FRA FAQ
A fire risk assessment should cost enough to fund real time on site, a stated fire door sample, photographs, written reasoning and a usable action plan. For a small block that normally means hundreds of pounds; a quote far below the market is usually missing one of those ingredients.
What you are buying
A defensible quote covers unhurried time in the building, including the parts that are awkward to reach; a stated sample of flat entrance doors rather than a glance at the nearest one; photographs tied to findings; and the reasoning behind each judgement rather than a tick and a rating. It should end in an action plan with priorities that a responsible person can run, and the assessor should be available for questions after delivery. In housing, a methodology aligned to BS 9792:2025 is a good sign that the reasoning will be traceable.
Competence is part of the price too. Third-party accreditation such as BAFE SP205, FRACS or an IFE register listing is how an assessor proves that someone independent has checked their work, and since Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 made choosing a competent assessor part of the duty itself, that proof has real commercial value. A competent person with credentials costs more per day than a generalist with a template, and should.
Red flags
The classic signs: a drive-by survey measured in minutes; a report that is visibly an unedited template, with hazards from a different building type still listed; no photographs; no flat entrance door sampling; recommendations so generic they could apply anywhere. Each one is a symptom of the same economy, which is spending less time than the building needs. The page on common mistakes in risk assessments catalogues how these shortcuts read to an enforcing authority.
The test of what you paid for is not the invoice but whether the assessment is suitable and sufficient, because that is what a fire and rescue authority, a court or a coroner will measure it against. Liability does not transfer with the fee: if the report falls short, the responsible person answers for it, as who is responsible if a fire risk assessment is not suitable and sufficient explains. Price against that risk, not against the cheapest email in your inbox.
FAQ
No. Price is a signal, not a guarantee, and a high fee can still buy a thin report. Judge the sample document an assessor shows you: evidence, reasoning, door sampling and a prioritised action plan matter more than the letterhead, the brand or the size of the invoice.
Ask how long the assessor will spend on site, how many flat entrance doors they will sample, whether photographs and written reasoning are included, what the action plan looks like, and what accreditation they hold. Vague answers to those five questions tell you exactly what the low price is hiding.
Small and simple premises usually land in the hundreds of pounds, while large, tall or complicated buildings carry four-figure fees, with assessment type and access moving the number inside those bands. The full breakdown of drivers and ranges is on how much does a fire risk assessment cost in the UK.
FRA Flow turns site evidence into AI-drafted, reviewer-signed reports where every finding shows its working. Built for UK housing, with a free tier.
