Do you actually need this?
Does an office really need a fire alarm service contract?
Two visits a year by a competent engineer is the requirement. A three- or five-year contract with auto-renewal is not. Here is what the standard actually asks for, what the weekly test is, and why the contract is where small businesses get locked in.
What you were told: "Your alarm needs to be on a maintenance contract to stay compliant. It's a five-year agreement, but the price is fixed."
What the standard says: BS 5839-1 asks for a weekly user test, a six-monthly inspection and service by a competent person, and all devices tested across the year. It says nothing about contracts, terms or renewal. The Fire Safety Order says the equipment must be maintained in efficient working order. It says nothing about contracts either.
Two layers, one of them free
Operate a different manual call point each week. Confirm the sounders go and the panel responds. Reset. Write it in the log book. Five minutes. It's the single most common gap fire officers find, and it's regularly sold as a service.
Two visits a year from a competent engineer (BAFE SP203-1 registration is the usual mark), testing all devices across the year, checking the panel, batteries and cause-and-effect, recording it in the log book. This is the whole professional requirement.
Where the money goes
Not the service. £100 to £400 a year for a small system is fair. The money is in the term. A five-year contract with auto-renewal and a 90-day notice window means that when the price goes up in year two, or the engineer stops turning up, you can't leave. Miss the window and you've signed for another term. That's the lock-in, and it's worth more to the provider than the service is.
What to ask for
- Per-visit pricing, or a one-year agreement.
- A 30-day notice clause, in writing.
- The price per extra call-out for false alarms and faults.
- Confirmation that the weekly test is yours and isn't on the invoice.
What you shouldn’t be sold
- The weekly test as a paid visit.
- A five-year term for a twice-yearly service.
- Monitoring "included". It's a separate service with a separate cost; decide whether you need it.
- A new panel because BS 5839-1:2025 was published. The new edition doesn't make a 2017-edition system non-compliant.
- A higher category than your fire risk assessment requires. More detectors to buy and service, for life.
Quick answers
- How often does a fire alarm need servicing?
- BS 5839-1 recommends inspection and servicing at intervals not exceeding six months, with every device tested over the course of a year, plus a weekly test of one call point by the user, recorded in the log book.
- Do I need a fire alarm maintenance contract?
- You need two visits a year by a competent person. That can be per visit, or a one-year agreement with a 30-day notice clause. A three- or five-year contract with auto-renewal adds nothing to compliance and removes your ability to leave.
This is general information about UK compliance, written for the person paying the bill. It isn’t legal advice. If your situation is unusual, get a professional to look at it.