Fire door compliance in New Zealand continues to evolve, and for architects, specifiers, fire engineers and construction teams, keeping up with how the Building Code documents are structured is an important part of specifying with confidence.
One of the more relevant recent developments is the introduction and subsequent amendment of the Building Product Specifications (BPS), which now brings key fire door requirements and referenced standards together within the Building Code compliance framework.
What has changed?
The first Building Product Specifications were introduced in July 2025 as part of changes designed to make building product requirements easier to navigate and allow a broader range of products and standards to be incorporated into New Zealand’s Building Code compliance pathways.
On 2 April 2026, MBIE’s Building Product Specifications First Edition Amendment 1 came into effect. Importantly for the fire door sector, Amendment 1 added specific requirements for fire doors and fire-resisting glazing.
At the same time, the current C/AS1 and C/AS2 Protection from Fire Acceptable Solutions now reference the Building Product Specifications for relevant fire test methods and product specifications.
While the structure of the compliance documentation has changed, this should not be interpreted as an entirely new set of performance requirements for fire doors. Rather, the BPS provides a clearer location for many of the standards and specifications used within existing Building Code compliance pathways.
What does the BPS say about fire doors?
The current Building Product Specifications state that fire doors must be evaluated in circumstances representative of their intended use and comply with NZS 4520:2010.
They also contain requirements covering areas including:
- fire-resisting glazing incorporated into fire doors
- self-closing devices
- doorset markings and labelling
- fire resistance ratings
- smoke-control doors.
This reinforces an important principle when specifying a fire door: compliance isn’t simply about selecting a door leaf with the appropriate fire rating.
The complete doorset and its intended application matter.
Why the complete doorset matters
Fire doors operate as systems. Door leaves, frames, wall construction, glazing, seals, closers, locks and other hardware can all influence how the doorset performs.
This is particularly important when an architect or designer wants to incorporate non-standard dimensions, specific architectural hardware, glazing or other project-specific requirements.
Evidence supporting one doorset configuration should not automatically be assumed to cover every possible variation.
The BPS requirement that fire doors are evaluated in circumstances representative of their use reinforces the importance of understanding the complete proposed configuration.
What should architects and specifiers consider?
Early consideration of the fire door requirements can help reduce compliance issues and unnecessary changes later in a project.
Before finalising a specification, it is worth considering:
- What Fire Resistance Rating is required?
- What wall or fire separation will the doorset be installed into?
- Is the proposed doorset configuration supported by appropriate testing or technical evidence?
- Are the proposed hardware, glazing, seals and other components compatible with the tested or assessed system?
- Are there architectural requirements that take the doorset outside a standard configuration?
- Is additional technical advice, assessment or project-specific testing required?
The earlier these questions are addressed, the easier it is to balance architectural intent, functionality and fire performance.
Building Product Specifications continue to develop
The BPS framework itself is continuing to evolve.
At the time of writing in September 2026, MBIE is consulting on Amendment 2 of the Building Product Specifications, with submissions closing at 5pm on 11 September 2026.
The proposed amendment is part of MBIE’s broader work to enable a wider range of building products and international standards to be incorporated more easily into New Zealand’s Building Code compliance pathways.
For architects and specifiers, this makes staying informed about changes to the BPS increasingly important.
Making complex fire door specification simpler
At Soteria, we work closely with architects, fire engineers, contractors and project teams to help identify appropriate fire door solutions for their specific applications.
Our approach combines New Zealand manufacturing with extensive fire testing, technical knowledge and support for complex and non-standard projects.
Where a project presents an unusual configuration or architectural requirement, getting the fire door manufacturer involved early can help identify potential issues before they become costly problems during consenting, procurement or construction.
Need help with a fire door specification?
Talk to the Soteria team early in your project. We can help you understand the available tested solutions and work with your project team to find an appropriate pathway for more complex requirements.
This article provides general information only. Project-specific Building Code and compliance requirements should always be confirmed with the appropriate project professionals and Building Consent Authority.