NFPA 80 Fire Door Inspection Checklist
Walk the building one door at a time and check each against the 13 points below. They come from recent editions of NFPA 80 for swinging fire doors. A 'no' on any point is a deficiency to fix.
Call our Calgary team403-650-5232Nearly every failed point traces back to hardware
A closer that stopped closing, a hinge that wore out, a latch or strike that shifted, a seal that tore, a lite that cracked, an exit device that stuck. Most deficiencies come back to parts that were used every day or changed since the door was installed.
Limitless repairs what the inspection finds, so you don't need a second contractor to clear the report. Our Alberta NFPA 80 guide explains the codes behind the checklist. Inspections can also go on a preventative maintenance plan.
Daily, monthly, yearly: three different checks
Calgary Fire Department maintenance requirements, May 2024, written from the National Fire Code (Alberta Edition).
| How often | What | Who | Code reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Check that fire separation doors are closed | Building staff | NFC(AE) 2.2.2.4 |
| Monthly | Operate every fire separation door | Building staff | NFC(AE) 2.2.2.4.(3) |
| Ongoing | Keep closures working and repair damage | Owner | NFC(AE) 2.2.2.4 and 2.2.2.2 |
| Annually | Inspect and test fire dampers to NFPA 80-2013 | Qualified contractor | NFC(AE) 2.2.2.4.(5) |
Records, retention and rolling steel doors
The paperwork and the exceptions matter as much as the 13 points.
A signed record, every year
NFPA 80 calls for fire door assemblies to be inspected and tested at least once a year, with a signed written record.
firedoorguide.com, NFPA 80Keep records at least three years
Under the 2016 edition, inspection records are kept for at least three years. Acceptance test results for a new door are kept for its life.
WHEA NFPA 80-2016 presentation; IHFEA noteRolling steel doors use another list
Rolling steel and horizontal sliding fire doors have their own inspection and drop-testing rules. NFPA 80-2025 requires a trained technician for some of that work.
NFPA 80 second revision report; TIA 25-1The 13 points, door by door
- 1. Labels legible. Check the door and the frame. A label painted over, scraped off or hidden behind hardware counts as missing.
- 2. No holes. No open holes or breaks in the door or frame. Screw holes left behind after hardware was removed count.
- 3. Glazing intact. Glass, vision light frames and glazing beads are intact and securely fastened.
- 4. Everything secured. Door, frame, hinges, hardware and noncombustible threshold are secured, aligned and working, with no visible damage.
- 5. Nothing missing. No parts are missing or broken.
- 6. Clearances in limits. For hollow metal: 1/8 inch at the head and jambs, 3/4 inch at the floor.
- 7. Closes by itself. Open the door fully and let it go. It should close completely on its own.
- 8. Coordinator works. On pairs, the inactive leaf closes first so both leaves latch.
- 9. Latch engages. Every time, not only when someone pulls the door shut.
- 10. No interfering hardware. Kick-down stops, wedges and add-on hooks all fall under this point.
- 11. No label-voiding changes. Cut-down doors, oversized kick plates and unlisted hardware holes void the label.
- 12. Seals in place. Gasketing and edge seals present and intact where the assembly requires them.
- 13. Signs comply. Signage on the door meets NFPA 80's size and attachment rules.
We inspect every fire door in the building and repair what fails.
Can our own maintenance staff do the daily and monthly checks?
Yes. The Calgary Fire Department lists them as building owner tasks, and its 2024 summary doesn't require written records for the daily or monthly door checks. The annual inspection is different: it needs a signed record from someone qualified on the type of door being inspected.
Do all fire doors need gasketing?
No, only where the assembly requires it. Smoke-rated doors are the usual case. On a Warnock Hersey label, an 'S' marks a door that was tested with smoke gasketing, so that door needs its gasketing present and intact to pass point 12.
Is a door with a small hole in it still compliant?
Not under point 2. NFPA 80 treats open holes or breaks in the door or frame as a deficiency, whatever their size. The right fix depends on the door and its label, so don't fill the hole with whatever filler is on hand. Ask for a repair that keeps the label valid.