Getting fire exit doors right in Dover
From the CT17 postcode district outwards, we take on fire exit doors across Dover for homes, blocks and workplaces.
In and around Dover, fire door work covers everything from family homes after loft conversions to light industrial buildings. We plan each job around the people who use the building.
Shops, warehouses and schools in Dover each need exit hardware matched to who will use the door in an emergency. Exit doors in Dover can be fitted with outside access and alarm options that never stop people getting out.
Is every fire exit door a fire door?
Not necessarily. A final exit door leading straight outside often does not need fire resistance, but it must open easily in the direction of escape and be secure the rest of the time. If the exit door also sits in a wall that the fire strategy requires to resist fire, it needs to be a certified fire doorset as well. We check which applies before quoting, so you do not pay for fire resistance you do not need, or miss it where you do.
On a typical job that means:
- Assessment of whether fire resistance is required
- Commissioning and handover
- Outside access devices and alarmed options
- Single and double exit doors in steel or timber
Rules and responsibilities in Dover
England's framework applies in Dover. Approved Document B guides the fire performance of new and replacement doors under the Building Regulations 2010. Day-to-day duties sit with the responsible person under the Fire Safety Order 2005, and for multi-occupied residential buildings, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 add duties such as giving residents information about fire doors.
For blocks over 11 metres in Dover, those regulations require communal fire door checks at least every three months and best-endeavours flat entrance door checks each year. In higher-risk buildings, building work is overseen by the Building Safety Regulator, so we check whether approval is needed before starting.
Where fire exit doors fit in Dover
From offices to warehouses, the requirement for fire exit doors in Dover comes from the fire strategy or risk assessment for the building. We work from that document, or help you interpret your inspection report, before quoting.
How a Dover job runs
- Check the fire strategy and who uses the exit
- Select door type, rating and exit hardware
- Order doorset and hardware set
- Remove the existing door and prepare the opening
- Install, seal and weather the doorset
- Test exit operation, closers and security features
Prices for fire exit doors in Dover
As a guide, budget £1,100–£2,600 per exit doorset with hardware, supplied and fitted, ex VAT for fire exit doors. The figure for your Dover building depends on the number of doors, the rating, the condition of the frames, finishes, hardware and access. We confirm a fixed price after the free survey.
Dover and neighbouring towns
Neighbouring towns such as Folkestone, Deal, Canterbury and Ramsgate are covered too, so clients with several buildings can use one installer and one evidence format.
Questions
Is Dover within your coverage area?
It is. We cover Dover in Kent and neighbouring towns such as Folkestone. There is no charge for the survey.
How quickly can you survey in Dover?
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.
Do fire exit doors have to open outwards?
Exit doors generally open in the direction of escape, especially where many people use them. Your fire strategy or risk assessment sets the requirement for each door.
Which is better, a push bar or a push pad?
Push bars (panic hardware) suit public areas; push pads and levers (emergency exit hardware) suit areas used by trained staff. The choice depends on who will use the door in an emergency.