Short answer: A firestop log records, for each penetration, where it is, which listed firestop system was used, its F and T rating, who installed it and when, with a photo as proof. During construction the general contractor or firestop contractor keeps it. At turnover it goes to the owner or facility manager.
Is a firestop log required by building codes?
In most cases no model code names a document called a firestop log. Where the International Fire Code (IFC) is adopted, however, the owner must keep an inventory of required fire-resistance-rated construction and records of inspections and repairs. What applies to your building depends on the locally adopted code and the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
You know the situation: the fire marshal asks how the penetrations above the corridor ceiling on level 3 were sealed. Without a log, someone pulls ceiling tiles or relies on memory. With a log, you answer within minutes, because every penetration is listed with a photo, the listed system and the installer.
The 2018 IFC also asks the owner to inspect that construction yearly and repair it where it is breached, and some buildings need special inspection of firestops under the International Building Code (IBC). A log ties this to each penetration, as the legal background explains.
What should a firestop log record for each penetration?
For each penetration, record at least the location, the assembly and its rating, the penetrating item, the listed firestop system, the F and T rating, the installer, the date and a photo. With that information, an inspector, facility manager or new contractor can find and assess every penetration without opening finished work.
| Field | Example | Why you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Unique ID | FS-0142 | Links the penetration on site to the log |
| Location on drawing | Level 2, corridor wall at grid line C4 | Find it without searching |
| Assembly and rating | 2-hour fire barrier, gypsum wall | Sets the rating the firestop must meet |
| Penetrating item | Cable tray with cable bundle | Determines which listed systems fit |
| Listed system | System number from the approved submittal | Lets an inspector check the work against the listing |
| F and T rating | F rating of 2 hours | Walls need an F rating, floors usually an F and T rating |
| Installer and date | Firestop contractor, October 8 | Who is accountable and since when |
| Photos before and after | Open hole, then sealed | Proof of the installation |
The photo after sealing matters most, because a penetration often disappears above a ceiling or inside a shaft, while a photo before sealing shows what passes through the opening.
Who keeps the firestop log during construction and after?
During construction the general contractor or the firestop contractor keeps the log, and MEP trades and firestop installers add their own work to it. At turnover the log goes to the owner or facility manager, because the owner has to show during occupancy that rated walls and floors are still intact.
| Phase | Who makes the penetration | Who seals it | Who manages the log |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | MEP trade | Firestop contractor | General contractor or firestop contractor |
| Turnover | Handed over to the owner | ||
| Occupancy and renovation | MEP contractor or in-house maintenance | Firestop contractor or trained in-house staff | Owner or facility manager |
UMC Utrecht, one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands, renovates continuously. Fire safety company HooVos handles large renovations, and Jan Linnebank, project manager Safe Working Environment, explains: "Small holes are sealed by our own specially trained in-house fire team." Both parties work in the same log, so the hospital can give the fire department one complete overview.
Paper, spreadsheet or digital firestop log: what is the difference?
A digital firestop log records each penetration on site, with a photo and a pin on the drawing, while a paper or spreadsheet log is usually updated afterwards in the office. A digital log is therefore more current, easier to search and less dependent on 1 person.
| Paper or spreadsheet | Digital firestop log | |
|---|---|---|
| Recording | Afterwards in the office | On site, also offline |
| Location | Text description | Pin on the drawing |
| Proof | Loose photos in a folder | Photos attached to the penetration |
| Responsible party | Often not recorded | 1 Responsible per penetration |
| Status | Unclear | Created, Started, Completed |
| Turnover | Collecting files from everyone | Export the log as a report |
Fire Prevent, a Dutch company that builds firestop logs for its clients, moved to a digital log. Jessica van de Braak of Fire Prevent: "We just send the logbook on by email."
How do you build a firestop log in Ed Controls?
Ed Controls, quality control and project collaboration software for construction, turns each penetration into a ticket at a fixed location on the drawing. Every ticket gets a unique TicketID, photos, the product used, the fire resistance rating and a Responsible. Together those tickets form the log, which you can export as a report.
- Upload the drawings that show the rated walls and floors.
- Create a ticket at the right spot on the drawing for each new penetration. The ticket starts as Created.
- Assign the ticket to the firestop installer as Responsible, so the ticket moves to Started.
- The installer seals the opening, adds a photo and the product, and sets the ticket to Completed.
- Export the log as a report at turnover or whenever the AHJ or the owner asks for it.
UMC Utrecht prints the TicketID on a sticker next to the penetration, and if a sticker gets lost, the penetration can still be found on the drawing. Read the customer story Managing fire safety.
Who is a digital firestop log for?
A digital firestop log suits teams that coordinate many penetrations across several trades, and owners who keep buildings in use while they renovate. It adds less value when you only need a one-time code analysis or fire protection design, because the log documents installed work rather than designing it.
Suitable for:
- General contractors who coordinate several MEP trades and firestop installers
- Firestop contractors and consultants who build logs for clients
- Owners and facility managers of hospitals, schools and offices that renovate often
Less suitable for:
- Companies that only need a one-time code analysis or fire protection design
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the firestop log?
During construction the general contractor or firestop contractor manages the log and hands it over at turnover. After that the owner or facility manager keeps it, because adopted fire codes usually make the owner responsible for maintaining rated construction. Check the exact duty with the AHJ.
How long should you keep a firestop log?
Keep it for as long as the building is in use, and add every new or changed penetration from later renovations. A log that stops at turnover quickly loses its value as proof. Your adopted fire code may also set a retention period for inspection records.
Is a spreadsheet good enough as a firestop log?
A spreadsheet can work, but it usually lacks the link between photo, location on the drawing and responsible party, so you still collect photos and drawings during an inspection. A digital log in Ed Controls records that link on site, so every penetration can be found with 1 code.
What is a TicketID sticker?
A TicketID sticker carries the unique code of a penetration and is placed on the wall or floor next to it. Anyone who sees the sticker can use that code in Ed Controls to find the photos, the product and the history of that penetration, even years after the ceiling was closed.
Does the fire marshal or building official need to see the log?
The AHJ can ask you to show that rated walls and floors are intact, for example during a fire inspection or before occupancy. A current log answers fastest, because it shows a photo, the product and the installer for each penetration without opening a ceiling.
Read more
- Who is responsible for firestopping penetrations?
- Inspecting firestopped penetrations: a 7-point checklist
- What US building codes say about penetrations
- Fire safety software from Ed Controls
Sources
- ICC, International Fire Code overview
- 2018 IFC section 701.6, Washington State WAC 51-54A-0701
- ICC, 2021 IBC section 1705.18
- Ed Controls, Managing fire safety (UMC Utrecht)
- Ed Controls, Fire Prevent (in Dutch)
- Quotes from Jan Linnebank and Jessica van de Braak are translated from Dutch.
Last updated: 12 October 2026
