Fire doors are a vital safety feature in any business premises – but many property owners and managers aren’t entirely sure where fire doors are required in commercial buildings in the UK.
Understanding your legal responsibilities isn’t just about compliance – it’s about protecting lives and limiting fire damage. So, where are fire doors required in commercial buildings in the UK?
Fire doors are legally required in UK commercial buildings wherever they protect escape routes or high-risk areas. Other locations, like offices or a storeroom, are optional but recommended.
Fire doors are legally required in:
- Stairwells and corridors
- Kitchens
- Plant or boiler rooms
- Server or electrical rooms
- Final fire exit routes
In this guide, we’ll break down the legal requirements, explain where fire doors must be fitted, explore where they’re optional but worth it, and look at how requirements change between business types.
Jump Text
- Why Are Fire Doors Required in Commercial Buildings?
- Where Are Commercial Fire Exit Doors Legally Required in Commercial Buildings in the UK?
- The Different Types of Commercial Fire Exit Doors
- Protect Your Building with Compliant Commercial Fire Exit Doors
Why Are Fire Doors Required in Commercial Buildings?
Fire doors are designed to do three things:
- Contain a fire
- Prevent smoke from spreading
- Protect escape routes
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, often called the Fire Safety Order, makes this clear:
“The responsible person must ensure that all fire doors are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order, and in good repair.”This means that if you manage a shop, warehouse, office, or any other non-domestic property, you have a legal duty to ensure that fire doors are installed wherever they’re needed to protect people and escape routes. Fire doors are part of a building’s passive fire protection system – working silently in the background until they’re needed most.
Where Are Commercial Fire Exit Doors Legally Required in Commercial Buildings in the UK?
The exact placement of fire doors will depend on your building’s layout, use, and fire-risk assessment. However, the Approved Document B (Fire Safety) provides strong guidance, stating that:
“Fire doors must be installed between rooms and escape routes to ensure safe evacuation.”Here’s an overview of which areas must have fire doors, and when they’re recommended.
Fire Door Requirements by Area Within a Building
| Area in a Commercial Building | Required / Optional | Reason |
| Stairwells and landings | Required | Prevent vertical fire and smoke spread; protect escape routes. |
| Corridors leading to fire exits | Required | Maintain safe evacuation routes. |
| Plant rooms, boiler rooms, and electrical switch rooms | Required | Isolate higher-risk areas. |
| Kitchens (commercial or staff) | Required | Contain potential fire sources. |
| Doors leading to the final fire exits | Required | Protect the escape path until a safe exit. |
| Server rooms or IT rooms | Optional / Required | Depends on the heat and the equipment risk level. |
| Offices or meeting rooms | Optional | Recommended for added protection and insurance benefits. |
| Storage rooms or stockrooms | Optional | Strongly advised where flammable goods are stored. |
| Between a shop floor and a warehouse | Optional | Recommended for risk compartmentation. |
The Different Types of Commercial Fire Exit Doors
Due to fire doors being required in different areas of a commercial building, recommendations will vary depending on the type of commercial building and the space that the building contains.
Retail and Shop Environments
In shops and retail units, commercial fire exit doors and internal fire doors are crucial for both compliance and customer safety. Fire doors are required between storage areas, corridors, and any stairwells leading to exit routes.
It’s also smart to add fire doors between the shop floor and back-of-house stockrooms, especially if large amounts of packaging or flammable materials are present. These might not be legally required, but they significantly reduce fire risk.
For retail-specific options, explore our Retail Doors & Shutters page.
Offices and Multi-Storey Buildings
Offices typically have multiple internal partitions and floors, so fire doors are required in stairwells, corridors, and plant rooms. Internal office doors can be optional, but installing them can improve your fire-rating and slow the spread of smoke between working zones.
If your office includes server or IT rooms, these should also have fire doors fitted due to electrical and equipment risks.
Healthcare Buildings and Clinics
Healthcare facilities have stricter safety expectations. Because patients may not be able to evacuate quickly, fire doors are required between wards, corridors, treatment rooms, and stairwells.
Many healthcare environments install extra doors beyond the legal minimum to ensure compartmentation.
Explore our Healthcare Doors page for more information.
Warehouses, Factories, and Industrial Sites
Fire doors are essential in areas where flammable materials, chemicals, or heavy machinery are present. Fire doors are typically required for plant rooms, stairwells, and exit routes – as well as being recommended between production areas and administrative offices.
If your facility includes a showroom or shopfront, combining industrial roller shutters with commercial fire exit doors is a smart way to ensure both protection and accessibility.
Why Optional Fire Doors Are Still Worth Installing
Even in areas where fire doors are not legally mandated, there are strong benefits to installing them anyway:
- Enhanced Protection: Contain fire and smoke to limit damage and downtime.
- Insurance Advantages: Insurers often reward businesses that exceed fire-safety standards.
- Lower Repair Costs: Prevent small fires from spreading into larger losses.
- Future-Proof Compliance: Building use can change – so installing now can avoid costly retrofits later.
Adding optional fire doors between high-risk areas like kitchens, storerooms, or offices helps to create safer compartments, especially in large open-plan layouts.
Looking to learn more about fire safety law? Read our article: Are Fire Doors Required in Commercial Buildings in the UK to ensure that your business stays compliant.
You can also see our full range of Commercial Fire Exit Doors for compliant, durable, and custom-made solutions.
Protect Your Building with Compliant Commercial Fire Exit Doors
Ensuring that your commercial property is fitted with the right fire doors isn’t just about compliance – it’s about protecting lives, property, and your business continuity. Whether you need required fire doors for stairwells and exit routes or you want to include optional doors for further safety, the team at Sykes London Shop Fronts can provide expert advice and high-quality solutions.
Take the next step to make your building safer and get in touch with our team today.
