For most custom fire-rated industrial doors, architects and project managers should plan for a production and delivery lead time of six to twelve weeks from confirmed order to delivery on site. That window reflects the reality of made-to-measure manufacturing: each door is produced to the exact dimensions, fire resistance classification, and hardware specification defined in the project file. The sections below unpack the specific factors that drive that timeline and explain when in your project schedule you need to act.
What factors determine how long a fire door takes to deliver?
The lead time for a fire-rated industrial door is determined by four main variables: the complexity of the specification, the degree of customisation required, the completeness of the order information at the time of placement, and current production capacity. A straightforward door in a standard fire resistance class with a confirmed opening size will move through production faster than a project with multiple non-standard openings, special hardware, or requirements tied to sector-specific regulations such as PGS15.
Fire-rated doors are not off-the-shelf products. Every unit is manufactured to a specific classification — EI1-60, EI2-90, EW 60, and so on — and must maintain that classification across the full assembly: door leaf, frame, seals, glazing if present, and all hardware. Each of those components needs to be sourced, prepared, and assembled in sequence. A delay in any one element cascades into the overall delivery date.
Production scheduling also plays a role. Manufacturers with a broad product range and multiple active projects will sequence orders based on confirmed specifications. An incomplete order — one missing a confirmed opening dimension or a final hardware choice — will typically not enter the production queue until those details are resolved. That waiting period does not count as production time, but it does count against your programme.
Metacon-Next’s fire-rated industrial door range covers roller doors, overhead doors, sliding doors, and fire curtains, all manufactured in-house at the Moordrecht facility. Having production under one roof reduces the number of external dependencies that can extend lead times.
How does custom sizing affect fire door production time?
Custom sizing is the single biggest driver of extended lead time for fire-rated industrial doors. When an opening falls outside the dimensional range covered by an existing tested configuration, the manufacturer must verify that the proposed size remains within the classification’s field of application — the range of dimensions over which the test results are considered valid under EN 1634-1. If the opening is within that range, production can proceed. If it falls outside, additional engineering work or testing may be required before manufacturing can begin.
For large industrial openings — wide spans in logistics halls, tall clearances in production environments, or irregular shapes dictated by existing structure — this verification step is not optional. It is part of the technical due diligence that protects the classification on site. An oversized door installed without that confirmation may not carry a valid CE declaration for its actual dimensions, which creates a compliance gap that will surface during permitting or a fire safety inspection.
Architects specifying non-standard openings should raise dimensional requirements as early as possible in supplier conversations. Providing confirmed structural opening dimensions at first contact — rather than approximate or indicative sizes — allows the manufacturer to confirm feasibility and enter production planning without a back-and-forth delay. The quotation process at Metacon-Next is designed to capture this information upfront so that technical review and production scheduling can begin without unnecessary waiting.
What documentation needs to be in place before ordering?
Before a fire-rated industrial door order can enter production, three categories of documentation need to be confirmed: the technical specification of the opening, the required fire resistance classification, and any project-specific compliance requirements. Missing any one of these will stall the order at intake, not during production — meaning the delay is invisible in the programme until it is too late to recover.
Technical specification of the opening
This means confirmed structural dimensions (clear width and height), wall thickness and construction type, floor condition, and any constraints on the installation envelope such as overhead clearance or side room for a sliding or roller door. These determine which product type is feasible and whether the door falls within the tested field of application for the required classification.
Fire resistance classification
The classification — EI1, EI2, or EW, with the associated duration in minutes — must be determined before ordering, not after. This comes from the project-specific fire safety calculation, not from a blanket assumption about building type. The fire resistance classification system used for Metacon-Next’s products follows EN 13501-2, which defines how long a closed door holds back fire. The key criteria are: E (integrity — no flames or hot gases pass through), W (radiation reduction — limits radiant heat transfer through the door; this is the Dutch standard baseline criterion), and I (insulation — limits temperature rise on the unexposed side, where I1 is the stricter criterion and I2 permits a higher temperature rise). Always specify EI1 or EI2 explicitly — never use “EI” alone.
The BBL (Besluit Bouwwerken Leefomgeving, formerly Bouwbesluit) sets only the absolute minimum requirement. Project-specific deviations, sector-specific regulations such as PGS15 for chemical storage, client requirements, or insurer requirements may all demand a heavier classification than the baseline. Specifying the wrong class and correcting it after order placement means restarting the process from the beginning. For any uncertainty about which classification applies to your project, consult a qualified fire safety engineer or contact Metacon-Next directly.
Project compliance requirements
For projects subject to environmental permits, sector-specific regulations such as PGS15, or international standards for export projects, additional compliance requirements may affect product selection. Classification reports issued by Efectis, CE declarations under both EN 16034 (for fire/smoke resisting closing elements) and EN 13241 (for industrial doors generally), and EPDs should be confirmed as available for the specified product before the order is placed — not requested after delivery. Metacon-Next publishes these documents openly, which means architects can verify availability at specification stage without waiting for a supplier response.
When in the project timeline should fire doors be specified?
Fire-rated industrial doors should be specified at the design development stage, not during the tender or construction phase. Specifying at design development means the door’s dimensions, classification, and performance requirements are locked into the permit-ready drawings. This gives contractors accurate information for pricing, prevents substitution of non-equivalent products during tender, and ensures that the delivery timeline can be built into the construction programme before groundworks begin.
In practice, many projects treat fire doors as a late-stage procurement item — something to order once the structure is up and the opening is confirmed. That approach works for standard commercial doors with short lead times, but it creates programme risk for custom industrial doors with six-to-twelve-week production windows. A structure that is ready to receive a door in week twenty of a build programme needs the order placed no later than week eight to ten, depending on complexity.
Early specification also protects the architect’s design intent. When a fire door is specified by classification, dimension, and product type at design stage, the installer and contractor are working to a defined requirement. When specification is left until late in the programme, substitutions happen under time pressure — and the substituted product may not carry equivalent documentation. Architects who have specified Metacon-Next fire-rated doors by product type and classification at drawing stage report fewer documentation queries during permitting because the compliance evidence is already part of the design file.
How do installation and site readiness affect the overall schedule?
Delivery lead time and installation lead time are two separate variables, and confusing them is a common source of programme slippage. A door can be manufactured and delivered on schedule while the installation is delayed by weeks because the structural opening is not ready, the floor is not level, or the electrical infrastructure for an automatic door has not been completed. The total time from order to a commissioned, inspected door includes both production and installation.
Site readiness for a fire-rated industrial door means the structural opening is at confirmed final dimensions, the surrounding wall or frame is complete and stable, any required electrical first fix for automated or electrically held-open doors is in place, and the installer has unobstructed access to the opening. If any of these conditions are not met when the door arrives on site, the installer cannot complete the work — and a fire-rated door that has been delivered but not correctly installed does not provide the protection it is classified for.
All Metacon-Next products are supplied and installed exclusively through a network of certified dealers and installers. This matters for scheduling because the installer is not just a fitter — they are the party responsible for ensuring the installation meets the conditions under which the product was tested and classified. Coordinating the installer’s availability with site readiness and delivery date is a programme management task that needs to start well before the door arrives.
Automatic fire doors — those with hold-open devices, alarm integration, or powered operation — require commissioning after installation. This includes testing the release mechanism, verifying integration with the building’s fire alarm system, and confirming that the door closes fully and seals correctly under test conditions. That commissioning step adds time to the installation phase and should be scheduled as a distinct activity in the construction programme, not treated as a quick sign-off on the day of fitting.
For architects building out a project programme, the practical rule is straightforward: add the production lead time, the installation window, and the commissioning period together, then work backwards from the required completion date to find the latest acceptable order date. In most industrial projects, that calculation points to an order date that is earlier than teams expect. If you are at specification stage and want to understand realistic timelines for your project, contact Metacon-Next directly or submit a quotation request to get a production estimate based on your actual requirements.
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