Choose the closest use
Select the primary activity rather than relying only on the building’s planning description or former use.
Premises-specific assessor route
Find an assessor for your property type
Start with how the premises is used. Occupancy, sleeping risk, vulnerable people, public access, processes, size and construction influence the assessment scope and competence required.
Premises routes13 starting categoriesCoverageLondon and SurreyFocusbuilding-specific competenceNext steppostcode and cost check
Quick answer
Property type is a starting point, not the complete scope
Government guidance separates premises into different guides because hazards, people and fire precautions vary. An office, HMO, care home, warehouse and event venue should not be treated as interchangeable assignments.
Choose the closest category, then describe features that change complexity: shared occupation, sleeping accommodation, vulnerable occupants, high-rise or unusual construction, dangerous substances, industrial processes, basements, large assembly use or a mixed residential and commercial layout.
Four-step route
From search to suitable appointment
The journey narrows the search but does not replace verification of the named assessor and agreed scope.
Identify complexity
Note sleeping, vulnerable, public, shared, high-rise, industrial or mixed-use features.
Read the premises guide
Understand likely hazards, records, responsible persons and assessment questions before requesting support.
Check assessor fit
Confirm relevant experience, competence evidence, insurance and a written scope for this property.
Choose the premises
Property-specific assessment routes
Use the closest guide, then explain any mixed or unusual features in the enquiry.
Offices
Single, shared, serviced and multi-tenant workplaces.
Office FRA guidanceShops and retail
Public areas, stock, displays, deliveries and shared buildings.
Retail FRA guidanceRestaurants and cafés
Commercial kitchens, extraction, customer capacity and mixed use.
Restaurant FRA guidanceHMOs and rentals
Sleeping accommodation, licensing, shared routes and landlord duties.
HMO FRA guidanceBlocks of flats
Common parts, flat entrance doors, compartmentation and evacuation strategy.
Blocks of flats guidanceHotels and guest accommodation
Sleeping guests, unfamiliar occupants, staffing and evacuation.
Hotel FRA guidanceCare and supported settings
Vulnerable occupants, staffing, progressive evacuation and management.
Care premises guidanceNurseries and early years
Babies, toddlers, staffing, sleep rooms, safeguarding and assisted evacuation.
Nursery FRA guidanceSchools and academies
Pupils, SEND assistance, specialist teaching, complex estates, clubs and lettings.
School FRA guidanceEducation premises overview
Compare school and early-years scope for mixed or shared education settings.
Education FRA overviewWarehouses and storage
Storage height, fuel load, plant, vehicles and large compartments.
Warehouse FRA guidanceFactories and workshops
Processes, machinery, dangerous substances, hot work and shift patterns.
Industrial FRA guidancePlaces of worship and community venues
Assembly use, volunteers, events, vulnerable users and changing layouts.
Place-of-worship guidanceWedding and event venues
Large or changing occupancy, temporary layouts, contractors and licensing.
Event-venue FRA guidanceMixed-use buildings
Commercial and residential uses, shared systems and several responsible persons.
Browse all property guidanceComplexity flags
Tell the assessor what makes the premises different
These features can change the assessment time, evidence and competency level needed.
Sleeping risk
Residents or guests may be asleep, unfamiliar with the building or slow to recognise warning.
People needing assistance
Evacuation arrangements must reflect mobility, sensory, cognitive or other needs.
Shared control
Landlords, employers, agents and occupiers may control different areas or systems and must coordinate.
Complex construction
High-rise, heritage, engineered, altered, mixed-use or poorly documented construction may require wider expertise.
Appointment check
Describe the building beyond its label
These facts help distinguish a straightforward property from one needing more specialised assessment experience.
Use the full comparison guide- 01Primary and secondary uses of the premises
- 02Approximate floor area, storeys and basements
- 03Maximum occupancy and operating hours
- 04Sleeping accommodation and vulnerable occupants
- 05Shared areas, tenants and responsible persons
- 06Unusual construction, processes or dangerous substances
- 07Previous assessment, changes, incidents and fixed deadlines
Common questions
Before you continue
General guidance for premises in England, with enquiry support focused on London and Surrey.
Why does property type matter when choosing an assessor?
Different premises create different hazards, occupant needs, evacuation arrangements, records and technical questions. The assessor should have competence and experience appropriate to those features.
What if the building has more than one use?
Choose the closest primary category and state every other use. Mixed commercial and residential occupation, several tenants or shared systems can materially change scope and coordination.
Can one assessor cover an entire property portfolio?
Possibly, but competence and scope should be checked for each building type. A portfolio may need different assessors or additional specialist input for its more complex premises.
Does a small building always need only a simple assessment?
No. Size is one factor. Sleeping occupants, vulnerable people, complex layouts, dangerous substances, poor compartmentation or unusual use can make a small building more demanding.
What if my premises type is not listed?
Choose “Other premises” in the main finder and describe the actual use, occupants, hazards, layout and reason for the assessment.
Sources and limitations
Primary guidance used
This page supports initial research and enquiries. It does not appoint, endorse or guarantee an assessor and is not a premises-specific fire risk assessment.
Ready to narrow the search?
Start with the premises—not a generic provider list
Check coverage and an indicative starting cost, then continue to the same short London and Surrey enquiry route.