UK Passive Fire Protection Market Analysis

1 Context
2 Related articles on Designing Buildings

[edit] Context

In recent years, the role of passive fire protection has grown significantly. Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, building safety reform has become a national priority.

Passive fire protection now stands at the heart of compliance, design and refurbishment strategies, shaping the way the construction industry approaches both new developments and upgrades to existing stock.

[edit] Market outlook

According to Barbour ABI’s Passive Fire Protection Market Report (2025-2029), the UK market for PFP reached an estimated value of £947m in 2024. Growth is set to continue at an average of almost 5% annually, taking the market beyond £1.18bn by 2029.

The market for passive fire protection equipment is larger than its active fire protection counterpart, which was valued by Barbour ABI at £715m in 2024.

Market performance remains heavily dependent on construction output and activity, with some of the recent growth attributed to the comparatively buoyant performance of non-residential sectors such as renewable energy, transport and data centres.

Growth in housebuilding activity has slowed as the economic situation has worsened, although the ambitious Government targets to increase the number of homes should benefit the market.

Following the Grenfell Tower fire, many regulations and product standards have been amended or introduced, pushing fire safety up the agenda. There is now more pressure upon manufacturers to develop passive fire protection products offering improved fire resistance and which are suitable for a greater range of applications.

[edit] Drivers of growth

The strength of the industry is owed to the potential customer base remaining extensive, given that all buildings require some form of either passive or active fire protection. However, demand is heavily reliant on construction output, which in turn is influenced by the state of the UK economy.

The ongoing introduction of more stringent fire safety regulations should keep demand for many types of passive fire protection equipment at reasonably high levels.

Technological advancements are also driving growth, with the fire industry becoming more automated. The need to improve detection and monitoring of smoke and flames to allow for more efficient and timely responses, means smarter systems with in-built detection sensors are becoming more commonplace.

As the market develops further, it seems likely that smarter forms of passive fire protection will become incorporated with other smart building systems using Internet of Things (IoT) and AI technologies.

[edit] Barriers and challenges

While regulation and refurbishment are driving growth, some areas of the market face structural challenges that may limit demand. In the commercial offices sector, which has traditionally been a strong user of fire doors and fire resistant partitions and glass, future demand is uncertain. Occupancy levels in offices have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels, and the widespread adoption of hybrid and remote working patterns raises questions about how much space will ultimately be required in the years ahead.

A similar trend is evident in retail, where the shift towards online shopping has reduced the need for physical premises. As store numbers reduce, the requirement for passive fire protection equipment will also fall.

Public sector facilities are also in decline. Central and local government bodies are seeking to reduce costs and cut back their resilience on offices in expensive locations such as London. The rationalisation of public buildings means fewer new projects and refurbishments requiring passive fire protection.

[edit] Product mix

From a product perspective, the market is dominated by fire doors, fittings and intumescent seals, which account for a value share of 57% in 2024.

Price rises have been evident in many of the market’s product sectors in recent years, as has been the case elsewhere in the construction industry. Part of this has been due to the rising global price of various raw materials such as metals, wood and rubber. The shift towards higher-value solutions has also contributed towards higher prices within the sector.