Practical guide
How to switch fire alarm maintenance provider
Most people stay with a provider they are unhappy with because they assume they are stuck. Almost nobody is. Here is what actually stands between you and a better arrangement.
In short
There is no legal requirement to keep your fire alarm serviced by the company that installed it. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the Responsible Person to appoint a competent person, and any competent company may take over an existing system. In practice two things govern the timing: the notice period in your current maintenance contract, and whether your panel uses a closed protocol that restricts which companies can obtain parts and programming tools. A takeover normally begins with an audit of the existing installation, which identifies outstanding defects before any commitment is made.
Can another company maintain my fire alarm?
Yes. Nothing in fire safety law ties a system to its installer. Your duty is to appoint a competent person, and competence is about training, experience and third-party assessment, not about who fitted the panel. Switching provider is routine.
The belief that you are locked in usually comes from one of three places: a contract that auto-renewed without anyone noticing, a vague warning from the incumbent that changing hands will "invalidate" something, or the reasonable fear that a new company will arrive, find a long list of faults, and present a bill.
The first is a real constraint with a date on it. The second is usually not true. The third is a legitimate concern, and it is exactly why the audit should happen before you sign anything, not after.
The one thing that can genuinely block a switch
A closed protocol panel. Some manufacturers restrict the sale of detectors, spares and programming software to companies registered with them. It does not make a takeover impossible, but it does mean you need a company that holds that specific registration.
We would rather say this plainly than let you find out halfway through. If your panel is a closed-protocol unit and the company you are considering is not registered with that manufacturer, they can attend the site but they cannot properly maintain, extend or reprogram the system. Some will take the contract anyway. That is the situation you want to avoid.
The check is quick. Look at the badge on the panel, then ask any prospective company whether they are registered with that manufacturer and to show you the evidence. We are Fike registered and C-TEC certified, so if your panel is either of those, the question is settled. If it is another make, ask us and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right company for it.
Worth knowing: "open protocol" systems use devices that multiple companies can supply and program. They cost slightly more up front and protect you from exactly this problem for the life of the system. If you are specifying a new installation, it is the single most useful question you can ask.
Check your contract before you do anything
Find the maintenance agreement and look for three things: the notice period, the renewal date, and whether it renews automatically. Most commercial fire alarm maintenance contracts run annually with one to three months notice. Miss the window and you may be committed for another year.
If you cannot find the agreement, ask the provider for a copy. They are obliged to give you the terms you are contracted to. If nobody can produce a signed contract at all, which happens more often than you would expect, you are likely on a rolling arrangement that can be ended with reasonable notice.
One thing worth checking while you have it open: whether the equipment is owned by you or leased from the provider. Leased panels are less common but they change the picture entirely, because ending the contract may mean returning or buying out the hardware.
Inheriting a system nobody has explained to you?
We inspect the existing installation, tell you what we find in writing, and quote to take over the servicing. Free, and with no obligation to switch.
What a takeover audit looks at
The panel and its fault history, the standby batteries, the coverage and condition of detectors and call points, sounder levels through the building, the cause and effect programming, the log book and service records, and whether the installed system still matches the category your fire risk assessment calls for.
That last point is the one that most often produces a surprise. A system installed to a category that suited the building ten years ago may no longer suit it. Walls move, uses change, a storage area becomes an office, a floor gets subdivided. The alarm rarely follows.
The audit report should tell you three separate things, kept apart: what is broken and must be fixed, what is compliant but ageing and should be planned for, and what is simply different from how we would have done it. Bundling all three into one urgent quote is a sales tactic, not an inspection.
Moving across without a gap in cover
Book the audit while your current contract is still running, agree the start date to follow your notice period, and give notice in writing once you have a signed quote. Cover is continuous because the outgoing contract does not end until the incoming one starts.
Audit the existing system
A free inspection of what is actually installed, with a written report on its condition and any outstanding defects.
Agree the scope and the date
A written quote for the servicing, and a start date that lines up with the end of your current notice period.
Give notice in writing
Only once you have the quote in hand. Keep a copy and note the date it was sent.
Handover and first service
We take over the records, carry out the first service, and issue documentation so your evidence trail continues without a break.
What to ask a company before you appoint them
Ask for third-party certification, not just membership of something. Ask whether they are registered with your panel manufacturer. Ask what documentation you receive after each visit. Ask what the contract notice period is. And ask what is excluded from the price.
- Are you third-party certificated? BAFE registration is independent assessment against the standard, not a logo you can buy.
- Are you registered with my panel manufacturer? Decisive on closed-protocol systems.
- What paperwork do I get after each visit? If the answer is vague, your compliance file will be too.
- What is the notice period? Ask now, so the next switch is easier than this one.
- What is not included? Parts, callouts and remedial work are commonly outside a servicing price.
One more, and it is the one that tells you the most: ask what they will not do. A company that advertises round-the-clock emergency callout it cannot actually staff will also over-promise on everything else. We answer the phone during opening hours and we say so, because a promise you can keep is worth more than one you cannot.
Read next
How often must a fire alarm be serviced?
Two visits a year, plus a weekly test you do yourself. Where those numbers come from and what each visit covers.
Read the guide Compliance guideWho is the Responsible Person?
The Fire Safety Order puts the legal duty on a specific person. Find out whether that is you, and what you cannot delegate.
Read the guide Systems guideAddressable or conventional?
What actually separates the two, and which suits your building. Written for owners, not engineers.
Read the guideSwitching provider, your questions answered
Can another company maintain my fire alarm?
Yes. There is no legal requirement to stay with the company that installed your system. You are required to appoint a competent person, and any competent company may service the system. The practical limits are your contract notice period and, occasionally, a closed-protocol panel.
Will switching provider void my warranty?
On a system still inside its installation warranty, servicing by a third party can affect the terms, so check the warranty document before moving. On an out-of-warranty system, which is most of them, there is nothing to void.
What is a closed protocol fire alarm panel?
A panel where the manufacturer restricts which companies can buy the parts and the programming tools. It does not make a switch impossible, but it narrows the field to companies registered with that manufacturer. It is worth knowing before you commit.
How long does a fire alarm takeover take?
The audit itself is usually a single visit. The timing of the handover is set by your existing contract notice period rather than by us. We work to your notice date so there is no gap in cover and no period where you are paying two companies.
What does the takeover audit cost?
Nothing. We inspect the existing system, report on its condition and quote to take over the servicing, free of charge and with no obligation to proceed. If the honest answer is that your current arrangement is fine, we will tell you that.
Free survey · No obligation
Find out whether your system is worth keeping
A free audit of the existing installation, an honest written report, and a quote to take over the servicing. If your current arrangement is fine, we will say so.
- BAFE approved, Fike and C-TEC certified
- Written quote before any work starts
- Called back within one working day