Fire alarm installation in London
Commercial fire alarm systems designed, installed, commissioned and certificated to BS 5839-1: by an approved installer with Fike and C-TEC and BAFE registered. The survey and the quote are free.
Who needs a professionally installed fire alarm system?
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person for any non-domestic premises, the employer, owner, landlord or managing agent, must ensure the building has appropriate means of detecting fire and warning occupants. Your fire risk assessment decides what "appropriate" means for your building; the fire alarm system is how you deliver it. Commercial systems are designed and installed to BS 5839-1; residential systems to BS 5839-6.
Direct answer: if people work in, live above, or visit your building, the Fire Safety Order 2005 almost certainly applies to you, and an alarm system designed to BS 5839-1 by an accredited installer is the accepted way to meet the detection and warning duty.
What's included in our installation service?
- Design to BS 5839-1: the system category (L1-L5, M or P) is taken from your fire risk assessment, not guessed.
- Free site survey: device positions, zones, cabling routes and panel location agreed before you see a price.
- Installation by qualified technicians: our technicians are fully qualified and BAFE certified; clean workmanship in occupied buildings.
- Commissioning and handover: full cause-and-effect testing, staff walkthrough, and log book provided.
- Fire alarm certificate: issued on completion; supports compliance with your insurance policy.
- Ongoing maintenance plan: six-monthly servicing available from day one, so the system never falls out of compliance.
Which fire alarm systems do you install?
We install both of the main system types and will recommend the right one for your building, not the most expensive one:
| System type | Best suited to | More detail |
|---|---|---|
| Addressable: each device has its own address, so the panel pinpoints the exact detector triggered | Large commercial & industrial premises, hotels & high-rise, hospitals & care homes, education | Addressable systems |
| Conventional: devices report by zone; simple and cost-effective | Small-to-medium businesses, residential buildings, schools & public buildings, retail & restaurants | Conventional systems |
As an approved installer with Fike and C-TEC, we install and support panels from both manufacturers, see our Fike service page and C-TEC service page.
How does the installation process work?
Free consultation
Tell us about the building and what your fire risk assessment requires. No assessment yet? We can carry one out first.
Free survey and quote
We survey the premises, design the system to the right BS 5839-1 category and give you a written, no-obligation quote with the price explained.
Installation and commissioning
Qualified technicians install and commission the system, working around your occupants where needed.
Certification and maintenance
You receive the fire alarm certificate and log book, and we offer a six-monthly maintenance schedule to keep the system compliant.
Fire alarm installation, your questions answered
Do I legally need a fire alarm in my commercial property?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the Responsible Person to have "appropriate fire detection and warning", what counts as appropriate is decided by your fire risk assessment. In practice, almost every workplace, HMO common area and multi-occupancy commercial building needs a properly designed fire alarm system, and BS 5839-1 is the standard commercial systems are designed and installed to.
How long does a fire alarm installation take?
It depends on the size of the building and the number of devices, a small office can be a matter of days, larger or occupied buildings take longer and are usually phased to avoid disruption. We confirm the programme in the quote after the free survey, so you know the timescale before you commit.
What is a fire alarm category (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, M, P)?
BS 5839-1 defines system categories by what they protect. M is manual (call points only), L categories protect life (L1 covers the whole building, L5 covers specific risks), and P categories protect property. Your fire risk assessment determines which category the building needs, we design to that category and record it on the certificate.
Do you certificate the installation?
Yes. Every installation is commissioned and issued with a fire alarm certificate confirming design, installation and commissioning to BS 5839-1 (commercial) or BS 5839-6 (residential). Certificates are what your insurer, landlord, licensing officer or fire authority will ask to see, all our services support compliance with insurance policies.
How much does fire alarm installation cost in London?
Every honest answer starts with a survey: cost depends on the category of system your risk assessment requires, the size of the building, and whether the system is addressable or conventional. Our survey and quote are free and carry no obligation, and we explain the price before any work starts.
Book your free installation survey
Tell us about your building and we’ll design the right system for it, free survey, free quote, price explained before any work starts.
Prefer to talk? Call 020 3837 0778, a named person calls every enquiry back within one working day.