Fire Safety Order 2005
What does fire safety compliance cost?
Fire compliance is not one purchase. It is a programme: an assessment that generates actions, then alarms, emergency lighting, extinguishers, doors, signage and training that each carry their own recurring cost, plus the records that prove all of it happened. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 puts every one of those duties on the responsible person. This site itemises where the money goes over a year, and puts your requirement in front of fire safety companies who will quote you directly.
Article 17
the duty to keep fire safety facilities, equipment and devices under a suitable system of maintenance and in efficient working order
Fines or prison
the consequence gov.uk attaches to not following fire safety regulations
What happens next
- Tell us what is in scope: which disciplines, how many buildings, how they are occupied. About two minutes.
- Relevant fire safety companies covering your postcode receive the requirement, and nobody else does.
- They come back to you directly with a price for the package or the individual lines. Compare, choose, or walk away.
Fire Compliance Cost is a free introduction service operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd; we pass your details to relevant fire safety companies who quote you directly. Providers may pay us a fee; nothing is charged to you and no obligation arises. We are an independent site, not a fire safety contractor, and not affiliated with or endorsed by any fire and rescue authority, BSI or certification body named here. Nothing on this site is fire safety or legal advice: the duties quoted come from legislation.gov.uk and gov.uk, and the British Standards referred to are paywalled documents we name rather than reproduce.
Where a fire compliance budget goes, 2026
Last updated
Every line below exists because a specific duty in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 puts it on the responsible person. This table maps the duty to the recurring spend it creates, what makes each line more or less expensive, and the question that stops you buying the wrong version of it.
This table lists cost drivers instead of prices, deliberately. Fire compliance is bought as a bundle of separate services whose scope varies enormously between suppliers, and a single published figure for a building would be invented rather than measured. The duties in the first column are quoted from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 on legislation.gov.uk and from gov.uk guidance, read on 14 August 2026. Where a servicing frequency is mentioned it comes from a British Standard and from your fire risk assessment, not from an interval in the Order; those standards are paywalled, so we name them rather than reproduce them. Use the form above to get real quotes for your own buildings.
| Duty and the spend it creates | What moves the cost | What to ask before you buy |
|---|---|---|
| Article 9, risk assessment: the fire risk assessment and its review cycle | Building size and complexity, sleeping risk, whether it is a first assessment or a review, and whether the building's structure and doors are in scope | What the assessor will and will not inspect, and whether the action plan is prioritised with target dates |
| Article 13, fire detection and fire-fighting equipment: alarm servicing and extinguisher servicing | Number of devices and panels for the alarm, number and type of extinguishers, number of visits a year, out of hours access | Whether parts, callout and out of hours attendance are inside the contract price |
| Article 14, emergency routes and exits: emergency lighting testing and remedial work | Number of luminaires, whether they are self-test or manually tested, the duration test regime and the age of the batteries | Whether the annual full duration test and battery replacement are included or extra |
| Article 17, maintenance: fire doors, dampers, door holders, signage and the compartmentation they protect | Number of doors, whether inspection is sampled or complete, how many defects turn into joinery work, and access to occupied areas | Whether the inspection price includes remedial work or only a defect schedule |
| Article 21, training: staff fire training, fire warden training and drills | Headcount, shift patterns, turnover, whether training is online or on site, and how many wardens the building needs | Whether refresher training and drill facilitation are included in the annual price |
| Articles 9 and 17, records: the logbook, service reports and the evidence trail | Number of buildings and disciplines, and whether records are paper or on a system somebody actually maintains | Who holds the master record, and whether you get your data out when you change supplier |
| Whole-package versus separate contracts | Bundling reduces visits and admin but can hide weak lines. Separate specialists are often better at each discipline and worse on coordination | A price per discipline even inside a bundle, so you can see what each line really costs |
- Fire safety compliance is a recurring programme, not a single purchase: the fire risk assessment generates an action plan, and articles 13, 14, 17 and 21 of the Fire Safety Order each create their own annual cost line.
- gov.uk states that the responsible person may be an employer, the owner, the landlord, an occupier, or anyone else with control of the premises, such as a facilities manager, building manager, managing agent or risk assessor.
- Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires fire safety facilities, equipment and devices to be subject to a suitable system of maintenance and maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
- gov.uk states that you could be fined or go to prison if you do not follow fire safety regulations.
Cite this page
“Where a fire compliance budget goes, 2026”, Fire Compliance Cost, https://firecompliancecost.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). This table lists cost drivers instead of prices, deliberately. Fire compliance is bought as a bundle of separate services whose scope varies enormously between suppliers, and a single published figure for a building would be invented rather than measured. The duties in the first column are quoted from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 on legislation.gov.uk and from gov.uk guidance, read on 14 August 2026. Where a servicing frequency is mentioned it comes from a British Standard and from your fire risk assessment, not from an interval in the Order; those standards are paywalled, so we name them rather than reproduce them. Use the form above to get real quotes for your own buildings.
Guides
Every figure sourced and dated.
- Fire safety compliance checklist: the recurring items and their cost
A year in the life of a fire compliance programme: which items recur, what each one is priced on, and where responsible persons most often overspend or underbuy.
- Responsible person duties: the articles behind every fire cost
The duties the Fire Safety Order 2005 puts on the responsible person, article by article, and the recurring spend each one creates in a real building.
- Emergency lighting testing cost: what drives the price
What moves the price of emergency lighting testing: luminaire count, self-test versus manual, the annual duration test, battery age and access equipment.
- Fire extinguisher servicing cost: units, visits and refills
How extinguisher servicing is priced: units on site, extinguisher types, travel and site count, and where extended service and refills change the annual bill.
Common questions
What does fire safety compliance cost per year?
It is a sum, not a price. The recurring lines are the fire risk assessment and its review, alarm servicing, emergency lighting testing, extinguisher servicing, fire door inspection, staff training and record keeping, and each is priced on its own drivers such as device count, luminaire count, unit count and headcount. Price the lines your building actually has rather than looking for a single figure.
Who is responsible for fire safety compliance?
The responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. gov.uk describes that as an employer, the owner, the landlord, an occupier, or anyone else with control of the premises, such as a facilities manager, building manager or managing agent. Buying in contractors does not transfer the duty.
What does the Fire Safety Order actually require?
Among other duties: a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment that is reviewed and recorded (article 9), appropriate fire-fighting equipment and fire detection where necessary (article 13), usable emergency routes and exits (article 14), a suitable system of maintenance keeping fire safety equipment in efficient working order (article 17), and fire safety training for employees (article 21).
Is fire alarm and extinguisher servicing frequency set by law?
No. The Fire Safety Order sets duties, not intervals. The servicing patterns used across the UK come from British Standards for each discipline and from what the premises fire risk assessment concludes. Those standards are paywalled, so ask each supplier which clause their proposed frequency follows.
What are the penalties for poor fire safety compliance?
gov.uk states that you could be fined or go to prison if you do not follow fire safety regulations, and that fire and rescue authorities can inspect premises and issue fire safety notices requiring changes. In practice a good record trail is what turns an inspection into a conversation rather than a notice.
Is this quote service really free?
It is free at the point of use and you are never obliged to accept a quote. Your details reach relevant fire safety companies and nobody else, and those companies may pay us a fee, which is what funds the site.