How much does a fire alarm service cost?

Question

Our fire alarm panel is due its service for our shop and the previous owner apparently had it done twice a year. What is a fair price per visit? What are our obligations here to stay compliant?

Nic · Accepted Answer

Under the current BS 5839-1:2025, inspection and servicing visits should be approximately every 6 months, with a tolerance of roughly 5–7 months between visits. id also check you are doing the following 
For a typical shop, I'd make sure you're doing:

Weekly: Fire alarm test using a manual call point, rotating which call point you use, and record it in the fire alarm logbook.
Daily/routine: Check the panel isn't displaying a fault or disablement.
Every 6 months: Fire alarm inspection/service by a competent fire alarm engineer.
Monthly: Functional test of the emergency lighting and visual check of extinguishers.
Annually: Full emergency-lighting test/service and extinguisher service by competent contractors.
Fire risk assessment: Have a suitable and sufficient FRA, keep it recorded and review it when circumstances change or when it may no longer be valid.
Staff: Appropriate fire-safety instruction/training and evacuation procedures; government guidance says at least one fire drill per year, with the result recorded.

price wise looking about £375+VAT per year with 2 visits

Russell · Answer

Dear customer

May be a good idea to seek advice from local fire station, I have heard this can be useful.

Or a fire/insurance inspector.

Is this for insurance purposes?

If so potentially ask for further information from your insurance company.

Regards

RTS

Chris · Answer

Hi, the cost of a fire alarm service depends on the size and type of the system and the cause and effects 07890 associated with that particular system. 2 visits a year is standard and all fire alarm compo050391nents must be tested within a 12 month period. Systems are normally split over 2 visits. A service can range from £80-£500+

Petru · Answer

Hi Julie,

The cost of servicing a fire alarm system can vary depending on the type of property, the number of alarms or detectors installed, and whether it is a simple domestic system or a larger interconnected/commercial system.

For a typical domestic property, a basic fire alarm service and functional test would usually start from around £80–£150. This would normally include checking the operation of the alarms, testing the sounders, checking mains and battery backup where applicable, inspecting the condition and positioning of the detectors, and confirming that interconnected alarms operate correctly.

If any alarms are faulty, out of date, damaged, or require replacement, the cost of new units and any additional labour would be charged separately.

For larger properties, HMOs, communal areas, or commercial fire alarm systems, the price can be higher because more devices, call points, sounders, zones, batteries, and the control panel may need to be tested.

To give an accurate fixed price, I would normally ask for the number of alarms/devices, the type of system, and ideally a few photos of the fire alarm panel and detectors.

Petru Mihalache
Electrician

How much does a fire alarm service cost?

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