q Mark or FIRAS schemes.
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) assesses the reliability of those responsible for testing, inspection, calibration, and certification services. You can check with these schemes to find a list of accredited installers near you.
Members of accredited installer schemes are qualified and experienced in providing quality services that have the support of a recognised organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do fire doors in the home always require a self-closer?
All fire doors between a dwelling and an integral garage must have self-closing mechanisms. However, other fire resistant doors fitted in domestic settings do not require self-closers if they are held open by a device that shuts off the power to the door when it is released.
Should the intumescent strip be installed on the door or in the frame?
Intumescent strips come in all shapes and sizes; some are fitted into a groove in the frame of a fire door set, while others are integrated into the fire door construction. Others still are surface mounted. No matter which type you choose, however, you must follow the manufacturer’s installation recommendations to ensure optimal performance.
Is it possible to install a fire door in an existing frame?
If you’re looking to replace a fire door with an identical one and the frame isn’t damaged, then that’s achievable. Although, it’s not suggested that you put a fire door into a standard door frame because they have different thicknesses which wouldn’t work together well. That would end up weakening the fire door and getting rid of its fire rating.
Is it possible to trim a fire door?
Timber fire doors have a trim allowance of between 1-4mm. Trimming should be done equally from both sides to make sure the door retains its originality rating and protection. You must follow the manufacturer’s instructions that come with each fire door, to keep the promises offered by said product.
How heavy are fire doors?
Thirty-minute fire doors (FD30) weigh approximately 45kg, and sixty-minute fire doors (FD60) are around 75kg.
Are fire doors dangerous to children?
Fire resistant doors are usually heavy and have a tendency to slam shut, which can pose a hazard for small children. They can also be difficult to open from the inside in the event of a fire.
Although you can purchase products that stop this from happening, be cautious. If you use a product to conceal the fire, it will also veil the door’s primary function as an escape route in case of emergency.
