Fire safety and property investment: The hidden costs developers can’t ignore

Every building project involves the coordination of a huge number of decisions, skills, people and timelines. It can be easy to think of fire safety as just one of a long list of things to tick off. Taking a delayed or inconsistent approach to fire safety can lead to significant problems in property development. And those problems come in the shape of time and money.

From the point of view of property developers, asset owners, contractors and engineers alike, there are clear benefits to including life safety measures from the earliest stages of planning. These span a range of different areas, from commercial to practical, and can make a big difference in delivering a build on time and on budget. 

This article explores how property developers and contractors can mitigate hidden fire safety costs by addressing key considerations during the early planning stages.

Risks to core development and construction 

Many strategic design decisions will have an impact on fire safety, including building height, layout, façade systems and structural materials. These are early-stage decisions and will shape many other decisions as the project progresses. But if key design decisions are taken without considering fire safety and escape strategy, fundamental changes may need to be made once that safety lens is applied at a later point. This can impact every other aspect of the process. For example, if fire compartmentation has not been properly considered, or allowances for the smoke ventilation is not included, key aspects of layout may have to be entirely re-worked. 

When it comes to insurances, as well as in the cases where a project requires financing, early-stage fire safety planning can help to reassure lenders and insurers that all precautionary and regulatory measures are in place. This is particularly pertinent for residential and high-rise schemes.  

Construction stage fire risk should also not be ignored, as partially completed buildings can be vulnerable due to temporary electrics and exposed materials. A comprehensive safety strategy could protect developments before completion, as well as after. 

Mounting costs to redesign 

The worst offenders for spiralling costs are, of course, late-stage design changes. And the later this happens in the process, the higher those costs usually end up being. Up to, and including, having to disassemble completed work and start again.  

When layouts, stair cores, façade materials and services routes don’t meet safety regulations, the knock-on effects to design are wide-reaching. And, of course, every single change that is required will come with a price tag. For example, you might need to completely rip out walls that are already installed if they are non-compliant for the services penetrating them.   

The cost is not only of having to re-commission work that has already been paid for and rebuild to meet regulations, but it also comes in the guise of significant programme delays. These can also be costly, while also causing secondary consequences for the project supply chain, leading the delayed completion.  

Where including fire safety early can enable architects and designers to be creative with solutions that work within regulations, late-stage safety additions can often interfere with planned design features. Having to add fire stopping, compartmentation or smoke control systems can add cost, while also diminishing design impact in some cases.  

According to GOV.UK, costs for fire safety remediation work can scale extremely quickly with the following figures quoted as a rough estimate:  

• Minor fire strategy and design tweaks – £10,000–£30,000 

• Moderate redesigns, including system or layout changes – £30,000–£150,000 

• Late construction rework – £100,000–£500,000+ 

Common fire safety problem areas that cause costs to increase:

Compartmentation and fire stopping: when these areas are ignored, there is clear risk to life from rapid smoke and fire spread. It might be that these are considered thoroughly at one stage of the project, but then ignored at another, for example when pipework, ducts or cabling compromises fire-rated walls and floors. 

Façade and external wall compliance: this can be an incredibly costly aspect to resolve or change if fire safety has not been central to decision making about cladding, insulation and cavity barriers. This is not only in the specification phase, but also in the installation phase, where missing cavity barriers or incorrect installation can require significant work to remedy. 

Alarm, detection, smoke control, and suppression systems: when considered early, it is possible to ensure that these are integrated into building services. It is vital that these life safety systems are designed for and installed in the building with long-term safety as a focus, which includes access for regular testing and maintenance.    

Regulatory and approval risks  

With ever-increasing scrutiny on meeting safety standards, modern building safety protocols require detailed design evidence before construction can proceed, as well as demonstration of compliance at multiple stages along the way. When design records are vague, or when there are sign-off challenges at any of these gateway approval points, resolving and retrofitting safety measures can cause unwelcome delays.  

The surefire way to get around these issues is including fire safety planning from the earliest stages, and maintaining the focus on them throughout the build. This smooths the path to regulatory sign-off and safe buildings. 

Where projects fail to meet safety regulations at a late stage, incurring costs and causing delays to completion, the parties involved will be aware of potential damage to reputation. With building regulations so fundamental to the process, making sure that fire safety measures are fully integrated, rather than only addressed as an after-thought, is important to demonstrating professionalism and reliability. Beyond reputational risk alone, developers can find themselves liable for safety shortcomings.

How to avoid these hidden costs, delays and penalties  

By engaging expert fire safety advice early in the design process, including a comprehensive fire strategy for the building, all aspects of the development can comply with regulations, ensure safety and pass inspections to keep the project on track.  

• Fire engineers can support with the shaping of building layouts, evacuation strategies, smoke control and fire resistance from the outset of the project.  

• Ongoing collaboration with architects and engineers can help identify risks and remedy issues before costly construction begins.  

• Once the build is underway, regular monitoring in advance of gateway site inspections can make sure that regulations are complied with, and no remedial actions are required post inspection.  

• Once complete, fire engineers can verify that the life safety systems in use are installed correctly, and perform as they need to before occupancy. 

Taking a coherent and planned approach to fire safety will help to ensure the project stays on track, both in terms of completion dates and the all-important budget.

About Sertus

Sertus is a UK-based manufacturer of smoke ventilation products, dedicated to safeguarding lives and property through unequivocally compliant, expertly engineered, and reliably manufactured solutions. Driven by our vision to be the UK’s manufacturer of choice for smoke ventilation, we’re setting the standard – with products that combine innovation, performance, and quality. From early-stage design through to post-install support, we partner with contractors, architects, consultants, and developers to deliver smoke ventilation that works – every time. 

At Sertus, Make It Simple isn’t just a tagline – it’s our promise. We simplify the complex world of fire safety through intelligent design, clear guidance, and comprehensive support, helping our customers achieve compliant, high-performance buildings with confidence. Learn more at sertus.uk. For media enquiries, contact hello@sertus.uk or call 01483 269999.