Fire door hold-open devices for Dorset buildings
Whether your building is in Bournemouth, Poole or a smaller place in Dorset, we can provide fire door hold-open devices with the same evidence-led approach.
We coordinate with your fire alarm contractor in Dorset so every hold-open releases when it should. Where doors in Dorset care homes, schools or offices are being wedged open, a hold-open device is the safe fix.
Fire door work in Dorset spans housing providers with large estates, individual landlords, businesses and homeowners. We price every job from a survey, never from a list price alone, because the condition of the frames and the hardware makes a real difference.
Types of hold-open
Electromagnetic door holders are wall or floor magnets wired to the fire alarm. Hold-open closers combine the closer and the hold-open in one unit. Free-swing closers let the door move freely and close it on alarm. Some battery units listen for the alarm sound; these must be suitable for the alarm system and the building. The right choice depends on the door, the alarm and how people use the space.
Which fire door rules apply in Dorset?
England's framework applies in Dorset. 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 Dorset, 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.
The steps on a Dorset installation
- Survey the doors and the fire alarm arrangement
- Choose device type for each door
- Agree interface work with the alarm contractor
- Fit and commission the devices
- Test release on alarm activation
- Record results and hand over
Budgeting for fire door hold-open devices in Dorset
Guide pricing for fire door hold-open devices: £180–£450 per door for the device, excluding fire alarm interface work, ex VAT. Volume work across several doors in one Dorset building usually brings the per-door cost down. Your written quote is fixed once we have surveyed.
Common questions
Do you provide fire door hold-open devices across Dorset?
Yes. We cover all of Dorset, including Bournemouth and Poole. Surveys and written quotes are free.
Do hold-open devices need the fire alarm?
Hard-wired devices are released by the fire alarm system. Some battery units detect the alarm sound instead; they must be suitable for the building and its alarm.
Who tests hold-open devices?
They should be tested with the fire alarm as part of the routine testing arrangements. We test them at installation and record the results.