Bringing clarity and compliance to building transactions

Whether you’re buying or selling building stock, our passive fire protection due diligence review gives you a clear view of passive fire safety measures, cost liabilities, and remediation requirements.

By turning uncertainty into insight, we exist to support confident decision-making, de-risk deals, and streamline the end-to-end process

How passive fire protection impacts M&As

There’s a lot on the line when navigating mergers, acquisitions, and portfolio disposals – especially when it comes to risk, liability, and long-term value.

For buyers, fire safety gaps can bring unexpected remediation costs, regulatory exposure, reputational damage, and risk to life. For sellers, those same gaps can stall negotiations, drive down offers, or lead to last-minute deal conditions.

This is why the preliminary valuation is so critical. And with most property valuations factoring in not just land value but the condition and compliance of the building itself, passive fire protection is now a central determinant. Issues such as unsealed service penetrations, uncertified fire doors, or poor compartmentation are not simply minor technical defects. They directly affect depreciation calculations, increase perceived risk, and reduce an asset’s market worth.

Yet too often, both parties enter transactions without a clear understanding of how the building complies with fire safety regulations. That’s where we come in. By shining a light on the true condition, any likely liabilities, and the cost of putting things right, we help stakeholders make smarter investment decisions, safeguard value, and negotiate deals with confidence. When the time is right, we’ll also implement fixes to keep things streamlined and compliant.

What this service involves

Passive fire protection due diligence combines a robust review and physical inspection process, adaptable to live buildings, development sites, or across entire portfolios. This typically includes:

Documentation review

Detailed analysis of existing fire strategy, as-built records, product certifications, and operation and maintenance manuals to identify missing or invalid data.

Site inspection and sampling

 Visual inspection and intrusive sampling of fire doors, compartmentation, and key penetrations to assess existing workmanship, materials, and defective areas.

Detailed reporting

Categorisation of issues into latent defects and maintenance failures, outlined with risk ratings, remediation programmes, and projected costs for each asset/portfolio.

Board-level support

Board-level presentation of key findings with specialist guidance to support executive, legal, and financial decision-making throughout the transaction and beyond.

Remediation (if required)

Delivery of recommendations – seamlessly and sensitively, within agreed timeframes, to streamline transactions and reduce risks for both parties.

Letters of reliance

Available upon request, enabling third parties (for example, lenders, buyers, or tenants) to rely on our report for decision-making – within its defined scope and purpose.