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Fire Signage Calculator
Calculate the number and cost of fire safety signs including exit signs, directional arrows, fire action notices and extinguisher signs per BS 5499 and the Health and Safety (Safety Signs) Regulations.
Fire exits on each floor
Average corridor length per floor — directional signs estimated at ~15m intervals (industry rule of thumb)
Base cost for standard PVC
Safety notice
Fire safety measures must satisfy Approved Document B and often need building control approval. Confirm the final specification with building control or a fire engineer before relying on it.
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How We Calculate This
This calculator gives a planning estimate of fire signage from building layout. The counts are estimating heuristics — the definitive figures come from your fire risk assessment and the standards below.
Sign types
Total = Exit signs + Directional + Fire action + Equipment + Door signs
- Exit signs: one per exit per floor (BS 5499-4 — a sign at each storey/final exit)
- Directional: estimated at ~15m intervals along corridors. This 15m figure is an industry rule of thumb, not a code value — BS 5499-4 actually requires a sign at every change of direction, level and decision point, sized to stay legible to the next viewpoint (l = z × h)
- Fire action notices: estimated per floor. In practice these belong at every manual call point — under BS 5839-1 a call point sits at every final exit and within 45m travel (25m in higher-hazard areas)
- Extinguisher signs: 2 per floor as a minimum. True provision follows BS 5306-8 (roughly one extinguisher/fire point per ~200m² and per fire point), so larger floors need more
- Fire-door signs: estimated from exit count. The real number follows the fire-door schedule (one sign per fire door)
Sleeping-risk premises
HMOs, residential blocks, hotels and care homes carry a heavier signage burden under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — a fire action notice on the back of every bedroom door plus denser escape signage. Choosing one of those building types adds a sleeping-risk uplift to the fire-action allowance, but these premises always need a bespoke fire risk assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, workplaces and public buildings require: fire exit signs at every exit, directional signs on escape routes, fire action notices at every manual call point (BS 5839-1 places a call point at every final exit and within 45m travel), fire door keep shut/keep locked signs on each fire door, and fire extinguisher identification signs. The exact count is risk-based — set by your fire risk assessment, not a fixed formula.
BS 5499-4 does not set a fixed maximum spacing. The rule is that a sign must be placed at every change of direction, every change of level and every decision point on the escape route, and must be sized so it stays legible from the next viewpoint. The maximum viewing distance is set by sign height: l = z × h, where z ≈ 100 for non-illuminated/externally illuminated signs and z ≈ 200 for internally illuminated signs — so a 200mm high non-illuminated sign is legible to about 20m. The ~15m spacing used by this calculator is a common industry rule of thumb for straight corridors, not a BS 5499 requirement.
BS 5266-1 recommends photoluminescent signs in areas where the emergency lighting could fail or as a supplement to emergency lighting. They are not mandatory but are best practice, especially in escape stairways and corridors. They glow for 2-4 hours after light exposure.
Fire escape route signs use a green background with a white pictogram (BS EN ISO 7010:2020). Fire equipment signs (extinguishers, hose reels) use a red background with white text. Fire door signs use blue (mandatory, e.g. "Fire door keep shut") or red (prohibition). Fire action notices are typically white with a red border and black text.
Standard rigid PVC fire signs cost £2-£8 each. Photoluminescent signs cost £5-£15 each. Aluminium signs cost £8-£20. Installation is typically £2-£5 per sign. A small office building might need 20-40 signs costing £150-£400 total.
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Last updated: March 2026
Verified against UK standards · estimates only, confirm with your supplier.