Guildford Borough Council recently revealed that its fire door replacement programme for social housing has more than doubled in cost, rising from an original £2.5 million budget to a projected £5.7 million.
The reason? Incomplete data, underestimated risks, and a reactive approach to fire safety.
And while the extra cost won’t require additional funding beyond the council’s capital programme, it does shine a harsh spotlight on a critical issue facing councils, housing providers, and businesses alike: the cost of getting fire safety wrong.
The Cost of Poor Data and Delayed Action
The root cause of Guildford’s overspend wasn’t faulty installation or unexpected contractor issues.
It was a lack of accurate records and fire safety oversight.
When the work began, more properties and fire doors than initially recorded turned out to be non-compliant or in need of urgent replacement.
As inspections progressed, more issues emerged – pushing the project significantly over budget.
This isn’t just a financial issue.
In 2023, the council referred itself to the Regulator of Social Housing, receiving a C3 rating (the lowest level) due to serious weaknesses in how it managed and maintained its housing stock.
Fire door compliance was just one symptom of a much larger problem: a reactive, rather than preventative, fire safety culture.
Why Fire Door Inspections Should Never Be an Afterthought
Under BS 8214:2016 (the British Standard for timber-based fire doors), and with reference to the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, responsible persons – including landlords, housing providers, and business owners – have clear duties when it comes to installing, inspecting, and maintaining fire doors.
Regular checks are not optional.
Fire doors are critical passive fire protection elements.
They help compartmentalise fire, protect escape routes, and give residents time to evacuate safely.
Yet all too often, they’re installed and forgotten.
Without regular inspections and documented maintenance, fire doors become liabilities.
Hinges loosen. Intumescent seals degrade. Self-closing mechanisms fail.
And without a schedule of inspections and repairs, issues stack up silently until the bill becomes too big to ignore.
Proactive Maintenance = Lower Long-Term Costs
The Guildford case is a textbook example of why planned, preventative maintenance saves money in the long run.
Had routine fire door inspections been carried out annually — with accurate records and forward planning — the council could have:
- Identified failing or outdated doors in phases
- Budgeted and planned replacements in a structured way
- Avoided a reputational knock and regulatory downgrade
- Kept residents safer throughout
Instead, delays and missing data meant the council was forced into reactive spending — and a major public fallout.
Lessons for Businesses and Housing Providers
Whether you manage housing stock, a commercial building, or a school, the takeaway is clear: fire doors are not a “fit and forget” item.
A robust fire safety strategy should include:
✅ Scheduled fire door inspections (at least annually — more often in high-use areas)
✅ Trained personnel or qualified third-party assessors
✅ Up-to-date records of each door’s condition, maintenance, and compliance
✅ Swift remedial action when issues are found
If you don’t know when your fire doors were last inspected, it’s time to act — not just to stay compliant, but to protect lives and avoid budget blowouts later.
Final Thought
As Pedro Wrobel of Guildford Borough Council rightly said, “At the very least we caught it very shortly afterwards.”
But in fire safety, catching things before they become a problem is always the goal.
A small investment in inspection and maintenance today avoids the financial, reputational, and human cost of getting fire safety wrong tomorrow.
