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Fire compartmentation survey
A fire compartmentation and fire-stopping survey. Record the building, scope and areas not accessed, then each breach with its location, the element and its required fire resistance, the defect, the services passing through, the size, any existing product or label, a priority and the recommended remedy, with photos. The form counts high, medium and low priority breaches. Every question is listed below, and you can fill the live form in on this page.
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What does a fire compartmentation survey record?
A fire compartmentation survey records each breach in the building's compartment walls, floors, risers and cavity barriers: where it is, the element and the fire resistance it needs, the type of defect, such as an unsealed service penetration or missing cavity barrier, the services through it, its size, any existing fire-stopping product or label, photos, a priority and the remedy.
Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 17 October 2026 against article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and Approved Document B volume 2: compartmentation, cavity barriers and fire-stopping.
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Every question in the compartmentation survey template
A fire compartmentation survey: every breach in compartment walls, floors, risers and cavity barriers with its location, required fire resistance, services, size, photos, priority and the remedy. 3 sections and 52 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.
Make it your own: every question is editable
This is a starting point, not a fixed form. Once it is in your SiteSurvey account you can reword any question, add or remove questions, sections and answer options, and add your own logo, so it fits the way your team works and the jobs you do.
Details you only enter once
Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.
- Project: the project name
- Client: the project's customer
- Site: the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
- Site address: the site address, from the space or the project
Building and scope
- ProjectShort answerFills in from the project name
- ClientShort answerFills in from the project's customer
- Site*Short answerFills in from the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
- Site addressShort answerFills in from the site address, from the space or the project
- Survey date*Date
- TimeTime
- Surveyor and competence*Short answer
- Building useChoose one
- Block of flats
- Office
- School
- Hospital or care home
- Hotel
- Industrial
- Mixed use
- StoreysNumber
- Fire risk assessment referenceShort answer
- Survey scope*Notes
- Areas not accessedNotes
- GuidanceCompartment walls and floors stop fire and smoke spreading through a building. Gaps, unsealed service penetrations and missing cavity barriers defeat them. Under article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must, where necessary to keep people safe, have the premises and fire safety facilities maintained in efficient working order and good repair.
Floors and breaches
- Floors and areasRepeat for each entry. Each one asks:
- Floor or area*Short answer
For example Ground floor, Floor 2, Plant room or Roof void.
- Not accessed or limits on this floorNotes
- Breaches on this floorRepeat for each entry. Each one asks:
- Reference*Short answer
- Scan a fire-stopping labelScan a label: label number
Optional. Scan the label or tag to capture its numbers.
- Room or location on this floor*Short answer
- ElementChoose one
- Compartment wall
- Compartment floor
- Ceiling
- Riser or shaft
- Cavity barrier
- Fire door frame or surround
- Required fire resistanceChoose one
- 30 minutes
- 60 minutes
- 90 minutes
- 120 minutes
- Not known
- Defect*Choose one
- Unsealed service penetration
- Failed or poor fire-stopping
- Missing cavity barrier
- Gap or hole
- Damaged board or construction
- Product not fire rated
- Services through itTick all that apply
- Cables
- Plastic pipe
- Metal pipe
- Ductwork
- Cable tray
- None
- Opening width (mm)Number
Measure from photo works here: photograph square on with a reference in the same plane, such as an A4 sheet or a 600 mm ceiling tile. The result is rounded to 10 mm, good for scoping and pricing; the installer measures before sealing.
- Opening height (mm)Number
- Opening area (m²)Worked out by the formShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Existing product or label, if anyShort answer
- Priority*Choose one
- High: fix now
- Medium
- Low
- Recommended remedyNotes
- PhotosPhotos
- This floor: breachesWorked out by the form
- HighWorked out by the form
- MediumWorked out by the form
- LowWorked out by the form
- This floor: measured opening area (m²)Worked out by the form
- Walk Cam: this floorWalk Cam video with voice-to-text
Optional. Film a guided walk-through on the SiteSurvey app.
- Breaches recordedWorked out by the form
- High priorityWorked out by the form
- MediumWorked out by the form
- LowWorked out by the form
- Floors with a high priority breachWorked out by the form
- Measured opening area, all floors (m²)Worked out by the form
- WarningHigh priority breaches recorded. Tell the responsible person the same day, and record any interim measures in the actions below.Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Actions and sign-off
- Summary for the responsible personNotes
- Are further actions needed?Yes or No
- Further actionsRepeat for each action. Each one asks:Shown when “Are further actions needed?” is Yes
- What needs doing?*Notes
- PriorityChoose one
- Urgent
- High
- Medium
- Low
- Who will do it?Short answer
- Due dateDate
- StatusChoose one
- Open
- In progress
- Completed
- Next survey or review dueDate
Set by the fire risk assessment, and after any building work that passes through compartment walls or floors.
- Days until the next reviewWorked out by the formShown when “Survey date” is answered and “Next survey or review due” is answered
- CheckCheck the date. The next date is before the date of this visit.Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Inspector name*Short answer
- Position or companyShort answer
- Inspector signatureSignature
- CheckSigning records what was found on the day. It does not make unsafe equipment safe or replace a thorough examination, design check or service by a competent person.
See it filled in
A completed compartmentation survey report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.
Compartmentation survey FAQs
Why does compartmentation matter?
Compartment walls and floors stop fire and smoke spreading through a building. Gaps, unsealed service penetrations and missing cavity barriers defeat them. Under article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must, where necessary for safety, keep the premises and fire safety facilities maintained in efficient working order and good repair.
How are breaches prioritised?
Each breach is high (fix now), medium or low. The form counts each, so the responsible person can see how much urgent work there is and plan the rest.
Can I record fire-stopping labels?
Yes. Each breach can scan a fire-stopping label and record the existing product. Approved Document B expects openings for pipes, ducts and cables to be as few and as small as possible and fire-stopped, and says proprietary tested fire-stopping systems may be used.
What about areas I could not get into?
Record them in the scope section. Limitations matter as much as findings, because an unseen void could hold the worst breach.
Does this replace a fire risk assessment?
No. Article 9 of the Fire Safety Order requires the responsible person to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. A compartmentation survey is a detailed look at the walls, floors, cavity barriers and fire-stopping, and the form records the fire risk assessment reference so the two are linked.
Who uses this?
Passive fire protection contractors and inspectors, fire risk assessors, building safety managers and facilities teams in blocks of flats, schools, hospitals and offices.
Related
Related templates
Templates that go with the compartmentation survey form
A fire stopping installation record: certification scheme, drawings, each penetration seal with its label, element, fire rating, services, product and tested detail, before and after photos, and sign-off.
Fire risk assessment following the five steps in GOV.UK guidance: hazards, people at risk, fire precautions, emergency plan and training, findings with actions and review.
Door by door checks (gaps, seals, closers, signage, glazing), 12 month flat entrance door record and remedial work list.
Routine fire safety checks: extinguishers, emergency lighting tests, the weekly alarm test, escape routes, signs and fire drills, with actions.
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