Fire door replacement in flats - regs and costs

[^woody^]

We're paying between £900 and £1200 for composite fire doors to communal landings. That includes all ironmongery, fitting and certification.

Any competent person can fit a fire door, not a specialist job so not specialist rates. Certification is not a requirement, just a client option.

The deadline thing is misleading, as it is accepted that the procurement process can take time. If orders are placed for fitting months in the future, that is acceptable if deadlines are missed.

 

[YorkshireMidge]

You have had one quote back from the three companies invited. Your argument about price is valid but this is about market forces, competition and availability of skilled chippies (the company will probably sub contract at least some of the work). The price has gone up almost 15% in three years, so even if you get a better price you might have to wait for it and hope you get lucky, and swallow another inflation based increase. As I understand it fire doors are there to stop smoke getting to the habitable rooms. In the light of grenfel most people would be looking to get out asap so is refurbishment of the existing an option for at least some to keep costs down.

As mentioned, the majority of the doors have significant issues that would take them beyond refurb as that has been looked into. They are the original doors from c40 years back when the place was built - by Barratt - so the fit and finish of their buildings from that era were never that good in the first place.

 

[blup]

As mentioned, the majority of the doors have significant issues that would take them beyond refurb as that has been looked into. They are the original doors from c40 years back when the place was built - by Barratt - so the fit and finish of their buildings from that era were never that good in the first place.

You might be lucky and find a sole trader with experience in this field, who would take the job

 

[YorkshireMidge]

We're paying between £900 and £1200 for composite fire doors to communal landings. That includes all ironmongery, fitting and certification.

Any competent person can fit a fire door, not a specialist job so not specialist rates. Certification is not a requirement, just a client option.

The deadline thing is misleading, as it is accepted that the procurement process can take time. If orders are placed for fitting months in the future, that is acceptable if deadlines are missed.

Thanks - that at least gives me a real world figure to compare with, and I can then make adjustments for the situation we have (and other factors people have contributed) and take a view. It is the management company setting the deadline, and I can see why given this has been rumbling on for years - and I'm sure you're right that it is a notional one to get the work planned in and confirmed. The management company had the cross-corridor fire doors replaced ages ago, and if they owned (or could by consensus have taken ownership of) the flat entrance doors, this would all have been sorted at the same time and for less money.

It is also the management company insisting on proper certification by whoever does the work, and given they are responsible for a building full of older folk, I don't think that is unreasonable either.

 

[YorkshireMidge]

You might be lucky and find a sole trader with experience in this field, who would take the job

The issue seems to be that the management company is insisting on product certification and installer accreditation too (e.g. BM Trada, IFC, FIRAS).
Having looked into the BM Trada scheme as an example, it seems to run to several grand per year for each of installation and maintenance of fire doors. That would seem to rule out the majority of sole trader joiners unless (as you correctly point out) they happen to specialise in that field and consider the investment worthwhile. As with any accreditation, it's no guarantee you will actually get anything better than any competant tradesperson doing the work who has read up on what they need to do - but I guess it allows the responsible person for the building to say they have taken all reasonable steps to assure the work.

We're paying between £900 and £1200 for composite fire doors to communal landings. That includes all ironmongery, fitting and certification.

Any competent person can fit a fire door, not a specialist job so not specialist rates. Certification is not a requirement, just a client option.

The deadline thing is misleading, as it is accepted that the procurement process can take time. If orders are placed for fitting months in the future, that is acceptable if deadlines are missed.

@^woody^ Just out of curiosity, is that rate getting you an installation accredited installer? Thanks.

 

[blup]

Separate certification for fire doors and their installation is available so it may not unreasonable to require it, you probably have a right to appeal.