Professionally structured fire risk assessments, enforcement-facing instructions, FRA reviews and higher risk building assessments. Fixed fees agreed in advance. Nationwide.
Core service
A full fire risk assessment of the premises — carried out personally by Brian Neat, with findings proportionate to the actual risk identified and an action plan written for the Responsible Person. There are no sub-contracted assessors and no junior staff sent in his place. From a base in Petersfield, SimplyNeat carries out fire risk assessments in Hampshire and nationwide.
Reports are written to be understood and acted upon by the Responsible Person. Not filed away. Every finding is proportionate to the actual risk identified — not overstated to cover liability, not understated to please the client.
Fees are fixed and agreed in writing before the assessment takes place. There are no hidden charges and no scope creep.
What the assessment includes
Ongoing compliance
An existing fire risk assessment should be reviewed whenever there has been a material change to the premises, its use, or its management arrangements — and at least every 12 months for higher risk premises.
A review is not a box-ticking exercise. It is an opportunity to ensure the fire risk assessment still reflects the current state of the premises and that the action plan is progressing. Findings that have been addressed should be closed; new findings should be identified and prioritised.
SimplyNeat offers review and revisit services at a reduced rate for existing clients where there have been no material changes to the premises. Where a review identifies material changes that significantly affect the findings, this may result in the instruction being treated as a new fire risk assessment, with a revised fee agreed in writing before work continues.
When a review is required
Specialist instruction
If you have received an Enforcement Notice or Prohibition Notice under Article 30 or Article 31 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended), or if you are preparing for a fire safety audit, Brian's background as a former enforcement officer and A31 signatory is directly relevant.
Brian understands how enforcement decisions are made and the framework within which officers work. He can review your current position against the regulatory requirements, identify what a proportionate and compliant response looks like, and help you build a credible path to compliance — one that addresses the enforcing authority's concerns without creating unnecessary burden.
Enforcement instructions carry a 20% uplift on the standard day rate, reflecting the additional complexity, urgency and accountability involved.
What this service covers
Specialist instruction
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced a new regulatory regime for higher risk buildings — defined broadly as residential buildings of 18 metres or more, or seven or more storeys, containing two or more dwellings. The Act places significantly enhanced duties on accountable persons and imposes new competency requirements on those carrying out fire risk assessments.
In this environment, the question is not just whether a fire risk assessment has been carried out — but whether it has been carried out by someone who can demonstrate competency against the national standard.
Brian Neat holds a Level 6 equivalent Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment and has direct experience of complex and higher risk residential building assessments. He is currently pursuing third-party accreditation under the IFE Fire Risk Assessors Register HRB pathway, in accordance with the competency framework established under the Building Safety Act 2022.
Complex residential experience
Scope & access
Fire risk assessments are carried out to different levels of access and invasiveness. Understanding which type applies to your premises is important — both for setting the right scope and ensuring the assessment fulfils its intended purpose.
Type 1 — Non-destructive, common parts only. This is SimplyNeat's standard assessment. The inspection covers the common parts of the premises — escape routes, common areas, plant rooms, external envelope — without access to individual dwelling units or, where applicable, private residential accommodation such as staff quarters or a landlord's flat. This is the appropriate assessment type for the majority of commercial, residential and mixed-use premises and fully discharges the Responsible Person's duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended). In HMOs and converted residential premises, the boundary of the standard assessment is the front door of each individual letting unit. In licensed premises with on-site residential accommodation, that accommodation is outside the standard scope unless specifically agreed in advance.
Type 3 — Non-destructive, including access to sample dwellings. A Type 3 assessment extends the scope to include access to a sample of individual dwelling units, with occupant consent. This provides a more complete picture of the fire risk — particularly in older converted stock where the condition of compartmentation within units may significantly affect the risk to the common escape route. SimplyNeat carries out Type 3 assessments where specifically requested and where access can be arranged. If you believe a Type 3 assessment is appropriate for your premises, please raise this at enquiry stage.
Type 2 and Type 4 — Destructive surveys. These involve opening up structure to inspect concealed compartmentation — a more invasive process requiring specialist building contractors working alongside the assessor. SimplyNeat does not carry out destructive surveys. Where a Type 2 or Type 4 survey is required — for example following enforcement action or as part of a building safety case — specialist referral can be arranged.
Pre-occupation assessments
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended) places a duty on the Responsible Person to ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is in place. That duty is triggered by occupation — by the presence of employees or members of the public on the premises. A building that is not yet occupied carries no FSO fire risk assessment requirement.
Regulation 38 of the Building Regulations 2010 requires the person carrying out building work to provide fire safety information to the Responsible Person on completion of a new build, extension or material alteration. That information — fire strategy documents, as-built drawings, details of installed fire safety systems and their maintenance requirements — is the developer or contractor's obligation to supply. It is not a fire risk assessment and does not require one to be produced.
Despite the absence of a legal requirement, there is a legitimate and growing market for pre-occupation fire risk assessments commissioned by the incoming Responsible Person. The reason is straightforward: the FSO duty triggers the moment occupation begins. The legal obligation exists from that point. A Responsible Person who has not yet commissioned a fire risk assessment carries both the legal exposure and, more practically, a gap in their understanding of the building's fire safety position at precisely the moment when that understanding matters most — when occupants are new to the building, systems may not yet be fully bedded in, and management arrangements are still being established.
Approved Document B tells you what was required to be installed. The Regulation 38 package tells you what was actually installed. A pre-occupation fire risk assessment tells you whether what is installed, in the condition it is currently in, is adequate for the specific occupancy and use you are about to bring to the building. These are related but distinct questions. The pre-occupation FRA answers the one that matters most to the incoming Responsible Person.
SimplyNeat does not offer Regulation 38 compliance reviews or developer handover services. The pre-occupation FRA is commissioned by the incoming Responsible Person — the party who will carry the FSO duty once occupation begins.
What the assessment covers
The process
Call, email or complete the quote form. Tell us about your premises and any specific concerns or requirements.
We discuss your premises, your requirements and any specific concerns. No obligation at this stage.
You receive a written proposal with a fixed fee. No hidden charges, no scope creep.
We confirm the site visit date and send a written confirmation. The assessment is conducted personally by Brian.
The report is issued within the agreed timescale — clear findings, risk rating and prioritised action plan.
We are available to discuss findings and support your action planning after report issue. This covers reasonable discussion of the findings — responsibility for implementing the action plan rests with the Responsible Person. Where new information emerges post-report that materially affects the findings, this constitutes a revised instruction and will be scoped and priced accordingly.
Indicative fees
Fees are agreed in writing before any work is instructed. SimplyNeat does not operate a fixed published price list — every premises is different, and the fee reflects the specific instruction: the size, complexity and risk profile of the premises, the scope of work required, and any travel involved.
The factors that influence a fee include: premises size and layout; occupancy type and risk level; the complexity of means of escape, compartmentation and management arrangements; whether the instruction is a new fire risk assessment, a review of an existing one, an enforcement-facing instruction, or a pre-occupation assessment; and distance from our Hampshire base. Where an instruction covers multiple premises — a portfolio of HMOs, a housing association's residential stock, or an industrial estate with several units — a schedule discount is applied, reflecting the reduced mobilisation cost per premises and the value of an ongoing client relationship.
Enforcement-facing instructions carry an uplift on the standard day rate, reflecting the additional complexity, urgency and accountability involved. Review and revisit instructions for existing clients with no material changes are offered at a reduced rate. Pre-occupation fire risk assessments are charged at the full rate; a discounted post-occupation review is available if instructed within 12 months of occupation.
To receive a fixed-price proposal, get in touch with a brief description of your premises and your requirements. There is no obligation at the enquiry stage.
Tell us about your premises and we will come back to you with a written proposal. We endeavour to respond to all enquiries within one working day. SimplyNeat is a sole practitioner practice — if Brian is on site or unavailable, there may occasionally be a short delay.
Common questions
Fees are fixed and agreed in writing before the assessment takes place — there are no hidden charges and no scope creep. There's no single published rate because cost depends on the size, layout, use and complexity of the premises; SimplyNeat Fire Solutions Ltd is not VAT registered, so quoted fees are the fees payable. For more on what drives the price and why the fee is fixed, see how much does a fire risk assessment cost? Get in touch with your premises details for a written quote before any work is instructed.
There's no single fixed interval set in law — the assessment must be kept up to date and reviewed regularly, and at least every 12 months for higher risk premises. In practice, a review is also needed sooner after any material change to the premises, its use, or its management arrangements — see how often a fire risk assessment needs to be reviewed for what counts as a significant change. SimplyNeat offers review and revisit services at a reduced rate for existing clients where nothing material has changed.
A comprehensive on-site assessment of fire hazards, means of escape, fire detection and suppression systems, management arrangements and occupant characteristics — backed by photographic evidence throughout. The output is a clear written report with significant findings, an overall risk rating and a prioritised action plan, written in plain language for the Responsible Person to actually act on, not file away.
As a general rule, portable fire extinguishers should be visually checked monthly by someone on-site and serviced annually by a competent extinguisher engineer, in line with British Standard BS 5306-3. That servicing duty sits alongside — but is separate from — the fire risk assessment itself: the assessment identifies whether provision is adequate, while inspection and servicing keep the equipment in working order. SimplyNeat's assessments cover the former; extinguisher servicing is typically arranged with a specialist maintenance provider.