Fire Door Inspection & Repair

First 30 days

Study NFPA 80 concepts, local authority requirements, fire-rated assemblies, labels, clearances, hardware compatibility, and documentation standards. Pursue relevant training or certification where expected in your market. Build a checklist covering labels, gaps, latching, closing, glazing, holes, field modifications, hinges, gasketing, and signage. Buy gauges, hardware tools, replacement fasteners, door silencers, sweeps, and common closers.

Days 31-60

Target property managers, schools, assisted living facilities, small hotels, churches, warehouses, and multifamily owners. Offer a paid fire-door survey with photo documentation and repair estimates. Partner with fire-alarm, extinguisher, and sprinkler contractors who already sell compliance services. They find problems but often do not repair doors.

Days 61-90

Create annual inspection packages priced per opening, with repair work quoted separately. Standardize reports so managers can hand them to inspectors or ownership. Build a parts list by building, because fire-door work becomes faster when you know every recurring hinge, closer, latch, and sweep. Stay conservative: if a modification needs a labeled shop, manufacturer approval, or AHJ guidance, say so. Trust is the margin.

Typical operators report inspection pricing around $15-$75 per opening depending on volume and reporting requirements, with repair visits commonly $150-$650 per door for minor hardware, closer, latch, or clearance fixes. Larger replacement work can be much higher. A solo operator inspecting and repairing 30-100 openings per week can build meaningful revenue if routing is dense. Costs include training, insurance, documentation time, parts, vehicle, and callbacks. Net margins commonly range from 25%-45% depending on repair mix.

• Fire-door gap gauges and inspection tools: $75-$250
• Cordless drill, driver, and bits: $250-$700
• Door closer and hinge inventory: $500-$2,500
• Gasketing, sweeps, latch hardware, fasteners: $500-$2,000
• Reporting software or tablet: $300-$1,500
• Ladder and portable work platform: $150-$500
• Training or certification: $500-$3,000

Call local fire extinguisher and alarm companies first. Ask if their customers need fire-door repair after inspections, then offer a referral arrangement or white-label repair support. Next, contact small property managers and offer a paid mini-audit of 10 doors with photos and a repair quote. Within two weeks, the best first customer is a building that recently failed an inspection and needs someone who can both document and fix the boring parts.