Fire Safety Certificates

A Fire Safety Certificate is required in the following instances:-

(a) works in connection with the design and construction of a new building,
(b) works in connection with the material alteration
Of—
(i) a day centre,
(ii) a building containing a flat,
(iii) a hotel, hostel or guest building, or
(iv) an institutional building, or
(v) a place of assembly, or
(vi) a shopping centre,
but excluding works to such buildings, consisting
solely of minor works,

(c) works in connection with the material alteration of a shop, office or industrial building where —
(i) additional floor area is being provided within the existing building, or
(ii) the building is being subdivided into a number of units for separate occupancy,

(d) works in connection with the extension of a building by more than 25 square metres,
(e) a building as regards which a material change of use takes place.

Works exempted from a Fire Safety Certificate Application include:-

(a) a single storey building which —
(i) is used exclusively for the storage of materials or products, for the accommodation of plant or machinery or in connection with the housing, care or management of livestock,
(ii) is used solely for the purpose of agriculture,
and
(iii) is a building in which the only persons habitually employed are engaged solely in the care, supervision, regulation, maintenance, storage or removal of the materials, products, plant, machinery or livestock in the building, obligation to and which is either attached to another such building or detached from any other building,

(b) a building used as a dwelling other than a flat,
(c) a single storey building used as a domestic garage,
(d) a single storey building (other than one described in (c)) ancillary to a dwelling (such as a summer house, poultry-house, aviary, conservatory, coal shed, garden tool shed or bicycle shed) which is used exclusively for recreational or storage purposes or the keeping of plants, birds or animals for domestic purposes and is not used for the purposes of any trade or business or for human habitation,
or to works in connection with such a building provided that, after the works are carried out, the building is or continues to be a building referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d).

A valid Fire Safety Certificate application shall include:-

(i) A completed application form
(ii) Relevant fire safety drawings to an appropriate scale in duplicate
(iii) A fire safety compliance report in duplicate.
(iv) Site location maps to an appropriate sale in duplicate.
(v) The appropriate fee

Application fees made payable to the City/County Council:-

The application fee depends on the type of application required. There are 3 main types of Application; Fire Safety Certificate or Revised Fire Safety Certificate, 7 Day (Commencement) Notice Application and a Regularisation Fire Safety Certificate Application.

(i) Fire Safety Certificate or Revised Fire Safety Certificate Applications

The Fire Safety Certificate Application is the normal everyday application with the Revised Fire Safety Certificate Application being an application whereby a revision or number of revisions are made to an already existing Fire Safety Certificate. Work cannot commence until these applications are granted and for 14 days after a commencement notice is served. The application fee to the council is €125, or €2.90 for each square metre of floor area being provided, whichever is the greater. The maximum fee payable to the Council is €12,500.

(ii) 7 Day (Commencement) Notice Application:-

In this type of application, the applicant notifies the council of their intention to start work in 7 days time. This application type incorporates a valid Fire Safety Certificate Application; a completed Fire Safety
Certificate Application Form, a completed 7 Day Commencement Notice form and a Statutory Declaration. The Declaration states that any works carried out before the grant of the Fire Safety Certificate will comply with the Building Regulations and promises to carry out any modifications or alterations required
by the Building Control Authority under the grant. The application fee to the council is €250, or €5.80 for each square metre of floor area being provided, whichever is the greater. The maximum fee payable to the Council is €25,000.

(iii) Regularisation Fire Safety Certificate Application:-

This type of application is an application after the fact. The works have been started or completed without a Fire Safety Certificate Application or 7 Day Notice Application having been sought or granted. Unlike a designed application; this application will need to confirm that the completed building complies with the Building Regulations. The Council are allowed to inspect the premises. A statutory declaration is required also; stating that the works carried out to date, comply with the Building Regulations and that the applicant will comply with any modifications or conditions imposed by the Council. The application fee to the council is €500, or €11.60 for each square metre of floor area being provided, whichever is the greater. The maximum
fee payable to the Council is €50,000.

CC & Associates’ fee for preparing and submitting a Fire Safety Certificate Application to the Council:-

CC & Associates’ fee is based on the size and nature of the project in question as well as the type of Application involved.

Please email drawings of the project to the above email address and a quote will be furnished to you promptly.