What drives the cost
The primary cost drivers are the size of the premises (larger properties take longer to assess), the complexity of the layout and means of escape, the type of use (a warehouse is simpler than a care home), the number of people at risk, and the qualifications of the assessor.
A BAFE SP205-registered or IFE-registered assessor will typically charge a premium over an unaccredited individual — but their report is the only type that is reliably accepted by local authority licensing officers and insurers. A cheap desktop assessment that gets rejected adds cost, not saves it.
What to avoid
Avoid any assessment priced below £100 unless you have confirmed it involves an on-site inspection by a qualified assessor. Desktop pro-forma assessments at these price points are routinely rejected by local authority HMO licensing officers and are of limited value for insurance or enforcement purposes.
"The assessment must be carried out by a competent person."
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. BAFE SP205 registration and IFE membership are the recognised benchmarks for fire risk assessor competence. FireCertificates only works with assessors holding these qualifications.