What actually gets flagged on an HPR survey

Why this list, not a generic one

Most HPR survey checklists in circulation are generic protocol documents — every clause a standard covers, regardless of how often it actually shifts terms. In practice, a small number of findings do most of the work. Knowing which ones saves brokers from over-preparing clients on low-impact items and under-preparing them on the ones that matter.

Where the findings cluster

Protection system reliability dominates. A sprinkler system that's technically compliant on paper but has an unresolved impairment history, or a water supply that depends on a single pump with no tested backup, will move terms faster than almost anything else on site.

Compartmentation comes second — specifically, gaps introduced after the original design: unsealed penetrations from later M&E work, or storage that's crept into areas the fire strategy assumed would stay clear.

The full checklist

The downloadable reference below breaks this down by category — protection systems, construction and compartmentation, management and housekeeping — along with the findings that are commonly over-worried about.

Using it well

Treat this as a lens for reading a survey report, not a substitute for one. It's most useful in the pre-submission conversation with a client — flagging where the site is likely to draw attention before the surveyor arrives, so nothing in the final report is a surprise.