Commercial fire alarm installers in Kent
We design, install, commission and maintain fire alarm systems for offices, shops, warehouses, industrial units, hotels, schools and care homes across Kent and East Sussex. We’re BAFE SP203-1 registered (No. 303674) for all four modules, certificated by NSI, and a Kentec Installation Partner.
Written by Ricky Shaw, Technical Director. Last reviewed 10 October 2026.
- BAFE SP203-1
- Registered No. 303674
- Modules
- Design, Installation, Commission, Maintenance
- Certification body
- NSI (Fire Silver)
- Designed to
- BS 5839-1:2025
- Google reviews
- 120+ five-star
The one your fire risk assessment calls for. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must make sure the premises have appropriate fire detection and fire alarms where necessary (article 13), and keep them maintained in efficient working order (article 17).
In most commercial buildings that means a system designed, installed and maintained to BS 5839-1:2025, at the category your fire risk assessment sets.
Your part as the responsible person
- A fire risk assessment, recorded in full and kept up to date: since 1 October 2023 that applies to every business, whatever its size
- Fire detection and a way to raise the alarm, where the assessment says they’re needed
- The system serviced about every six months by a competent company
- A different manual call point tested every week, and recorded in the logbook
- Staff who know what to do when the alarm sounds, and a fire procedure that says who checks and who calls 999
We take care of the system and its paperwork, and show your team how to do the weekly test. See everything we hand over.
How much does a commercial fire alarm cost?
A fire alarm for a small office starts from £3,500 + VAT (£4,200 inc. VAT), and maintenance contracts from £120 + VAT per visit (£144 inc. VAT). Larger buildings cost more. We give you a fixed price, with the design, after a free site survey.
What affects the price
- The size and layout of the building, and how many floors and rooms it has
- The category your fire risk assessment sets, which decides how much detection is needed
- Conventional, addressable or wireless
- Cable routes, access to ceilings and how much disruption you can accept
- Interfaces: door releases, plant shutdown and connection to an alarm receiving centre
- Work out of hours, or phased around your trading
Starting prices
- Fire alarm for a small office
- from £3,500 + VAT (£4,200 inc. VAT)
- Fire alarm maintenance contract
- from £120 + VAT per visit (£144 inc. VAT)
Every job gets a clear, fixed price after a free site survey.
Book a free surveyWhich system suits your building?
All three are designed to BS 5839-1:2025. We’ll recommend one at the survey, and where two would suit, we can price both.
| System | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional | Detectors wired in zones; the panel shows which zone has operated | Small, simple buildings with a few zones |
| Addressable | Every device has an address, so the panel shows the exact device, such as “Kitchen, ground floor” | Larger buildings, many rooms and complex cause and effect. We’re a Kentec Installation Partner |
| Wireless (Ajax EN54) | Radio devices certified to EN 54-25, with far less cabling | Occupied, finished and listed buildings, and warehouses with racking |
Commercial buildings we look after
- Offices: installed around your working day, with minimal disruption
- Shops, cafés and restaurants: phased around trading hours
- Warehouses and industrial units: high ceilings, racking and beam detection
- Self storage: concrete floors and metal walls, solved with wireless
- Hotels, pubs and guest houses: sleeping risk and public access
- Schools and nurseries: work in the holidays, with Enhanced DBS checked engineers
- Care homes and surgeries: vulnerable people and after-hours use
- Transport and logistics: such as Motis Cheriton Truck Park
Recent commercial fire alarm work
Every system we install gets a framed zone plan beside the panel and a full set of certificates.
From survey to servicing, by one company
Free site survey
Usually within a week. We walk the building with you, look at your fire risk assessment and note what the system needs to do.
Design and fixed-price quote
A BS 5839-1:2025 design drawn in NOVA System Designer, with a clear fixed price, normally within five working days.
Installation
We install the system, phased around your trading hours. Most commercial jobs take three to ten working days on site.
Commissioning and handover
Every device tested and the cause and effect proved. You get the certificates, logbook, zone plan and training on the panel.
Servicing
Inspection and servicing about every six months, with a certificate and logbook entry each visit.
Kent Fire and Rescue usually needs a fire confirmed first
For most premises, callers must confirm a fire, or signs of fire, before crews are sent to an automatic fire alarm, day and night. Your fire procedure needs to say who checks and who calls 999.
Already have a system?
We take over and maintain most makes, starting with a full inspection. Servicing and takeovers.
All four BAFE SP203-1 modules
BAFE registers fire alarm companies module by module, and not every company holds all four. We do, so one company is audited and responsible for your fire alarm from design to maintenance.
Design
The right category for your fire risk assessment, every device placed on your floor plan, zones and cause and effect agreed.
Nova holds this moduleInstallation
We fit the system: fire-resisting cable, correct device siting and neat work in occupied buildings.
Nova holds this moduleCommissioning and handover
Every device tested, cause and effect proved, then handed over with certificates, logbook, zone plan and training.
Nova holds this moduleMaintenance
Inspection and servicing about every six months, a certificate each visit and 24/7 support for contracted customers.
Nova holds this module
Commercial fire alarm projects
A wireless fire alarm for a 54,000 sq ft warehouseAjax EN54 and FireFind for Fileder Filter Systems in Maidstone: 138 devices, no cabling. Featured by Ajax.Read the case study
A wireless fire alarm for Folkestone StorageAjax EN54 through concrete floors and metal storage walls with one range extender, and Fire Beams in three pitched roofsRead the case study
Every system for Motis Cheriton Truck ParkAccess control, CCTV, fire, aspirating smoke detection, panic alarms, PA, network and bespoke driver information screens, all from NovaRead the case study
Commercial fire alarm installers across Kent and East Sussex
From our base at Shearway Business Park in Folkestone we cover the whole of Kent, and the east of East Sussex around Rye, Hastings and Bexhill. Approximate drive times:
- Folkestoneour base
- Hythe10 min
- Dover15 min
- New Romney25 min
- Ashford20 min
- Canterbury30 min
- Deal30 min
- Whitstable40 min
- Herne Bay40 min
- Tenterden40 min
- Faversham40 min
- Ramsgate40 min
- Rye, East Sussex45 min
- Broadstairs45 min
- Margate50 min
- Maidstone40 min
- Sittingbourne50 min
- Hastings and St Leonards, East Sussex65 min
Commercial fire alarm questions
How much does a commercial fire alarm cost?
A fire alarm for a small office starts from £3,500 + VAT (£4,200 inc. VAT), and maintenance contracts from £120 + VAT per visit (£144 inc. VAT). Larger buildings cost more. We give you a fixed price, with the design, after a free site survey.
Does my business legally need a fire alarm?
In most non-domestic premises, yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must make sure the premises have appropriate fire detection and fire alarms where necessary (article 13), and keep them maintained in efficient working order (article 17). Your fire risk assessment decides what kind of system you need; in very small, simple premises that can be as little as a manual means of raising the alarm.
Who is responsible for the fire alarm in a commercial building?
The responsible person: the employer, for a workplace under their control, or otherwise the person in control of the premises, such as the owner or managing agent. Where several businesses share a building, their responsible persons must co-operate, which often means a landlord looks after the communal system.
How often should a commercial fire alarm be tested and serviced?
Someone on site should test a different manual call point every week and record it in the logbook. A competent person should inspect and service the system about every six months: BS 5839-1:2025 accepts a visit between five and seven months after the previous one. How our servicing works.
What category of fire alarm does my business need?
Your fire risk assessment sets it: M for manual systems, L1 to L5 for protecting life, or P1 and P2 for protecting property. We design to the category you need and can talk you through the options. What fire alarm category do I need?
How long does a commercial installation take?
Most commercial installations take between three and ten working days on site, depending on the size of the building. Wireless systems are usually quicker.
Can you install it while we stay open?
Yes. We phase the work around your trading hours and agree noisy or disruptive work in advance. A wireless system, with far less cabling, keeps disruption to a minimum.
Does our fire alarm need to be monitored?
Not by law in most premises, but your fire risk assessment or insurer may call for it, particularly if the building is empty at night. In Kent, the fire service usually needs a fire confirmed before it sends crews to an automatic fire alarm, so monitoring is mainly about making sure keyholders respond. Alarm monitoring.
Can you take over our existing fire alarm?
Yes. We take over most makes of system that are still serviceable. We start with a full inspection, rebuild missing records such as the zone plan, drawings and logbook, and can transfer your monitoring contract.
Book a free commercial fire alarm survey
Tell us a little about the building and we’ll call you back within one working day. Prefer to talk? Call 01303 720282.
Or talk to us
Call the office and you’ll speak to someone who knows fire alarms. We’re at Shearway Business Park in Folkestone.
- Phone01303 720282
- WhatsAppMessage us on WhatsApp
- Emailinfo@novasec.co.uk
- OfficeUnit 3 The Regent Centre, Pent Road, Shearway Business Park, Folkestone, Kent CT19 4FL. Directions
- HoursMonday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. 24/7 support line for contracted customers (call and choose option 1).