Does the Responsible Person need to appoint an outside assessor?

Not necessarily. They can assess the premises themselves if competent.

Why ask for a sample report?

It shows how the provider presents findings, evidence and priority-rated actions.

Should I ask who will visit?

Yes. Ask about the actual person attending and their experience with your building type.

What should I ask about insurance?

Ask for the insurance held and consider its details as part of the appointment.

What should I ask about aftercare?

Ask who explains the report, how additional work is scoped and what happens after the findings are issued.

Must an assessor hold a certificate or be on a register?

Not under current law. The Government consulted in 2026 on mandatory certification. Until then, ask about registration or certification and check it yourself.

What must I record about the assessor?

Since 1 October 2023, their name and organisation, kept with the full written assessment.

Who Can Carry Out a Fire Risk Assessment?

Q: Does appointing someone remove responsibility?

No. The Responsible Person remains responsible either way.

A fire risk assessment can be carried out by the Responsible Person if competent, or by a competent person they appoint. The Responsible Person remains responsible either way. Competence under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended) means sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities.

Can the Responsible Person do the assessment themselves?

Yes, if competent. The decision should be based on the knowledge and experience needed for the actual premises, rather than on whether preparing the report internally appears convenient. Consider the building’s use, occupancy and layout when deciding whether the proposed person can assess it appropriately.

The alternative is to appoint someone competent to carry out the assessment. That appointment does not transfer the Responsible Person’s responsibility. Make clear who will provide building information, arrange access and receive the findings, so the commission covers more than simply booking an attendance. Different legislation applies in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and our assessments work to it.

What does competence mean for the particular building?

The Order describes competence in terms of sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities. Ask how those qualities relate to your type of premises. Experience of one building type should not be treated as an explanation of suitability for every other use or layout.

BS 8674:2025 sets out the competence framework for individual Fire Risk Assessors, with foundation, intermediate and advanced levels matched to the complexity of the building. It does not remove the need to ask practical questions about the person proposed for your building. A clear explanation of relevant work and the proposed scope is more useful than an unexplained claim of expertise.

Does the law require a qualification or certificate?

Not yet. Since 1 October 2023 the Responsible Person must record the name and organisation of anyone engaged to make or review the assessment, under section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022. The same Act contains a further duty to appoint only a competent person, which had not been brought into force at the time of writing (October 2026). The Government consulted in 2026 on mandatory certification of Fire Risk Assessors and on whether self-assessment should be restricted for higher-risk premises; a response is expected, and legislation would follow when parliamentary time allows.

Until then, ask whether the individual is on a professional register or the organisation is third-party certificated for fire risk assessment, and check the entry yourself. A register entry shows competence to a stated level; it does not show experience of your type of building, which is the next question to ask. Keep the answers with the assessment record.

What experience and report evidence should I ask for?

Ask about experience with buildings of the same type and use, and request a sample report. Read the sample for the way it explains findings, supports them with evidence and sets out actions. The purpose is to understand the service you would receive, not to borrow another building’s conclusions.

Ask how the proposed assessment will deal with the information you already hold. For flats, confirm the type of assessment and whether access inside flats or opening-up is proposed. Where the scope differs from a previous report, ask for the reason rather than assuming the new description means the same work.

Experience relevant to your building type and use.
A sample report showing findings and actions.
An explanation of the scope proposed for your premises.

Who will attend and what insurance should I check?

Ask who will actually visit, rather than relying only on a company-level description of experience. Confirm how that person’s experience relates to the premises and who can answer questions about their findings. If someone else will prepare or review the report, ask how those roles fit together. The name of the person who carries out the assessment goes on the Responsible Person’s record, so it should be known before the visit.

Ask what insurance is held: professional indemnity insurance that covers fire risk assessment, not only public liability, and its limit. Request the details needed to consider the proposed appointment and consider them alongside the scope of the proposed work. The aim is to make insurance a visible part of the appointment discussion, not to infer protection from a website statement alone.

How should actions and follow-up be explained?

A fire risk assessment assesses risk and gives priority-rated actions. Ask how priorities will be presented and how findings will be explained to the Responsible Person. A useful appointment discussion should make the expected report clear before work starts, including what happens if the agreed access cannot be provided.

Ask what support is available after the report: who answers questions, how further work is scoped and how review arrangements are discussed. Do not assume remedial work is included in the assessment commission. If separate inspections or surveys are needed, their findings support decisions by the Responsible Person with their Fire Risk Assessor.

What information helps an assessor judge the scope?

Supply the building address, use, size, floors and access arrangements, plus the previous assessment if available. Share floor plans and any fire strategy, and explain why you are commissioning the work now. If the enquiry follows alterations or significant works, identify those changes clearly.

Use the appointment conversation to resolve missing information rather than conceal it. An assessor cannot explain a building-specific approach if the brief contains only a postal address. Keep the agreed scope with the appointment records so the eventual report can be understood against the work requested.

This is general information, not legal advice. The Responsible Person should take advice on their own situation.