Fire alarm servicing and maintenance contracts
Planned inspection and testing to BS 5839-1, on a quarterly or six-monthly schedule, with the certificate issued before the engineer leaves. This is the anchor of everything we do.
Servicing that stands up to an audit, not just a diary reminder
BS 5839-1 recommends that a competent person inspects and tests a commercial fire alarm system at intervals not exceeding six months, with quarterly visits appropriate for larger or higher-risk premises. Our contracts are built directly on that standard: each visit covers the panel, a rotating sample of devices so every detector and call point is tested within the year, batteries, sounders and any interfaces to doors, shutters or plant.
Faults do not disappear into a report you read three weeks later. Anything found is written up on the day, priced where it needs work, and tracked in your client portal until it is closed. If a fault affects the protection of the building you are told before we leave the car park.
Because we are an electrical firm by heritage, our engineers fault-find at circuit level rather than swapping parts until the panel goes quiet. That keeps callouts down and keeps false alarms, the thing that makes staff ignore the bell, under control.
What's included
- Quarterly or six-monthly visits to BS 5839-1, agreed in writing
- Panel, devices, batteries, sounders and interfaces tested on rotation
- Inspection and servicing certificate issued on the day
- Faults logged, priced and tracked to closure in the portal
- False alarm review at every visit
- 24/7 callout cover with priority response for contract clients
Every visit ends with certificates issued and logbook entries made before the engineer leaves site.
How often should a commercial fire alarm be serviced?
BS 5839-1 recommends servicing at intervals not exceeding six months, and quarterly for many larger or higher-risk premises.
The right interval depends on the size of the system, the building’s risk profile and what your fire risk assessment says. We confirm the interval in the contract so there is never ambiguity about whether you are covered.
What happens if the service finds a fault?
You get the fault in writing on the day, with a price to fix it where work is needed, and it stays on your portal record until it is closed.
Minor items are often fixed during the same visit. Anything affecting life safety is flagged immediately with an interim measure agreed, such as a waking watch on the affected zone, before we leave.
Can you take over a system another company installed?
Yes. We maintain open-protocol systems from all major manufacturers and can take over most closed-protocol panels too.
Takeover starts with a first-visit survey that baselines the system: zone chart, device schedule, outstanding faults. You get that baseline in writing, so you know exactly what you inherited and what we are now responsible for.
Better bundled: this service costs less and works harder inside a planned maintenance contract covering alarm, lighting, extinguishers and risk assessment together.
Get a contract priceFire alarm servicing questions
How often does a commercial fire alarm need servicing?
At intervals not exceeding six months under BS 5839-1, and quarterly for larger or higher-risk premises such as hotels, care settings and HMOs. That is the contractor visit. Between visits the occupier still tests a manual call point weekly and records it.
What actually happens on a service visit?
The engineer tests the panel, the standby batteries and the interfaces, then works through a rotation of detectors and sounders so every device is tested at least once across the year. Faults are recorded with a code and a price, and you get a certificate before the engineer leaves.
Is a fire alarm servicing contract a legal requirement?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the system to be maintained in efficient working order by a competent person. It does not name a contract, but a servicing contract is the recognised way to meet and evidence that duty, and most insurers and licensing authorities expect to see one.
What happens if we have missed a service?
We survey the system, service it, and issue a certificate stating the true condition rather than back-dating anything. If the gap has caused a defect it appears as a priced remedial. Insurers care far more about a documented catch-up than about a perfect history.
Can you take over a system another contractor installed?
Yes, whoever installed it. We survey it first so the takeover certificate reflects what is actually there, including any design shortfall against the category your fire risk assessment calls for. You get that in writing before you commit to a contract.
Would rather we called you?
Leave a number and a name. An engineer calls you back the same working day, and you can have the whole conversation in five minutes.