New build residential
Fire strategies for new houses and blocks of flats at planning and Building Control stage, including single stair justification and the second staircase provisions in force from 30 September 2026.
Fire risk assessments and fire strategies that stand up to scrutiny.
Independent fire safety consultancy for landlords, managing agents, developers and design teams. Clear, defensible documents that satisfy Building Control and the Fire Authority without over-engineering the cost.
Fire Risk Assessment
Type 1 to 4 assessments for blocks of flats, HMOs, commercial and mixed-use premises.
Fire Strategy
Building Control ready strategies for new build, conversions and change of use, to the latest Approved Document B.
Request a fee proposal
Working across the United Kingdom, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
- InsuredProfessional indemnity and public liability
- RegisteredNFRAR Advanced Level
- MemberInstitution of Fire Engineers, MIFireE
- FellowInstitute of Fire Safety Managers, FIFSM
- QualifiedBSc (Hons)
Fire risk assessment
Fire risk assessments for blocks of flats, HMOs and commercial premises.
If you are the responsible person for a building, the law requires a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, recorded in full and kept under review. We assess single buildings and whole portfolios to PAS 79-1:2020 for non-housing premises and BS 9792:2025 for housing, with a prioritised, plain-English action plan.
Type 1 to 4 assessments in residential buildings
Government guidance for purpose-built blocks of flats sets out four types of fire risk assessment, defined by how far the inspection goes and whether construction is opened up. The right type controls both the cost and what the assessment can tell you.
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Type 1 is the starting point
The basic assessment required to satisfy the Fire Safety Order, and normally sufficient for most purpose-built blocks unless there is reason to expect serious deficiencies.
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Opening up only where justified
Types 2 and 4 open up construction on a sampling basis, usually with a contractor to make good, and are only appropriate where there is good reason.
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Inside the flats
Types 3 and 4 extend into a sample of flats, beyond the scope of the Fire Safety Order. They are not normally possible in long leasehold flats, where the freeholder usually has no right of access.
Not sure which type you need? Send us the address, height and number of flats, with the date of the last assessment. We will recommend the right type and confirm a fixed fee.
Request a fire risk assessment quote- Inspected
- Flat entrance doors, sample
- Opening up, sample
- Detection in flats checked
Type 1: common parts only, non-destructive. The basic assessment required to satisfy the Fire Safety Order. We inspect the common parts and a sample of flat entrance doors, lifting ceiling tiles and opening service risers on a sample basis where practicable. Flats are not entered beyond the entrance door.
Type 2: common parts only, destructive. As Type 1, with construction opened up on a sampling basis, usually by a contractor who makes good afterwards. Usually a one-off, carried out only where there is good reason to suspect serious structural deficiencies that could let fire spread. The age of a block alone is not generally enough.
Type 3: common parts and flats, non-destructive. As Type 1, plus means of escape and fire detection within a sample of flats. This goes beyond the Fire Safety Order, and can suit rented flats where there is reason to suspect serious risk to residents from a fire in their own flat.
Type 4: common parts and flats, destructive. As Type 3, with opening up on a sampling basis in both the common parts and the flats, often only in vacant flats. The most comprehensive assessment, appropriate only in limited circumstances, such as a new landlord taking on a block where the history of works is unknown.
Schematic section, not to scale. Types as set out in the government guide Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats, which is being revised.
The guidance we work to
The government's fire risk assessment guides, published under Article 50 of the Fire Safety Order and now overseen by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, together with the LACORS guide for existing housing, including HMOs.
Purpose-built blocks of flatsRead on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)
Small blocks of flatsRead on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)
Housing: fire safety (LACORS)Read the guide (opens in a new tab)
Sleeping accommodationRead on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)
Means of escape for disabled peopleRead on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)
Offices and shopsRead on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)
Every assessment is led by an assessor on the National Fire Risk Assessor Register at Advanced Level, and backed by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Verify on the NFRAR registerFire strategy
If you are changing a building, you need to prove it is fire safe.
Building Control and the Fire Authority will ask for a fire strategy. We produce it for you: a clear document that sets out means of escape, compartmentation, fire alarm provision, external fire spread and fire service access for your specific building.
Commercial to residential
Change of use from offices, shops or banks to residential is where fire strategy matters most: the existing building was never designed for sleeping risk. We have delivered these from Victorian bank conversions to Class E to C3 schemes.
Mixed use and commercial
Flats above commercial units, extensions, and alterations to existing commercial buildings, with the separation and escape provisions Building Control will expect to see.
Flat conversions
Splitting a house or commercial building into flats brings compartmentation, alarm and escape requirements most builders underestimate. We resolve them at design stage, before they cost you money on site.
HMO conversions
Converting a house to an HMO? We set out the escape routes, fire doors, detection and protection your licence and Building Control approval depend on.
Retrospective strategies
Existing buildings with no fire strategy on record, buildings under enforcement, prohibition notices or Fire Authority scrutiny. We produce the retrospective strategy that regularises your position.
Discuss an existing buildingExperience also includes complex higher-risk residential buildings, heritage and listed properties, places of worship and mixed-use developments.
Now in force in England
Approved Document B changed on 30 September 2026.
The second staircase amendments now apply. If your scheme includes a block of flats with a storey 18 m or more above ground level, this is what changes and where your scheme stands.
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More than one common stair
New blocks of flats with a storey 18 m or more above ground level need more than one common stair. Height is measured from ground level to the floor of the top storey, excluding roof-top plant.
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Wider common stairs
Common stairs in these blocks need a clear width of at least 1,100 mm between walls or balustrades.
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Evacuation lift provisions
Where an evacuation lift is provided, the guidance now sets out its evacuation shaft, protected lobby, access and smoke protection.
Not sure which edition applies to your scheme? Send the drawings with your Building Control application type and date, and we will confirm where you stand before you commit to a design.
Check my scheme- ABCommon stairs, fire-resisting enclosure
- ELEvacuation lift
- 18 m above ground level
- Escape route to final exit
Until 29 September 2026. A single common stair could serve a block of flats of this height, subject to the travel distance, protection and smoke ventilation limits in Approved Document B.
From 30 September 2026. More than one common stair, each at least 1,100 mm clear. Where an evacuation lift is provided, it needs an evacuation shaft, a protected lobby and smoke protection to the new guidance.
Proposed. The Building Safety Regulator's review of Approved Document B proposes recommending evacuation lifts in residential buildings above 18 m. This is not yet in force: the consultation closed on 1 July 2026 and the outcome is awaited.
Schematic section, not to scale. Firefighting shaft and other provisions not shown.
Already submitted? The transitional test
The previous guidance can still apply to a scheme that passes both tests below.
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Application made before 30 September 2026
A building notice, initial notice or full plans application. Planning permission on its own does not count.
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Work sufficiently progressed within 18 months
For new build, concrete poured for permanent foundations or permanent piling started. For existing buildings, the work has started.
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Otherwise the 2026 guidance applies
On higher-risk buildings nothing can start on site until the Building Safety Regulator grants Gateway 2 approval, so the window is tighter than it looks.
What else is moving
- In force since 2 March 2025
Sprinklers in new care homes, European classifications for reaction to fire and roofs, and updated Regulation 38 fire safety information.
- Under review
The Building Safety Regulator's review proposes recommending evacuation lifts above 18 m, with changes for external walls, balconies and solar PV on roofs.
- From 2 September 2029
BS 476 national classes for fire resistance are withdrawn. Product specifications will need European classifications.
We work to Approved Document B, 2019 edition incorporating the 2020, 2022, 2025 and 2026 amendments, collated with the 2029 amendments, together with BS 9991:2024 and BS 9999:2017, and will tell you exactly where your scheme stands.
Read the guidance on GOV.UKClear advice. Compliant buildings. Approved projects.
Every instruction is led by a qualified, registered fire professional and reviewed at director level before it is issued.
Fire strategies
Our core service. Tailored fire strategies for new build projects at planning stage and retrospective strategies for existing buildings, written to the latest Approved Document B and, where the project calls for it, BS 9991:2024 and BS 9999:2017. Each strategy covers everything Building Control and the Fire Authority will scrutinise:
- Means of escape and evacuation strategy
- Compartmentation and internal fire spread
- Fire detection and alarm provision
- External fire spread and boundary conditions
- Fire service access and facilities
- Smoke control and ventilation
Building Regulations and standards
Expert navigation of Approved Document B, BS 9991, BS 9999 and associated standards for Building Control and Fire Service submissions, including Building Safety Act advisory work on higher-risk buildings and consultation responses.
Fire engineering
Performance-based fire engineering solutions delivering innovative, cost-effective outcomes without compromising life safety standards, including evacuation analysis and smoke control appraisal.
Fire risk assessments
Comprehensive assessments for commercial and residential properties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, following PAS 79-1:2020 for non-housing premises and BS 9792:2025 for housing, with a prioritised, plain-English action plan.
Fire risk assessment in detailEnforcement and Fire Authority liaison
Support with enforcement notices, prohibition notices and Fire Authority consultation, including waking watch review, fire alarm justification to BS 5839-1:2025 and BS 5839-6, and technical responses that protect your position.
Existing building surveys
Compartmentation surveys, external wall fire risk appraisals to PAS 9980:2022 and EWS1 assessments for existing residential buildings, with remediation advice that is proportionate to the risk.
Gulf projects
Advisory work to the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice and the Saudi Building Code, SBC 801, for developers and consultants delivering projects across the region.
How an instruction runs
A single point of contact from first enquiry to final report, with the right specialists on every job.
Fire risk assessment
Tell us about the building
Address, use, height and number of storeys, number of flats or units, and the date of the last assessment.
Fixed-fee proposal
The right type of assessment agreed up front, with a fixed fee and insurance certificates on request.
Inspection
A thorough inspection of the premises. In blocks of flats, the common parts and a sample of flat entrance doors, going into flats or opening up only where agreed.
Report and action plan
The assessment recorded in full with the assessor named, and actions prioritised in plain English.
Review and support
Help closing out actions, liaison with the fire and rescue service where needed, and a review date that keeps the assessment current.
Fire strategy
Send the drawings
Plans, sections and elevations, with the planning status and your Building Control route.
Fixed-fee proposal
A clear scope and a fixed fee before any work starts, with insurance certificates on request.
Design review
Escape, compartmentation and access issues resolved at design stage, before they reach site and cost you money.
Fire strategy report
A Building Control ready strategy written for your specific building, not a template.
Approval and handover
Responses to Building Control and fire service comments until the strategy is agreed. The strategy then forms part of the Regulation 38 fire safety information at completion.
Qualified. Registered. Independent.
“We empower businesses with proactive risk management strategies, helping protect what matters most: lives, property, and peace of mind.”
Our team is led by a director with hands-on experience from a major UK Fire & Rescue Service and the private sector as a specialist fire safety advisor. We elevate fire safety standards through innovative approaches and collaborative partnerships, with a firm belief that an investment in knowledge yields the greatest returns.
Muz IqbalDirector and Principal Consultant, Faris Fire Solutions Ltd, founded 2019
£5M+
Saved for clients in remediation works through expert fire engineering and strategic compliance guidance.
20+
Years of fire safety experience behind every project, including hands-on service with a major UK Fire & Rescue Service.
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Regulatory regimes covered: UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia, for developers and operators working across borders.
Institution of Fire Engineers
Member grade, MIFireE
Institute of Fire Safety Managers
Fellow, FIFSM
Fully insured
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance in place. Certificates available on request.
UK based. Gulf capable.
Fire safety codes differ by jurisdiction, and applying the wrong one is an expensive mistake. We work across three regulatory regimes and advise clients building or operating in each.
United Kingdom
Approved Document B, BS 9991:2024, BS 9999:2017
Fire strategies, risk assessments and Building Regulations guidance to Approved Document B and British Standards, with established working relationships with Building Control bodies and Fire & Rescue Services nationwide.
United Arab Emirates
UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice
Advisory work aligned to the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice and Civil Defence requirements, supporting developers and consultants delivering projects across the Emirates.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Building Code 2024, SBC 801
Fire protection advisory aligned to the Saudi Building Code, SBC 801, in its 2024 edition in force since 30 June 2025, supporting giga-project supply chains and organisations bringing international fire safety expertise into the Kingdom.
Get your fire risk assessment or fire strategy right first time.
Send over your building details or drawings and we will come back to you with a clear, fixed-fee proposal. Early advice costs a fraction of fixing fire safety problems later.
Protecting lives, property and peace of mind
Request a fee proposalWhat to send for a fixed fee
The more of this you can share, the sharper the proposal.
Fire risk assessment
- Site address and how the building is used
- Number of storeys and the height of the top storey floor
- Number of flats or units
- The last fire risk assessment, and any notices
Fire strategy
- Site address and a short description of the scheme
- Plans, sections and elevations (PDF is fine)
- Number of storeys and the height of the top storey floor above ground
- Planning status and your Building Control route
- When you need the strategy, and any submission deadlines