A two-person office in a converted shop may pay around £200 to £350 for a fire risk assessment. A busy restaurant, warehouse or multi-floor commercial building can cost several times more. The difference is not simply the assessor’s hourly rate. It reflects the size of the premises, the hazards inside, the number of people at risk and the amount of work needed to produce a useful assessment.
For a small business in the UK, a typical assessment usually costs between £200 and £700. Larger or more complicated premises may cost £1,500 or more. These figures are useful for planning, but they are not a substitute for a proper quotation, because two buildings with the same floor area can present very different fire risks.
A quiet office with one entrance, simple equipment and a small number of employees is relatively straightforward. A pub with a kitchen, cellar, commercial cooking equipment, late-night customers and several escape routes requires a much closer examination. The assessor has more to inspect, more people to consider and more possible sources of ignition to evaluate.
Typical prices by type of business
A small office or retail unit commonly falls in the £200 to £400 range. A standard small office below 500 square metres may be priced at roughly £200 to £350 before VAT, with the site visit taking around one and a half to two and a half hours. That visit is only part of the work, however. The assessor must usually review the findings, prepare the written assessment and explain any actions that need to be taken.
Restaurants, cafés and pubs often cost about £300 to £600. Kitchens are a major reason. They contain heat-producing appliances, cooking oils, extraction systems and, in many cases, staff working under pressure in a confined space. The public may also be unfamiliar with the building, which makes escape planning more demanding. A small café serving a limited menu will not necessarily require the same level of assessment as a large pub with several rooms and accommodation above it.
Warehouses and industrial premises generally sit around £300 to £900. Their risks can include machinery, charging areas, flammable materials, high storage racks, loading bays and restricted access for emergency services. The assessor may need to understand how the site operates at different times of day rather than judging it only as an empty building.
A large or complex commercial property may cost £900 to £1,500 or more. This category could include a building with several floors, multiple businesses, sleeping accommodation, unusual construction, vulnerable occupants or complicated evacuation arrangements. If several buildings are spread across one site, the final fee may rise again because each area and its relationship to the others must be considered.
The cheapest quote is not automatically the best value. An assessment that consists of a quick walk around and a generic report may leave a business with a document but no clear understanding of what to fix. A more useful report connects each problem to a practical action, such as improving a protected escape route, arranging emergency lighting repairs or changing the storage of combustible materials.
The assessor’s competence matters too. A business should be able to understand who will carry out the inspection, what experience they have with similar premises and what the quoted fee includes. A quote may cover the inspection and report but exclude VAT, travel, a second visit or advice after the report has been issued. Asking these questions before booking prevents a modest estimate from becoming an unpleasant surprise.
The premises themselves often provide the clearest explanation for the price. Floor area is relevant, but it is only one part of the picture. A compact restaurant can require more detailed work than a much larger empty office because it contains more sources of heat, more combustible materials and more complicated patterns of use.
The number of occupants also affects the assessment. Employees, customers, contractors and visitors may all use the building differently. Someone who works there every day may know two escape routes, while a customer may follow the first exit sign they see. People with limited mobility, hearing loss or other needs may require specific arrangements rather than a general instruction to leave the building.
Building history can add another layer. Older premises may have been altered several times, with partitions, suspended ceilings or extensions changing the original layout. A business operating in a shared building must also consider how its own procedures fit with the landlord’s arrangements and the activities of neighbouring occupiers.
What the assessment should cover
In England and Wales, a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for all non-domestic premises. The responsible person must carry it out and keep it updated. That responsibility may belong to an employer, building owner, landlord, occupier or another person who controls the premises, depending on the arrangement.
A proper assessment normally begins with a site inspection. The assessor looks for possible sources of ignition, fuel that could allow a fire to grow and people who could be exposed to danger. Electrical equipment, heaters, cooking appliances, smoking areas, waste storage, chemicals and production processes all deserve attention where they are present.
The inspection then moves to protection and escape. Are exits available and usable? Do doors open in the direction needed for a safe evacuation? Are escape routes clear, adequately signed and protected from smoke or fire for long enough? Can people reach a place of safety without passing through a hazardous area?
Fire detection and warning systems are another central part of the review. The assessor may examine the type and positioning of alarms, how they are tested and whether people can hear or otherwise receive a warning throughout the building. Fire extinguishers and other equipment should be suitable for the hazards, accessible and maintained rather than installed merely to fill a compliance checklist.
Emergency lighting, staff training, evacuation procedures and fire doors also enter the picture. In a small office, the necessary arrangements may be relatively simple. In a busy hospitality venue, staff may need clear roles for warning customers, checking toilets and closing down equipment. That is the kind of practical detail that separates a useful assessment from a stack of boilerplate paragraphs.
The written report should identify significant findings and explain what happens next. Some actions may be urgent, such as keeping a blocked escape route clear or repairing a defective fire door. Others may be planned improvements, such as revising staff training or replacing outdated signage. A report is most helpful when it makes the priority plain instead of presenting every observation as equally serious.
Businesses should usually expect to update their assessment annually, particularly in offices, warehouses and restaurants. A new assessment is also needed when there is a significant change to the building or its operation. That might mean a refurbishment, a new layout, different machinery, a change in the materials stored on site, increased occupancy or a new use for part of the premises.
Waiting for the annual date can be a mistake if the business has changed substantially. Moving a kitchen, adding a mezzanine, opening a customer area or introducing battery-charging equipment can alter the risks immediately. The assessment should reflect the building as it operates now, not the version described in an old report.
To budget sensibly, describe the premises accurately before requesting quotations. Mention the floor area, number of floors, business type, opening hours, approximate occupancy, sleeping accommodation, hazardous materials and any unusual features. Send the same information to several competent assessors so the quotations can be compared on equal terms.
A sensible budget covers more than the inspection fee. The assessment may reveal costs for repairs, staff training, emergency lighting, alarm maintenance, improved signage or changes to storage. Those costs are separate from the assessment itself, but they are part of managing the fire risk responsibly. A report that identifies a problem without allocating time or money to correct it leaves the business in much the same position as before the assessor arrived.