Fire Stopping After Renovation or Fit-Out in NSW: What to Check and Request
The office fit-out is complete. New data cables are working, the ceiling tiles have been replaced and the contractor has submitted an invoice. But the handover says nothing about the openings made through fire-resisting walls or floors.
For facility managers, strata managers and building owners in Greater Sydney, the next step is not to judge the finished sealant by eye. It is to establish which fire-resisting elements were affected, what protection was reinstated and what evidence supports the work.
Why ordinary building works can affect fire stopping
Data and NBN installations, electrical upgrades, plumbing repairs, HVAC alterations and tenancy fit-outs can all change service routes. A contractor might drill a new opening, enlarge an existing penetration or disturb a seal when removing old cables. Risers and altered partitions also deserve attention.
Not every hole passes through fire-resisting construction. First identify the building element instead of assuming every opening needs the same treatment.
Where a service passes through construction required to resist fire, its protection must suit the actual arrangement. Under the relevant National Construction Code (NCC) provisions, service openings may be addressed through a compliant tested system or another applicable compliance pathway. A fire-rated product alone is not enough.
For an explanation of the building elements involved, see how passive fire protection works in a building.
Before work starts: establish what the contractor may affect
Check the building information
Give the project team access to the current Fire Safety Schedule (FSS), relevant approved drawings and any available fire engineering or penetration details. The FSS identifies measures and minimum standards, not necessarily individual openings.
Older buildings may have incomplete drawings. If the route or required performance is uncertain, ask the designer, certifier or an appropriately competent fire protection specialist to clarify it before the work proceeds.
Assign responsibility before anyone opens a wall
Confirm who will identify affected fire-resisting elements, arrange protection for new or altered penetrations, check the completed work and provide handover evidence. Include these requirements in the work scope.
Ask whether the project needs development consent, a complying development certificate, a construction certificate or another approval. Requirements depend on the work. Strata permission does not replace statutory approvals.
During the works: capture what will soon be hidden
Plan a point at which the affected work can be inspected before ceilings, risers or wall linings are closed. Request dated photographs identifying the location and, where relevant, the service configuration and fire-stopping system.
Photographs are useful supporting evidence, not proof that an installation meets its required performance. A finished-room photograph does not document a concealed penetration.
Nominate someone to consolidate information from multiple trades.
After the works: where to look and what to flag
Check the locations most likely to be overlooked
Start with the work areas, then follow the affected services where access is authorised and safe. Common review points include:
Cable trays and new data bundles passing through walls or floor slabs.
Pipework within plant rooms and service risers.
Services above suspended ceilings, particularly near tenancy boundaries.
Ductwork and penetrations associated with HVAC changes.
Previously sealed openings disturbed when redundant services were removed.
Fire-resisting wall or ceiling systems affected by new equipment or access panels.
Flag visible gaps, displaced or damaged materials, disturbed collars, unexplained openings and areas for which nobody can identify the reinstatement work. Record each location for specialist review.
Know what a visual inspection cannot establish
A neat surface can conceal an unsuitable arrangement. The relevant evidence may depend on the wall or floor construction, orientation, service type, opening geometry, insulation and required fire resistance.
For applicable tested-system pathways, NCC 2022 Volume One refers to AS 4072.1 and AS 1530.4. Other provisions address particular services and configurations. A generic product datasheet cannot establish that an installed arrangement is covered by a particular test or assessment.
Managers can flag concerns, but technical acceptance requires relevant evidence and competent assessment.
Fire stopping records: what should you request?
Ask for records that let future managers locate the work and understand its verification. The following table deliberately separates useful project evidence from statutory records: not every item is a universally prescribed NSW document.
Record or evidence | Ask whom? | What it helps establish | Typical status |
Locations of new, modified or disturbed penetrations | Head contractor or relevant trade | What changed and where to inspect | Recommended; may be contractual |
Updated relevant drawings or penetration location schedule | Contractor or designer | How to find work after ceilings or risers close | Conditional or recommended |
Installed fire-stopping system identification and configuration | Installer or specialist subcontractor | Which system was used at each location | Recommended evidence; may be contractual |
Applicable test or technical assessment evidence | Installer, designer or supplier | Whether the proposed system covers the relevant arrangement | Evidence depends on compliance pathway |
Photographs before concealment and after reinstatement | Contractor | What was visible at handover | Recommended; may be contractual |
Inspection findings and sign-off details | Appointed competent specialist | Who checked the work and what remains unresolved | Conditional on scope and approvals |
Relevant approvals, certificates and updated FSS, where required | Owner, project manager or certifier | Whether required statutory steps were completed | Legally required when applicable |
Applicable routine servicing entries and on-site logbook | Fire safety service provider | Ongoing service history under AS 1851-2012 | Required for applicable servicing activities |
There is no general AS 1851-2012 requirement for a separate passive fire register, according to Building Commission NSW. A location-based register can still help, but differs from mandatory servicing records.
Six questions you can email the contractor
Which fire-resisting walls, floors or other elements did your works affect?
Can you identify the location of each new or altered service penetration?
What reinstatement system was used at each location?
What evidence shows that the system suits the construction and service configuration?
Do you have photographs taken before the work was concealed?
Who inspected the work, and are there any outstanding items or required approvals?
Who is responsible in NSW?
The contractor and project team
Contractors are responsible for the work they undertake under applicable law, approvals and contract terms. The manager should confirm who is responsible for specialist fire stopping rather than assume the electrician, plumber or data installer has included it in their scope.
The building owner or owners corporation
Owners have statutory obligations to maintain applicable essential fire safety measures. Managers can arrange contractors, but that does not transfer owners' statutory obligations.
The certifier and Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety)
A registered certifier has specific functions where construction certification or other statutory approval is required. An Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety) assesses relevant fire safety measures for the AFSS and performs other functions within their accreditation.
NSW does not generally require someone to hold APFS accreditation simply to install, test or routinely service essential fire safety measures. Suitable competence, trade licensing and any specific approval conditions still matter.
A strata example: cables through a shared riser
Suppose a lot owner engages a data contractor to run cables through a riser serving several tenancies. Check both approval and reinstatement of affected fire-resisting construction.
NSW strata rules distinguish types of renovation. Some cabling can fall within minor renovations, but work affecting structure, common property or fire safety requires closer consideration. Check the strata plan, by-laws, approvals and allocation of maintenance responsibility. Request records before the contractor leaves.
How fire stopping relates to AS 1851 and the AFSS
Fire seals protecting openings in fire-resisting building components are among the statutory fire safety measures recognised in NSW. The FSS records the measures and minimum standards of performance applying to the building; an existing measure may still require maintenance even if an older schedule is incomplete.
Since 13 February 2026, NSW has required owners of Class 1b and Class 2 to 9 buildings to arrange applicable routine servicing of essential fire safety measures under AS 1851-2012, unless an approved performance solution addresses the maintenance activity. The relevant activities and intervals differ by measure; a single annual inspection rule does not describe every fire door, penetration seal and damper.
Required routine service records must be kept on site for at least seven years. Building Commission NSW also explains that a hard-copy logbook must be left on site after routine servicing, even where electronic records are used.
The Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS) is a separate process involving assessment of applicable fire safety measures by appropriately accredited practitioners. Neither routine servicing nor an AFSS should be treated as automatic proof of the installation details of a recently concealed penetration.
What if the contractor has no records?
Request locations, drawings, photographs and subcontractor reports. Compare them with existing building information.
Next, identify exactly what remains uncertain. Missing photographs and unexplained penetrations are different problems. Neither automatically requires opening every concealed area.
Where the installed system cannot be established, arrange a competent assessment and agree on any further investigation. Record findings, prioritise safety-related issues, arrange any necessary rectification and obtain follow-up verification. Make the final information accessible to future managers and fire safety service providers.
Frequently asked questions
Does every office fit-out need a separate fire stopping inspection?
Not automatically. Establish whether the works affected fire-resisting construction and what the approved design, project scope and applicable certification requirements demand. Specialist verification may be appropriate even where no separate statutory certificate is prescribed.
Can an electrician sign off a fire-rated cable penetration?
Completing the electrical installation does not alone establish the fire-stopping system's compliance. Ask what evidence and relevant competence supports the fire-stopping work, including any inspection or sign-off required for the project.
Does an AFSS confirm that every new penetration is compliant?
No. An AFSS addresses the assessment of applicable fire safety measures. It is not a location-by-location construction handover record for every altered opening.
What if work was completed inside a lot but may affect common property?
Check the strata plan, by-laws, approved scope and any relevant approvals. Establish who must investigate or rectify the work rather than assuming that the lot boundary decides every responsibility.
Need help reviewing affected passive fire protection?
EverSure Fire Protection provides passive fire protection inspection, repair and upgrade services for commercial and strata properties in Greater Sydney. If recent building works have left uncertain penetration details or visible damage, contact us to discuss the affected areas and available services.
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