A fire door failed inspection. What happens next

Fire Doors Brisbane — firedoorsbrisbane.com.au — arranges these inspections with a QBCC-licensed contractor across Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands and the Gold Coast.

Published 27 October 2026

A fail is a finding, not a fine

The inspection exists to find problems. A report with no defects on an older building is more worrying than one with a long list, because it suggests the doors were not looked at closely.

First inspections of buildings that have never been inspected properly usually produce the most defects. The second year is far shorter.

Read the defect list properly

Each failed door should have its own entry: which door, what failed, and what it needs. Group them into three kinds. Adjustments, such as a closer or a latch. Component replacements, such as seals or hinges. And doors that may need replacing.

The first two are usually quick and cheap. The third needs a proper assessment before anyone orders a door.

Fix in order of risk

Doors on exit routes and stairs first. A stair door that does not close puts everyone above it at risk. Then corridor and lobby doors. Then plant rooms and service doors.

Doors that are propped open or have disconnected closers can usually be fixed the same day and should be.

Get the repairs recorded

A repair that is not recorded did not happen, as far as the records go. Ask for each fixed door to be re-checked and the result added to the building's record against the original defect.

That closed loop is what makes the record support an Occupier's Statement.

Repair or replace

Most failures are repairable: seals, closers, hinges, latches and minor damage. A leaf that has been cut, drilled through, delaminated or water damaged usually is not. The repairs page sets out how that judgement is made.

Get the decision from the licensed contractor in writing, door by door, before approving replacements.

Before the Occupier's Statement

The statement says the installations have been maintained. If serious defects are still open when it is due, talk to the contractor about what can be closed first, and do not sign something the records do not support.

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