Start an independent fire safety consultant business

Small business owners, property managers, condo boards, landlords, restaurants, care homes and schools preparing for a fire inspection or insurance review.

Fixed fee per site assessment or report, plus extras like staff fire warden training, follow-up visits and annual review contracts with property managers.

• Knowledge of the fire code that applies in your province
• Clear report writing
• Explaining risks without scaring clients
• Credibility from fire service, inspection or safety experience

• Professional liability insurance, since clients rely on your advice
• Engineered fire protection designs usually need a licensed professional engineer, so check what you can and cannot sign off on in your province
• Some provinces require certification for inspecting or servicing alarms and sprinklers, so check with your provincial regulator or fire marshal's office
• Quebec has its own rules and French-language expectations
• Never promise a building will pass an inspection

Estimated startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $8,000, depending on your equipment, insurance and how you set up. Professional liability insurance is worth budgeting for, since clients rely on your advice.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue typically around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how many buildings you assess and what you charge. Hours start at around 10 per week, so the business can be built up gradually.

Check what you can sign off on in your province, since engineered fire protection designs usually need a licensed professional engineer. Check whether inspecting alarms or sprinklers needs certification with your provincial regulator or fire marshal's office, and look into Quebec's rules.