A fire door is not just a heavy door. It is a labelled assembly — door, frame, hinges, closer, latch and any glazing — tested and certified as a unit. Change one component incorrectly and the certification no longer applies, regardless of how sound the door looks.
Typical range: $250–$3500 CAD. Ranges are typical for the GTA and depend on the door, the hardware and the time of day. We confirm the price before dispatching.
What an inspection covers
- Labels present and legible on both the door and the frame
- The door self-closes fully from any open position and positively latches
- No holes, penetrations or field modifications that void the label
- Clearances within tolerance at the head, jambs and sill
- Hinges secure, complete and with all fasteners present
- No missing or broken hardware, and no unapproved attachments
- Glazing and vision panels correct for the rating, with intact glazing beads
- No paint or debris obstructing the latch or the closer
- Signage and hold-open devices correct and alarm-interfaced where present
The deficiencies we find most often
By a wide margin, the most common finding is a door that does not positively latch. The closer has weakened or been adjusted down, and the door drifts to within an inch of the frame and stops. Under fire conditions that door will be pushed open by pressure, which is precisely the failure the assembly exists to prevent.
Second most common is a door held open with a wedge, a hook, an extinguisher or a bin. Where a door genuinely needs to stand open during the day, the compliant solution is a magnetic hold-open interfaced to the fire alarm, which releases the door automatically on activation. It costs far less than most people assume.
Third is field modification — a hole drilled for a card reader, a mail slot cut in, a kick plate fastened through the door, a peephole added. Any penetration outside the listing voids the label on that assembly.
Hardware on fire doors
Everything fitted to a fire door must be listed for fire door use. That includes the closer, the lockset or exit device, the hinges and even the kick plate above a certain height. A standard commercial closer is not automatically acceptable, and neither is a lockset without positive latching.
Deadbolts are a particular problem. A fire door needs a latch that engages automatically when the door closes; a deadbolt that requires someone to throw it does not satisfy positive latching and, on an exit, introduces an egress issue as well.
Documentation
Inspections should be recorded, and the record should list each assembly, what was found, and what was corrected. That record is what you produce to an inspector or an insurer, and it is what demonstrates that maintenance is actually being carried out.
We supply a written report per assembly with photographs, and a clear separation between items corrected on the visit and items requiring further work with what each involves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do fire doors need to be inspected?
Annual inspection of fire door assemblies is the widely applied standard, and Ontario Fire Code maintenance obligations require that fire separations and their closures be kept in good working order. Buildings with heavy traffic or a history of deficiencies benefit from more frequent checks. Your insurer may also set its own interval, which sometimes exceeds the code minimum.
Can I drill a hole in a fire door for a card reader?
Not in the field on a labelled assembly — any penetration outside the original listing voids the label. What is possible is hardware prepared under the listing, or a reader mounted on the wall beside the door rather than on the door itself, with the electrified component in the frame. There is nearly always a compliant route to the same functionality; it just is not a drill on site.
My fire door does not close properly. How urgent is that?
Treat it as urgent. A fire door that does not close and latch provides no separation at all, which means the compartmentation the building depends on is not there. It is also a straightforward inspection failure and a potential insurance problem after an incident. In most cases it is a closer adjustment or replacement, which is a same-day fix.
Can a fire door be held open?
Only with a hold-open device interfaced to the fire alarm system so it releases automatically on activation. Wedges, hooks, tied-back chains and propped objects are not permitted and are among the most frequently cited deficiencies. If a door needs to stand open operationally, an alarm-interfaced magnetic hold-open is the legitimate way to do it.
Fire-Rated Doors across the GTA
We provide fire-rated door inspection & service throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Pick your city for local detail, or call and we will tell you straight away whether you are in range.
Related services
Door Closers
Surface, concealed and floor-spring closers supplied, adjusted and replaced — including the fire-rated assemblies that have to self-close and positively latch to pass inspection.
Panic Bars & Exit Devices
Rim, mortise, surface vertical rod and concealed vertical rod exit devices — installed, repaired, retrofitted and brought into compliance.
Commercial Door Repair
Doors that bind, drag, sag, will not latch or will not close — diagnosed at the door and frame rather than blamed on the lock.
Magnetic Locks
Electromagnetic locks installed with compliant egress — request-to-exit, fire-alarm interface and power-loss release done to code.