FD30 fire doors in Braintree, done to the evidence
Our FD30 fire doors service covers Braintree and the wider Essex area. Every job starts with a survey of the openings, so the quote reflects your actual doors rather than a guess.
In and around Braintree, fire door work covers everything from houses with integral garages to high-street shops. We plan each job around the people who use the building.
For a mixed portfolio in Braintree, we can survey every FD30 opening in one visit and price leaf-only and doorset options side by side. Each FD30 leaf we supply for Braintree is sized for the opening, rather than trimmed beyond what its certification allows.
What does a correct FD30 installation include?
A typical timber FD30 leaf is around 44mm thick and hangs on at least three fire-tested hinges. The gaps between leaf and frame are set to the manufacturer's data, usually around 3mm. Intumescent strips, and smoke seals where needed, go in the frame or leaf edge as specified. The closer must pull the door shut and latch it from any angle. Every hole cut for a lock, latch or hinge is lined with intumescent material where the certification calls for it.
Then comes the part that is often skipped: sealing the gap between the frame and the wall with a tested material, as BS 8214:2026 now sets out in more detail.
Each installation includes:
- Intumescent strips and smoke seals to the certification
- Fire-tested hinges, latch or lock and intumescent pads
- Overhead closer set to close and latch
- Photo record, product data and certificate references at handover
Fire door law for Braintree properties
In Braintree, as elsewhere in England, the starting point is the Fire Safety Order 2005: whoever controls a workplace or the shared parts of a residential block must make sure its fire doors work. When doors are replaced, the Building Regulations and Approved Document B set the standard the new work has to meet.
Blocks above 11 metres have a specific routine under regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: quarterly checks of communal fire doors and annual best-endeavours checks of flat front doors. If your Braintree building is a higher-risk building under the Building Safety Act 2022, we confirm the approval route with the Principal Accountable Person before any work is ordered.
Which buildings in Braintree need FD30 fire doors?
The need for FD30 fire doors usually arises in shops or offices, and sometimes blocks of flats. Each has its own pressures, such as residents at home or a building that must stay open, so we plan the sequence of work in Braintree to keep escape routes protected throughout.
The steps on a Braintree installation
- Measure the opening, check the frame and confirm the rating needed
- Order a certified leaf or doorset to size, with matching components
- Remove the old door and assess the frame or structural opening
- Fix the frame and hang the leaf to the certified gap tolerances
- Fit seals, hinges, latch, closer and signage, then test close-and-latch
- Seal the frame-to-wall gap, make good and record the evidence
Prices for FD30 fire doors in Braintree
Guide pricing for FD30 fire doors: £300–£600 for a leaf into a sound existing frame; £650–£1,300 for a doorset, ex VAT. Volume work across several doors in one Braintree building usually brings the per-door cost down. Your written quote is fixed once we have surveyed.
Braintree and neighbouring towns
Braintree is about 39.4 km from Southend-on-Sea, and we cover both, along with nearby Witham and Chelmsford. Send us your postcode and we'll confirm survey dates.
Common questions
Do you cover CM7 and nearby postcodes?
Yes. We cover Braintree including CM7, and nearby towns such as Witham and Chelmsford. The survey and written quote are free.
How quickly can you survey in Braintree?
It depends on the number of doors and access, but we offer survey dates as soon as we reply to your enquiry. If an inspection has found urgent safety issues, tell us and we'll prioritise.
What is the difference between FD30 and FD30S?
FD30S has been tested for smoke control as well as fire. It adds a smoke seal, usually a brush or blade, and needs a tight threshold gap. Flat entrance doors and doors onto protected escape routes are commonly specified as FD30S.
Can a new FD30 door go into my old frame?
Sometimes. The frame has to be sound, square, securely fixed and compatible with the new leaf's certification. Many older frames are not, especially softwood linings or frames altered for previous doors. We check each frame on the survey and recommend a doorset only where the frame cannot be relied on.