Fire exit doors in Rochester, done to the evidence
For property owners, landlords and managing agents in Rochester, we offer fire exit doors with one team for the survey, the product and the installation.
Around Rochester, houses with integral garages, family homes after loft conversions and small blocks of flats all depend on fire doors that close, latch and seal. We survey each opening and tell you plainly which doors need work and which don't.
Shops, warehouses and schools in Rochester each need exit hardware matched to who will use the door in an emergency. Before quoting for an exit door in Rochester, we check whether it needs fire resistance, so you only pay for what the strategy requires.
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.
Each installation includes:
- Single and double exit doors in steel or timber
- Outside access devices and alarmed options
- Weather and threshold detailing
- BS EN 1125 panic hardware or BS EN 179 emergency hardware
Which fire door rules apply in Rochester?
Fire doors in Rochester fall under English rules. New and replacement doors are covered by the Building Regulations 2010 and Approved Document B. In workplaces and the common parts of blocks, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as clarified by the Fire Safety Act 2021, puts the duty on the responsible person to keep fire doors suitable and maintained.
For residential buildings in Rochester above 11 metres, regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 adds checks: communal fire doors at least every three months and best-endeavours checks of flat entrance doors at least every twelve months. Higher-risk buildings of at least 18 metres or seven storeys also come under the Building Safety Act 2022, where works may need approval from the Building Safety Regulator.
Who needs fire exit doors in Rochester?
Typical settings for fire exit doors include schools, warehouses and shops. In Rochester, as anywhere, the duty holder varies: a responsible person for a workplace, a landlord or managing agent for a block or HMO, or a homeowner after building work. We adjust access, timing and paperwork to suit whoever commissions the work.
The steps on a Rochester installation
- 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
Guide prices in Rochester
Budget around £1,100–£2,600 per exit doorset with hardware, supplied and fitted, ex VAT for fire exit doors. Our guide prices are the same in Rochester as elsewhere; what changes the cost is the doors themselves. Use our guide-price tool for a quick estimate.
Nearby areas we cover from Rochester
Neighbouring towns such as Chatham, Strood, Gillingham and Gravesend are covered too, so clients with several buildings can use one installer and one evidence format.
Questions from Rochester
Do you work in Rochester?
Yes, we take on fire exit doors in Rochester and the surrounding area, including Chatham and Strood. Send your postcode and a few details and we'll come back with survey dates.
What happens on a survey in Rochester?
We look at every door in scope: the leaf, frame, gaps, seals, hinges, closer, glazing and how the frame is fixed. You then get a written quote that prices each door separately.
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.
Can a fire exit door be locked?
It can be secured against entry from outside, but it must open from inside without a key whenever the building is occupied. Panic and emergency exit hardware are designed for exactly this.