Importing a fire door: what evidence do I need?
Obtain evidence covering the complete installed doorset, a schedule of permitted hardware and glazing, written confirmation of the approval route, and an installation handover file. Resolve any mismatch before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge can gather factory documents through its staff in China.
Confirm the location and approval route first
Identify whether the door serves an internal room, garage connection, flat entrance or communal escape route. Give your installer and building control body the address, opening details and proposed assembly. Government guidance says replacement windows and doors may need building regulations approval. Ask for written confirmation of the applicable route and evidence needed before ordering.
The fire-door guidance cited here applies to England. For a property elsewhere in the UK, confirm the local requirements rather than applying England’s guidance automatically. In England, government guidance says changes to a flat entrance door should have the Responsible Person’s knowledge and agreement. Ask the managing agent who holds that role, and check any lease consent separately. See our building control guide.
Obtain evidence for the complete assembly
England’s government guidance treats a fire doorset as a complete installed assembly, considering the door, frame and ironmongery together. Request the full fire-resistance report, relevant classification or assessment documents, installation instructions and any claimed certification. Ask your specialist to confirm the fire and smoke performance needed for this location and whether the proposed configuration is covered.
Match the evidence to the factory, model, construction, dimensions, opening direction, frame, seals, threshold, fixings and surrounding wall. Ask the specialist to check exposure direction and any limitations on permitted variations. A certificate cover page or a report for a similar-looking door leaves these questions unanswered. Use our test-report verification guide for authenticity checks.
Freeze the permitted hardware and glazing
Request an assembly schedule identifying the permitted hinges, closer, latch, lock, handles, letterbox, viewer and seals by manufacturer and model. Ask the evidence provider to identify the document and passage supporting each choice. Include hardware fitted in the UK as well as items supplied by the Chinese factory.
For glazing, record the glass product, thickness, aperture dimensions and position, beads, seals, fixings and any side or over panels. Ask a specialist to confirm coverage for that exact arrangement. Separate component approvals do not establish combined performance, as our component approval guide explains. Require written review before any substitution, machining or added opening.
Check the supplied door against the agreed file
Before shipment, reconcile the production specification and packing list with the reviewed assembly schedule. Obtain photographs of product identification, hardware, seals, glazing and packaged components. Ask the factory to explain every difference, including parts described as equivalent. Keep shipment release conditional on resolving unsupported changes.
If retaining an existing frame, obtain a site survey and written specialist confirmation that the proposed combination is supported. Record the frame condition, dimensions, surrounding construction and proposed fixing and fire-stopping method. Ask the installer to flag site conditions that could prevent following the instructions before the goods leave China.
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Keep an installation and handover record
England’s government guidance says repairs or replacements identified through fire-door inspections must be undertaken by a competent contractor. Ask the installer for relevant experience and agree the handover evidence before appointment. Request a signed record naming the property, door location, product identification, installer, installation date and instructions followed.
Keep photographs before concealed work is covered, recording frame fixings, packing and perimeter fire-stopping. Record measured gaps, fitted hardware and seals, glazing details, closing and latching checks, deviations and corrective work. Retain the reviewed technical file, maintenance instructions and any completion document required by the confirmed approval route. Give the building’s Responsible Person a copy for a flat entrance door.
Frequently asked questions
Is a fire-door certificate enough?
Ask for the underlying reports, permitted configuration and installation instructions. Match them to the supplied assembly and intended location; a certificate cover page cannot answer those questions.
Can I use my existing door frame?
Arrange a site survey and have a specialist check the proposed leaf-and-frame combination against the evidence. Record any necessary changes to fixings, stops and perimeter fire-stopping before ordering.
Can I change the lock or add glazing?
Ask for written confirmation that the exact alteration is covered by the assembly evidence before machining or fitting it. Record the permitted product and arrangement in the agreed schedule.
Do I need approval to replace a flat entrance door?
Confirm the building control route before ordering. In England, government guidance says changes should have the Responsible Person’s knowledge and agreement. Check lease consent separately.