Choosing a fire risk assessor is one of the most important decisions a Responsible Person makes. The assessment shapes how you manage fire safety for years afterwards, and if it is wrong, the legal responsibility stays with you. Yet there is no single licence for fire risk assessors in the UK, and many companies make very similar claims, so it can be hard to tell them apart.
In this post we explain what the law expects, how to check whether an assessor is competent for your building, the warning signs to look out for, and how to compare quotes fairly.
Do you need an outside assessor?
Under Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person must make sure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out. The law does not insist that you use a consultant. In a small, simple workplace, such as a single-storey shop with a few staff, a Responsible Person with the right knowledge may be able to carry out the assessment themselves, using the government's published guides.
For most buildings, however, the sensible choice is to appoint a professional. This is particularly true where people sleep on the premises, such as in HMOs, flats, hotels and care homes, and in larger, older or more complex buildings. Article 18 of the Order allows you to appoint a competent person to help, and since October 2023 Responsible Persons in England must record the name of the person or organisation who carried out the assessment.
What does competent mean?
The Order describes a competent person as someone with sufficient training and experience or knowledge, along with other qualities, to carry out the work properly. In practice, that means an assessor whose competence matches the building in front of them. Someone well suited to a small office may not have the experience needed for a care home, a listed building or a block of flats with a complex fire strategy.
A competent assessor should also work to a recognised method. For housing, such as HMOs and blocks of flats, the current code of practice is BS 9792:2025, which replaced PAS 79-2. For other premises, such as offices, shops and factories, the equivalent document is PAS 79-1. It is reasonable to ask a prospective assessor which method they follow and how their report is structured.
How to check an assessor's competence
The Fire Sector Federation's guide to choosing a competent fire risk assessor recommends looking for independent evidence of competence, rather than relying on a company's own description of itself. There are several things you can check:
- Qualifications. Look for a qualification specific to fire risk assessment, such as an ABBE or FPA Level 3 or Level 4 award, and ask what level each assessor holds.
- Registration with a professional body. Bodies such as the Institution of Fire Engineers and the Institute of Fire Safety Managers keep registers of fire risk assessors who have been assessed against agreed criteria.
- Third-party certification. UKAS-accredited schemes, such as BAFE SP205 for companies and Warringtonfire FRACS for individuals and companies, involve regular checks on the quality of completed reports and the company's management systems.
- Relevant experience. Ask how many assessments of your type of building the assessor has carried out, and whether they can provide references from similar clients.
- Continuing professional development. Fire safety guidance changes regularly, so a good assessor should be able to show how they keep their knowledge up to date.
- Insurance. The company should hold professional indemnity insurance appropriate to the work.
Registration and certification can usually be checked on the relevant body's website. It is worth doing this directly, as listings on a company's own website can be out of date.
Experience alone is not enoughA background in the fire and rescue service, or in another part of the fire industry, can be valuable. However, it does not by itself show that someone is competent to carry out fire risk assessments. Ask about specific training and experience in fire risk assessment, as you would with any other candidate.
Warning signs to look out for
Most assessors do a professional job, but there are some signs that should make you ask more questions before appointing anyone, such as:
- an offer to complete the assessment remotely, or from photographs, without visiting the building
- a price far below other quotes for the same scope, which often means very little time on site
- an expected visit that seems too short for the size of the building
- an unwillingness to tell you who will carry out the assessment, or what qualifications they hold
- a promise to deliver the finished report on the same day as the visit, which leaves little time to consider the findings properly or have them checked
- no second assessor named to review and validate the report before it is issued, which suggests there may be no independent quality check on the assessor's work
- an offer to carry out other services on the same visit, such as a health and safety assessment, PAT testing or an asbestos survey, which suggests the company is a general compliance provider and not a specialist fire risk assessor
- a sample report that reads like a generic template, with little that is specific to the building
- pressure to buy remedial work from the same company, without that interest being made clear
On remedial work, it is not wrong for a company to offer both assessments and repairs, such as fire door work or alarm upgrades. The Fire Sector Federation's guide does, however, stress that an assessor should be impartial, so any connection between the recommendations and the company's other services should be open and explained.
Comparing quotes fairly
Quotes for fire risk assessments can vary widely, and the difference is often in what is included. Before comparing prices, make sure each company is quoting for the same thing, such as:
- the same areas of the building, as some quotes for blocks of flats cover only the common parts while others include sample flats
- a full inspection on site, with an estimate of how long the assessor expects to spend there
- a written report with a clear, prioritised action plan and a recommended review date
- a realistic timescale for receiving the report
- whether follow-up questions, or a review of completed actions, are included or charged separately
Giving each company the same basic information about your building, such as its address, use, number of floors and approximate size, will help you get quotes that can be compared fairly.
Keep a record of your choiceThe Fire Sector Federation recommends that Responsible Persons keep a record of the steps they took to select their assessor. A short note of the qualifications, registration and insurance you checked, kept with your fire risk assessment, will help you show an enforcing authority that you took reasonable care in making the appointment.
Looking for a fire risk assessor?
Our ABBE Level 3 and 4 qualified assessors carry out every fire risk assessment on site, and every report names the assessor responsible for it. We are happy to share details of our qualifications, insurance and experience with your type of building before you make a decision. We work across the North West, North Wales and the West Midlands, and if you would like a quote, please get in touch.
Get a quote Why choose Fletcher RiskThis article provides general guidance only and does not replace a fire risk assessment or professional advice specific to your premises. The Fire Safety Order applies in England and Wales. Other legislation and guidance referred to apply in England unless otherwise stated.