Fire Doors & Smoke Barriers
A fire door only works closed. Most problems keep it open.
A fire door doesn’t detect anything or spray anything. It holds the line, boxing in smoke and flame so occupants get out and damage stays in one room. NFPA 80 requires every rated door to be inspected and tested annually, a requirement plenty of building owners first hear about in an AHJ citation.
We inspect fire door assemblies and smoke barriers across your property: closers, latching, clearances, glazing, signage, and the wedges and kick-down stops that quietly defeat the whole system. Every deficiency gets a photo and a priority rating.
What we do
- Annual fire door assembly inspection and functional testing per NFPA 80
- Closer, hinge, and latching hardware adjustment and repair
- Clearance and gap measurement against NFPA 80 tolerances
- Smoke barrier and fire/smoke damper access coordination
- Label verification and door/frame rating documentation
- Corrective repairs with before-and-after records
The required cycle
| Interval | What happens |
|---|---|
| Annual | Full assembly inspection and operational test of every rated door |
What inspections typically find
The most common fire door deficiencies in commercial buildings — each one gets a priority tier and a clear correction path on your report.
- Doors propped or wedged open in daily operation
- Closers that no longer fully latch the door
- Excessive gaps and clearances from building settlement or worn hinges
- Painted-over or missing fire-rating labels
- Broken coordinators on pairs of doors
Why it matters
In a real fire, compartmentation is what turns a building-wide catastrophe into a one-room event. Annual fire door inspection is also one of the most commonly missed code requirements — an easy win for compliance scores and insurance documentation.
Fire Doors questions, answered
Are annual fire door inspections really required?
Yes. NFPA 80 has required annual inspection and testing of fire door assemblies since 2007, enforced through the California Fire Code and local AHJs. You have to keep the records and produce them on request.
What fails a fire door inspection most often?
The usual suspects: doors that don’t self-close and latch, gaps past allowed clearances, missing or painted-over rating labels, and field add-ons like kick-down stops or unrated hardware. Most are cheap fixes once someone actually looks.
Put fire doors on a schedule that defends itself.
One assessment, one calendar, documentation your insurer and fire inspector can actually read.
714-465-8801We respond within one business day — emergencies, immediately.