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Compliance · England

How often does it
need testing?

Fire alarms, emergency lighting, lifts, water, gas, ductwork: what has to be inspected, tested and maintained in a building, and how often. Each answer says whether it rests on law, a British Standard or guidance, and shows its sources.

  • 28regimes
  • 117tasks
  • 247source citations
  • sources checked
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How to read the badges

Law, standard or guidance?

Law

Legislation says you must do this, at this interval where one is given.

37of 117 tasksLaw

British Standard

A British Standard recommends it. Following the standard is the usual way to show the general legal duty has been met, but the interval is not itself law.

30of 117 tasksBritish Standard

Guidance

A regulator, government department or industry body recommends it.

50of 117 tasksGuidance

Fire and life safety

14 regimes · 60 tasks
Fire detection and alarm systemsHow often should a fire alarm be tested and serviced? WeeklyMonthlySix-monthly LawBritish Standard Emergency lightingHow often should emergency lighting be tested? MonthlySix-monthlyAnnualEvery few years British StandardGuidance Fire doors (communal and flat entrance doors)How often do fire doors need to be inspected? WeeklyQuarterlySix-monthlyAnnual LawGuidance Fire extinguishersHow often should fire extinguishers be serviced? MonthlyAnnualEvery few years British StandardGuidance Dry and wet rising mainsHow often should dry risers and wet risers be tested? MonthlySix-monthlyAnnual LawBritish Standard Sprinkler systemsHow often should a sprinkler system be tested and serviced? WeeklyMonthlyQuarterlySix-monthlyAnnualEvery few years LawBritish Standard Medium confidence Smoke control and smoke ventilation (AOVs)How often should smoke vents (AOVs) and smoke control systems be tested? WeeklyMonthlySix-monthlyAnnual LawBritish StandardGuidance Medium confidence Fire and smoke dampersHow often should fire dampers be tested? AnnualNo fixed interval British StandardGuidance Medium confidence Gaseous fire suppression systems (including room integrity testing)How often should a gas fire suppression system be serviced and the room integrity tested? Six-monthlyAnnualNo fixed interval LawBritish StandardGuidance Medium confidence Evacuation alert systems (BS 8629)How often should an evacuation alert system be checked? MonthlyNo fixed interval LawBritish Standard High-rise residential Medium confidence Voice alarm and public address (PAVA) systemsHow often should a voice alarm (PAVA) system be tested? WeeklySix-monthlyAnnual British Standard Medium confidence Firefighting lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildingsWhat monthly checks are required on firefighting lifts and fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildings? WeeklyMonthlyAnnualNo fixed interval LawGuidance High-rise residential Kitchen extract (grease) ductworkHow often should kitchen extract ductwork be cleaned? QuarterlySix-monthlyAnnual Guidance Fire risk assessment reviewHow often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed? AnnualEvery few yearsNo fixed interval LawGuidance

Governance

1 regime · 9 tasks
Building registration and safety case for higher-risk residential buildingsWhat are the registration and safety case duties for a higher-risk residential building? Every few yearsNo fixed interval LawGuidance High-rise residential Medium confidence

Electrical

3 regimes · 13 tasks
Fixed wiring inspection (EICR)How often is a fixed wiring inspection (EICR) required? AnnualEvery few years LawGuidance Portable appliance testing (PAT)How often is PAT testing required? Every few yearsNo fixed interval LawGuidance Lightning protection systemsHow often should a lightning protection system be tested? Six-monthlyAnnual British StandardGuidance Medium confidence

Mechanical, gas and pressure

3 regimes · 8 tasks
Gas appliance safety checksHow often do gas appliances need a safety check? Annual LawGuidance Pressure systems (written scheme of examination)How often do pressure systems need to be examined? No fixed interval Law Passenger and goods lifts (thorough examination)How often do lifts need a thorough examination under LOLER? Six-monthlyAnnualNo fixed interval Law

Ventilation and air

4 regimes · 11 tasks
Air conditioning energy inspections (TM44)How often is a TM44 air conditioning inspection required? Every few years Law F-gas leak checks on air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pumpsHow often must F-gas leak checks be carried out? QuarterlySix-monthlyAnnual Law Ventilation hygiene (ductwork inspection and cleaning)How often should ventilation ductwork be inspected and cleaned? AnnualEvery few yearsNo fixed interval British StandardGuidance Medium confidence Local exhaust ventilation (LEV)How often does local exhaust ventilation (LEV) need a thorough examination and test? AnnualNo fixed interval LawGuidance

Water

1 regime · 11 tasks
Legionella control in hot and cold water systemsHow often should legionella checks and risk assessments be carried out? WeeklyMonthlyQuarterlyAnnualNo fixed interval Guidance

Building fabric and access

2 regimes · 5 tasks
Asbestos management (re-inspection)How often should asbestos be re-inspected and the management plan reviewed? Annual Guidance Fall-arrest anchors and personal fall protection equipmentHow often should fall-arrest anchor points and eyebolts be tested? Six-monthlyAnnual British StandardGuidance Medium confidence
About this data

Where it comes from

England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different legislation and are not covered.

Every task and legal statement is supported by at least one source fetched over HTTPS and read on the date shown. Quotes are verbatim and 25 words or fewer. A second, independent verification pass re-fetched every source and re-read the legislation on 5 October 2026. Intervals taken from British Standards were checked against published summaries of those standards by trade bodies and government guidance, because the standards themselves are paid publications.

Confidence is marked on every regime. It is not high on 10 of the 28: those pages carry a caution that explains why, and the rows above are flagged.

Cite this page

AMPM Group (2026). Inspection, testing and maintenance frequencies for buildings in England. https://ampm.co.uk/compliance/ (checked 5 October 2026).

The full dataset, with every source and quotation, is published as JSON at /compliance/data.json. It is free to quote and reuse with a credit and a link.

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