Building Safety Remediation: Could Existing Buildings Drive the Next Wave of Passive Fire Protection Work?

The UK's building safety remediation programme is entering an important period, with thousands of residential buildings still requiring work to address serious fire safety defects.

For specialist contractors operating in passive fire protection, refurbishment and building remediation, the scale of outstanding work highlights a significant challenge for the construction industry.

According to the latest government figures, published on 28 October 2026, 4,732 residential buildings over 11 metres in England have been identified with unsafe cladding and are being monitored through remediation programmes.

Of those buildings, just 40% had completed remediation by the end of September 2026, while 45% had not yet started work.

Although these figures relate specifically to unsafe cladding, the wider remediation challenge also involves fire stopping, compartmentation, fire doors and other safety-critical construction work.

With government intervention increasing and pressure mounting to accelerate remediation, could existing buildings become an increasingly important source of work for passive fire protection specialists?

Thousands of Buildings Still Await Remediation

The latest figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) demonstrate the scale of the work remaining.

4,732 Buildings identified with unsafe cladding

1,878 Remediation completed

2,111 Remediation not yet started

These figures highlight the challenge facing building owners, developers, contractors and regulators.

The government's latest assessment also estimates that between 1,100 and 2,600 additional buildings requiring remediation may not yet have been confirmed as eligible for its programmes.

For the construction industry, this suggests a substantial pipeline of potential work extending beyond projects already underway.

However, identifying a building requiring remediation is only the beginning.

Projects must undergo appropriate assessments, secure funding, develop suitable designs and obtain the necessary approvals before work can proceed.

This means the pace at which projects reach construction will be just as important as the overall volume of buildings requiring attention.

New Legislation Could Increase Pressure to Act

The Government has been seeking to accelerate the pace of remediation through its Remediation Acceleration Plan.

The programme established an ambition for all residential buildings over 18 metres with unsafe cladding in government-funded schemes to be remediated by the end of 2029.

For buildings over 11 metres, the objective is for remediation to be completed or a completion date established by the same deadline, with penalties proposed for landlords who fail to act.

More recently, on 14 October 2026, the Government published guidance accompanying the Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill.

The proposed legislation is intended to address weaknesses in the existing framework and improve the identification and remediation of buildings with unsafe cladding.

While the Bill is not yet law, it demonstrates the continuing political and regulatory focus on resolving outstanding building safety issues.

For specialist contractors, this creates an important question: if remediation programmes accelerate, will the industry have sufficient capacity to deliver the work?

Why Passive Fire Protection Is Central to Building Remediation

Much of the public discussion around building safety remediation focuses on external cladding.

However, effective fire safety depends on multiple systems working together.

Within existing buildings, passive fire protection measures can include:

• Fire stopping around pipes, cables, ducts and other service penetrations.

• Fire-resistant compartment walls and floors.

• Fire doors and associated components.

• Cavity barriers and fire-resistant construction details.

• Structural fire protection, including suitable coatings and board systems.

• Fire-resistant partitions and service risers.

These systems help restrict the spread of fire and smoke, protect escape routes and maintain the intended fire resistance of building elements.

Government guidance for accountable persons specifically identifies compartmentation and fire barriers as essential measures that must be designed, constructed and maintained appropriately.

Where inspections identify defects, specialist contractors may be required to undertake repairs or replacement work.

It is important to distinguish these activities from cladding remediation itself. Not every building requiring external remediation will need extensive internal passive fire protection work, and the latest government cladding statistics should not be treated as a direct measure of demand for fire stopping or fire door contractors.

Nevertheless, the wider focus on building safety is bringing greater attention to the condition of existing fire protection systems.

Refurbishment Presents Different Challenges to New Construction

Working on an existing building can be considerably more complex than installing passive fire protection during a new development.

Contractors may encounter undocumented construction details, concealed service penetrations, previous alterations or materials that differ from the original specification.

In some cases, work must also take place while residents or businesses continue occupying the building.

These conditions can create additional challenges around access, sequencing, inspection and coordination with other trades.

For example, replacing or upgrading building services may require existing fire-resistant barriers to be penetrated.

Once the work is completed, the fire resistance of those barriers must be appropriately reinstated.

This requires more than simply applying a fire stopping product.

Installers must understand the particular system being used, the materials involved and whether the proposed solution is supported by appropriate technical evidence.

For specialist passive fire protection contractors, refurbishment therefore demands experienced operatives, competent supervision and effective quality assurance.

Regulatory Improvements Could Help More Projects Reach Site

One of the challenges affecting building remediation has been the time required to secure regulatory approval for certain higher-risk building projects.

In April 2026, the Building Safety Regulator announced measures designed to improve the processing of external remediation applications, including dedicated multidisciplinary teams and additional regulatory capacity.

By the end of August 2026, the regulator reported an 89% approval rate for existing building remediation applications decided over the preceding 12-week period.

During that period, 105 remediation projects were approved, representing 8,667 residential units.

These improvements are encouraging, although an approval rate is not the same as the proportion of all submitted projects reaching site.

Projects still depend on funding, procurement, contractor availability and successful mobilisation.

Nevertheless, improvements in regulatory processing could help reduce one of the barriers preventing essential work from progressing.

For construction businesses, this reinforces the importance of preparing workforce requirements before projects receive final approval.

Could Remediation Become a Growing Market for Specialist Contractors?

The volume of outstanding work suggests that building safety remediation will remain an important part of the UK construction landscape over the coming years.

Unlike new-build development, remediation is primarily driven by the need to address identified safety defects and meet legal obligations.

This creates a different set of commercial considerations for contractors.

Projects may involve specialist investigations, remedial design, phased construction programmes and detailed inspection requirements.

For passive fire protection businesses, opportunities could emerge through both dedicated remediation contracts and wider refurbishment programmes.

Relevant work may include compartmentation repairs, fire stopping upgrades, fire door replacement and the reinstatement of fire-resistant construction following alterations.

However, the precise scale of the market for passive fire protection specialists will depend on the defects identified within individual buildings and the scope of approved remediation works.

The challenge for contractors will be identifying suitable opportunities while ensuring they have the technical expertise and resources to deliver them.

The Importance of Competent Installers and Supervisors

As remediation activity progresses, the competence of specialist construction workers will remain essential.

Passive fire protection is safety-critical work, and employers must ensure that installers possess the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience for the systems they are working with.

Roles that may be required across remediation projects include:

• Fire Stopping Operatives and Installers

• Passive Fire Protection Technicians

• Fire Door Installers

• Dryliners and Fire-Rated Partition Installers

• Intumescent Coating Applicators

• Passive Fire Protection Supervisors

• Site Managers and Contracts Managers

• Quality Assurance Inspectors

Experience in general construction can provide a valuable foundation, but it does not automatically demonstrate competence in specialist fire protection installations.

Contractors must consider relevant qualifications, system-specific training, practical experience and appropriate supervision.

For employers, recruiting suitable workers early can help reduce mobilisation difficulties and support effective project delivery.

Why Quality Assurance Must Be a Priority

Building remediation is not simply about replacing defective materials.

Contractors must also demonstrate that completed work meets the relevant requirements.

This can involve maintaining accurate installation records, photographic evidence, product information and inspection documentation.

The importance of record keeping is particularly significant for passive fire protection, where installations may become concealed once refurbishment works are completed.

A fire stopping installation above a suspended ceiling, for example, may be difficult to inspect after the surrounding work has been finished.

Effective quality assurance should therefore be integrated throughout the project rather than treated as a final administrative exercise.

For contractors, this means ensuring that operatives, supervisors and quality assurance personnel understand both the installation requirements and the documentation expected by clients.

What Should Contractors Be Doing Now?

The latest government figures make clear that substantial building safety remediation work remains outstanding.

For contractors seeking to operate within this market, preparation will be important.

Businesses should assess the types of remediation projects that match their technical capabilities, monitor relevant procurement opportunities and maintain an appropriately skilled workforce.

Developing relationships with principal contractors, building owners and specialist remediation providers may also help businesses understand future project requirements.

Equally, workforce planning should reflect the complexity of the work involved.

Specialist installers, experienced supervisors and competent quality assurance personnel may all be required at different stages of delivery.

As more projects progress through assessment and approval, contractors that have prepared their resources could be better positioned to respond.

Supporting Passive Fire Protection Contractors at Approach Personnel

At Approach Personnel, we support construction businesses across the UK with temporary and permanent recruitment solutions.

Our experience across passive fire protection, fit-out, construction and specialist trades allows us to work with contractors requiring personnel for a range of projects.

Whether businesses need experienced fire stopping operatives, specialist dryliners, fire door installers or site supervisors, our recruitment team can help identify candidates suited to their requirements.

We understand the importance of relevant experience, appropriate qualifications and specialist competence when recruiting for safety-critical construction activities.

For contractors preparing for upcoming refurbishment or remediation projects, early recruitment planning can help ensure the right people are available when work begins.

Looking Ahead: A Significant Programme of Work Remains

The latest building safety figures highlight both the progress being made and the considerable work still required.

With thousands of residential buildings yet to complete remediation, continued government intervention and improvements to regulatory processes, building safety is likely to remain a major priority for the construction industry.

For passive fire protection specialists, the opportunity extends beyond individual remediation contracts.

It reflects a wider shift towards greater scrutiny of existing buildings, stronger expectations around competence and a more rigorous approach to fire safety.

The question is no longer simply how quickly the industry can deliver remediation, but whether it can deliver the work safely, correctly and with the specialist expertise required.

At Approach Personnel, we're here to support passive fire protection contractors with experienced temporary and permanent staff.

If you have upcoming projects or need to strengthen your workforce, contact our team to discuss your requirements.