The State of Fire Door Competence 2026
What the fire door sector understands about competence, and where it is still falling short, four years after the Building Safety Act.
Published January 2026
Based on a survey of 126 fire door practitioners
Installation, inspection and maintenance roles
“Competence in fire doors is still being treated as something you attend, not something you can prove.”
Jonny Millard, Managing Director
WHY THIS WHITE PAPER WAS WRITTEN
Competence in fire door work is now a legal requirement, not an aspiration. Yet across the sector there remains significant uncertainty about what evidencing competence actually means in practice.
While legislation and standards set out what is expected, there is little practical guidance on how competence should be demonstrated on site. As a result, certificates are often treated as proof of competence, despite their inability to evidence experience or behaviours.
This research was undertaken to establish a clear baseline. It measures how competence is currently understood, discussed and evidenced by practitioners, replacing assumption with data.
WHAT IS THIS WHITE PAPER?
The State of Fire Door Competence 2026 is an independent, practitioner-led research paper examining how competence is currently understood, evidenced and applied within the fire door sector in England.
It is based on a national survey of 126 fire door practitioners working across installation, inspection and maintenance roles. The paper analyses how competence and SKEB are discussed on site, how practitioners believe competence should be evidenced, and where gaps exist between regulatory expectations and day-to-day practice.
The white paper does not assess individual ability or training quality. Its purpose is to establish a factual baseline, identify systemic weaknesses, and provide evidence-led recommendations to support the development of practical, defensible competence systems across the sector.
WHAT THE WHITE PAPER COVERS
Scope:
Fire door competence across installation, inspection and maintenance roles
How competence and SKEB are understood, discussed and evidenced on site
The gap between statutory expectations and operational practice
Method:
National practitioner survey
126 respondents
England-based roles
Conducted December 2026
Limits:
Respondents are already engaged with the subject of competence and fire door work
Findings may therefore present a more informed or conscientious picture than exists across the wider sector
Does not assess individual competence or training quality
Does not audit specific sites or organisations
Does not propose a single mandated framework
WHO IS THIS WHITE PAPER FOR?
Dutyholders and accountable persons
Fire door installers, inspectors and maintainers
Principal contractors and site supervisors
Housing providers and local authorities
Insurers and risk professionals
Training providers and awarding bodies
Regulators and policy stakeholders