Terms and conditions for a fire risk assessor

A fire risk assessment is the document the authorities ask for after a fire, and it will be read against what was known on the day, in the rooms the assessor was shown, on the information the client gave. The terms have to place the legal duty where the law puts it, define the assessment as a snapshot, record what was and was not accessed, and be clear that the action plan is the client's to carry out. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Fire risk assessors and fire safety consultants in England and Wales assessing workplaces, shops, hospitality premises, care settings and the common parts of residential buildings for the responsible person, as a sole assessor or a firm. These are business-client terms.

What matters in fire risk assessment terms

The responsible person's duty

Under article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the responsible person for the premises must carry out, record in full and keep under review a fire risk assessment, and since the Building Safety Act 2022 amended the Order the assessor must be competent, and the duty stays with the responsible person whoever does the assessment. The terms should say that the client is the responsible person or acts for them, that the assessor provides the assessment as a competent person, and that responsibility for the premises, the review and the actions remains the client's.

A snapshot, on the day, in the areas accessed

The terms should say that the assessment records conditions observed and information provided at the time of the visit, that areas not accessible or not shown are recorded as not assessed, that the assessor relies on the client's information about occupancy, processes, previous incidents and maintenance, and that the assessment is not a guarantee that a fire will not occur or that all hazards were found. That paragraph protects an assessor who has done the job properly.

Action plans, reviews and what happens next

The assessment produces an action plan with priorities, and the terms should say that carrying out the actions, within the timescales the plan suggests, is the client's responsibility, that the assessor is not responsible for work the client commissions from others, and that the assessment should be reviewed when premises, use or occupancy change and at the intervals the plan recommends, as a separate engagement.

Competence, scope and specialist matters

The terms should describe the assessor's competence and the type of premises the assessment covers, say that it is a fire risk assessment rather than a structural survey or a compartmentation survey, and that specialist matters (external wall systems, complex buildings, fire engineering) are outside scope and referred to specialists. Where the assessor cannot assess something without destructive inspection, the terms should say so.

Fees, liability, insurance and records

Fees are per assessment, invoiced on delivery of the report, with interest and fixed compensation on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Liability should be capped at a figure matching the assessor's professional indemnity insurance, with consequential loss and regulatory action excluded, tested for reasonableness under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977; the cap cannot remove liability for death or personal injury caused by the assessor's own negligence. The assessor keeps a copy of the report and its notes, and the terms should say for how long.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A fire started in a room we were not shown. Are we exposed?

If the terms say that areas not accessed are recorded as not assessed and that the assessment is limited to what was observed and told, and the report records the omission, the exposure is the client's. Record the areas not assessed in the report itself, not just the terms.

The client did not carry out the actions and the fire service has served a notice. Whose fault?

The client's, if the terms say that implementing the action plan is the responsible person's duty. The report with its priorities and dates is the evidence that the client was told.

Can we assess a high-rise residential building?

Only if it is within the competence and scope the terms describe. The terms should exclude external wall systems and complex buildings unless the assessor is competent in them, and say that such matters are referred to specialists; the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 impose further duties on responsible persons for multi-occupied residential buildings that the assessment should reflect.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a health and safety consultant
• Terms and conditions for an energy assessor

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.