Search for the cost of fire-resistant sealing and you get the same answer everywhere: it's bespoke, ask for a quotation. That is true, but it doesn't help if you have to draw up a budget or assess a quotation. In this article we explain which factors really determine the price, so that you can check whether a quotation is complete and transparent.
Why floor area is a poor measure
Fire-resistant sealing is usually priced per penetration or per linear metre of joint. The area of a building or wall says little about it: a 40 m2 wall with three penetrations is a fraction of the work of the same wall with eighty penetrations. The dimensions of the opening do affect the cost, however: a large opening requires more material and labour than a small one. And for repairing a wall itself, a price per square metre can be entirely appropriate.
The six factors that determine the price
- Type of penetration. A single cable is usually cheaper than a full cable bundle, a metal pipe or a mixed penetration where cables and plastic pipes pass through one opening together. Plastic pipes often need a collar or wrap strip; that is usually a different system from a cable penetration.
- Wall or floor type. The construction determines which systems are possible and how laborious the installation is. In a floor you also often work in a more awkward position.
- Required performance. A separation with a higher requirement often needs a heavier build-up or more material than a separation with a lower requirement.
- Accessibility. This is an often underestimated factor. A penetration at eye level in a plant room costs a fraction of the same penetration eight metres up above a fully loaded warehouse rack, or above a suspended ceiling that first has to be opened and then closed again.
- Number and concentration. The unit price usually falls with volume. Two hundred penetrations in a continuous catch-up programme are usually considerably cheaper per unit than five individual call-outs spread over the year, each of which needs its own travel and set-up.
- Condition of the building. Existing unsuitable seals must first be removed. That removal work is not included in the price of a new penetration.
What makes the work more laborious
The table below does not give prices or fixed ratios. It shows what usually makes the difference in labour and material in practice.
| Situation | What usually makes the difference |
|---|---|
| Single cable or cable bundle, easily accessible | Relatively simple work with a standard system |
| Metal pipe with insulation | Any adjustment of the insulation according to the system instructions |
| Plastic pipe | A collar, wrap or other substantiated system, and installation all round |
| Mixed penetration, cables and pipes together | Critical choice of system, spacing and more labour |
| Same work at height or above a ceiling | Aerial platform or scaffolding, opening and restoring the ceiling |
Large catch-up programmes are often quoted not per unit but per man-hour with a target budget , precisely because the numbers are not known exactly in advance. That is not a sign of a vague quotation; it is an honest form when numbers are unknown, provided it comes with a target budget and regular reporting.
What a good quote contains
- Number and type of penetrations per category, not a single line ‘fire-resistant sealing’.
- System applied per category, so that it can be checked whether the installation falls within the substantiated field of application.
- Whether records and product documentation are included in the price. Quotations often differ here: sealing without records is cheaper, but makes it hard to show later what was done.
- How to deal with penetrations discovered only during the work. This is common in existing buildings.
- Whether removal of existing unsuitable seals is included.
The cheapest quotation is not always the cheapest solution
Quotations can differ considerably because one includes records and documentation and the other does not. During an inspection by the municipality or fire service, or a question from your insurer, a seal without records is hard to assess: what lies behind the visible surface is then unknown. Often the seal then has to be opened up or investigated after all, and that usually costs more than recording it straight away.
Which systems we use, how we record every penetration and what you receive at handover is explained on our page about fire-stopping. It also lists market-wide indicative prices per penetration.
Would you like a realistic estimate for your building? Request an survey and itemised quote , or start with the free quickscan for an indication of the risk profile.
Frequently asked questions
That depends mainly on the type of penetration, the dimensions of the opening and accessibility. A single cable in an easily accessible wall is at the bottom of the scale; a mixed penetration with cables and plastic pipes at height can cost many times that. Individual call-outs usually cost more per unit than a continuous catch-up programme.
Usually not on the basis of the floor area of a building or wall: that says little about the amount of work. What matters is the number of breaches, their type and the dimensions of the openings. That is why sealing is usually priced per penetration or per linear metre of joint.
With us, yes, but it varies per supplier and is an important reason why quotations can differ. Ask about it explicitly: without records it is hard to show later what was done.
Usually, yes. With volume, the unit price usually falls because travel, set-up and cordoning off happen once instead of per call-out.
Want to know more about fire-resistant seals?
Sealing penetrations against fire with collars, wrap strips, sealant, mortar or other systems with a substantiated application, so that the WBDBO of your fire separation stays intact.
More about fire-resistant seals
