One of the most common questions we are asked is what a fire risk assessment costs. The honest answer is that there is no single price, and any figure quoted before someone understands your building should be treated with caution. This guide explains what actually drives the cost, so you can read a quote with confidence, and how to get an accurate, no-obligation price for premises across Essex and Greater London. It is general guidance rather than a price list.
Why there is no fixed price
A fire risk assessment is priced to the building, because the work involved varies enormously. Assessing the communal areas of a small two-flat conversion is a very different job from assessing a four-storey HMO, a busy restaurant, a care home, or an office over several floors. A single advertised price cannot reflect that range, which is why we give a tailored quote after a short survey of what is actually involved, rather than publishing a headline figure that would be wrong for most buildings.
It is also worth being wary of very low fixed prices advertised online. A credible assessment takes a competent assessor time on site and a properly written report. Where a price looks too good to be true, it often reflects a brief desktop exercise, or it is a low entry price designed to lead to upselling later.
What drives the cost
The main factors that determine the price of a fire risk assessment are:
- The type and use of the building. Premises where people sleep, such as flats, HMOs and care homes, carry a higher level of risk and need a more thorough assessment than a small, low-risk office.
- Size and layout. Floor area, the number of storeys, the number of flats, rooms or units, and how complex the escape routes are all affect how long the assessment takes.
- The number of premises or units assessed. Assessing several units or buildings together is different from a single set of communal areas.
- The level of assessment required. Communal residential buildings can need anything from a visual assessment of the common parts through to a more intrusive assessment that looks behind the construction, depending on the building and its history.
- Existing records and systems. A building with current drawings, certificates and a recent history is quicker to assess than one with no documentation at all.
- Access and location. Practical access to all areas, and where the building sits across Essex and Greater London, both play a part.
None of these can be judged accurately from a postcode and a phone call alone, which is the real reason a quality provider will want to understand the building before pricing the work.
What a proper assessment includes
So that you can compare quotes fairly, a competent fire risk assessment should include a competent assessor attending the building, a full inspection of the relevant areas, and a written report with a clear, prioritised action plan that tells you what to fix and in what order. It should be grounded in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the relevant standards. Our guide on what happens after a fire risk assessment explains how that action plan turns into completed work.
The cost of getting it wrong
It is worth keeping the price in perspective. Since October 2023 the maximum fines for serious fire safety breaches have been unlimited, and a commercial insurer can decline a claim where a required assessment was not in place. Set against that, the cost of a proper assessment is modest. Our guide for businesses covers the legal duties and the consequences of not having one.
The single-provider advantage
The assessment itself is only part of the total spend. The larger cost usually lies in the remedial works the assessment recommends, and this is where using one provider can save money as well as time. J&L Security arranges the assessment through a fire risk assessor we work with who holds AIFSM, TMIFPO and NEBOSH, and then carries out the resulting work directly: fire alarms (we are BAFE-accredited for the installation and maintenance of fire alarms), emergency lighting, electrical testing, and fire door works. Coordinating assessment and remedials through one company avoids the cost and hassle of managing several trades and several sets of paperwork.
How to get an accurate quote
The quickest way to get a realistic price is to tell us about your building. A short conversation, and where needed a brief survey, lets us give you a clear, no-obligation quote for your specific premises. We cover Essex and Greater London. See our fire risk assessments page, or call 0204 538 5925 or 0208 220 4770. You can also request a call back.