Do I need a fire-rated door for my garage?

Does the door between the house and garage have to be fire rated?

You need a sturdy door that closes itself, but it does not have to be a labeled fire-rated door. Under the model code, a solid wood or steel door of the right thickness passes. So does a 20-minute rated door. Either way, it needs a self-closing device. If your inspector flagged this door, have a door installer tell you which fix it needs before your deadline. Then ask the seller for that fix in writing.

Key takeaways

• The code does not require a sealed door or a step up, but both help keep garage fumes out.
• A pet door cut into this door breaks the fire barrier, so ask for a new door, not a patch.
• If the door is already solid and only fails to close on its own, a closer is the whole fix.

What does the code say about the door between the house and garage?

The model code is the International Residential Code (IRC). The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) quotes section R302.5.1. The first rule is short: no opening may lead from the garage straight into a room used for sleeping. Every other opening between the garage and the house needs one of three doors:

• Solid wood, at least 1-3/8 inches thick.
• Solid or honeycomb-core steel, same thickness.
• A 20-minute fire-rated door.

Whichever it is, the door must be "equipped with a self-closing device." InterNACHI notes the door "is not specifically required to be fire-rated." Closers can be spring hinges or a hydraulic arm.

Which rule applies depends on the code edition your town adopted, and older houses are not always required to meet the current one; ask your building department. InterNACHI's article on the 2006 edition lists the same three doors but says self-closing "is no longer listed in the IRC," while still calling it "a valuable recommendation." InterNACHI notes that building officials in some towns read the code their own way.

What does it cost to fix?

It depends on which fix your door needs. A hollow-core wood door, or one with a pet door, needs replacing. Some rated doors come with self-closing hinges, and some need a closer added.

Kept prices every line of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and marks the ones that need a professional quote.

Here is the math for that swap. The Tennessee door already closes itself, so it is $549 before labor. The Dallas door needs a closer: $725 plus $46.74, or plus $102, is $771.74 to $827. Neither figure covers taking out the old door and hanging the new one. Only the installer's written bid covers that, so get one before you set your number.

How serious is it?

Treat it as a fire and fumes finding, not a cosmetic one. InterNACHI's guide for homeowners warns that "Any openings at all can allow dangerous fumes, such as carbon monoxide or gasoline vapor, to enter the living area."

A pet door makes it worse. The same guide says, "Flames can more easily spread into the living area through a pet door, especially if it's made of plastic." A glass panel in the door should be fire-rated too. An inspector can tell you whether yours is.

Gaps count as well. InterNACHI's homeowner guide says to check whether the joints around the door are "tightly sealed." Its inspector article adds that gasoline fumes "are heavier than air, and they will accumulate at ground level," and calls a step up to the door helpful. The code requires neither the seal nor the step. Ask the door installer to look at both while they are there.

Who can check the door and price it before my deadline?

A door installer or a general contractor. Ask them to confirm whether the door is solid wood or steel of the right thickness, look for a rating label, and bid either the swap or the closer. For ways to get a figure fast, see how to get repair estimates during the inspection period.

If a bedroom opens straight into the garage, that is a bigger question than a door. Ask the building department what your town requires for that opening.

What do I ask the seller for?

Name the scope, the trade, and the figure from your bid. For example:

Replace the door between the garage and the house with a solid wood or steel door at least 1-3/8 inches thick, or a 20-minute rated door, with a self-closing device, installed by a door contractor, per the attached written bid.

If the door only needs a closer, say that instead. If the seller does the work, ask for the installer's invoice naming the door and closer, and check both at your final walk-through. What to ask for after a home inspection covers how this line sits with the rest of your list. The buyer repair request letter template gives you the wording around it.

What if the seller says no?

Ask for a credit for the bid amount instead, then hire the installer yourself after closing. If the seller refuses both, add the bid to your own list of costs and weigh it with everything else on the report. Your contract sets the deadline for the request, so confirm the date with your agent.

Does the big overhead garage door need to be fire rated?

Not under this rule. The section InterNACHI quotes covers only openings between the garage and the house, and the door your car drives through opens to the outside.

Is my interior door to the garage fire rated?

Look for a fire-rating label on the door. A missing label does not mean it fails, because the code also accepts unlabeled solid doors of the listed thickness. Your door installer can confirm which you have.

If your report flagged this door along with a list of other items, upload it to Kept and send the seller one priced request before your window closes.

Sources

• InterNACHI, Inspecting Residential Attached Garages
• InterNACHI, Attached Garage Fire Hazards
• InterNACHI, Attached Garage Fire Hazards (homeowner guide)
• Alan's Flooring, Doors & More, 32 x 80 20-minute fire-rated house-to-garage prehung door
• SBMTX, 32 x 80 20-minute fire-rated house-to-garage prehung door
• Homewyse, Door Closer Installation Cost