What we do in the West Midlands
- Shops and high streets. Automatic doors that hold heat in and let customers with buggies, wheelchairs or full bags walk straight in, including older shopfronts where space is tight. See shops and retail.
- Door openers at home. Automatic openers for front, back and internal doors in homes across the West Midlands, arranged around the person using them and their carers. The survey is free and the quote is fixed. See home door openers.
- Repairs to most makes. Fault-finding and repair of sliding, swing, folding and revolving automatic doors, with the visit price agreed in writing before an engineer attends and any parts quoted first. See automatic door repairs.
- Fire door hold-open devices. Alarm-linked devices that keep busy fire doors open for everyday use and release them to close automatically when the fire alarm operates. See fire door hold-open devices.
Towns we list in the West Midlands
- Birmingham
- Coventry
- Wolverhampton
- Dudley
- Walsall
- Solihull
- Sutton Coldfield
- West Bromwich
- Halesowen
- Stourbridge
- Smethwick
- Willenhall
- Tipton
- Bloxwich
- Oldbury
- Wednesfield
- Shirley
- Bilston
- Brierley Hill
- Aldridge
- Rowley Regis
- Sedgley
- Wednesbury
- Kingswinford
Automatic doors and the law in England
Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which can include altering a physical feature such as a heavy entrance door.
Building regulations guidance in England (Approved Document M, Volume 2) says a powered opening system should be used where a self-closing entrance door would need more than 30 N at the leading edge to open, or more than 22.5 N between 30° and 60°, and expects external doors used by the public in new buildings to give at least 1000 mm of effective clear width.
In Great Britain a new or converted powered door must meet the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 before it is first used, and can carry the UKCA or the CE marking. Workplace law (the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992) expects powered doors to have suitable and effective features to stop them trapping anyone and, where needed for safety, to open by hand unless they open automatically if the power fails. Doors at work must also be kept in efficient working order under a suitable system of maintenance.
Doors on escape routes and fire doors are covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In England, fire safety law says sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as emergency exits.
Questions from the West Midlands
How much do automatic doors cost in the West Midlands?
Prices depend on the door type, the size of the opening and what is already there. We publish guide prices for every service on our prices page, and the guide price tool gives a range before anyone visits. The same guide prices apply across the UK, and the written quote confirms the figure for your building.
Can you fit automatic doors to listed buildings in the West Midlands?
Often, yes, with the right consent. Changes to a listed building, or to a shopfront in a conservation area, usually need approval from the local planning authority. Slim operators and automating the existing door can reduce the visual impact. Our guide to shop doors, planning and listed buildings explains what to check.
How often should automatic doors in the West Midlands be serviced?
There is no fixed legal interval. We recommend a trained engineer checks the safety functions at least once a year, with service intervals set by the manufacturer's instructions and how heavily the door is used; busy doors are often serviced more often. Each service visit is priced in writing first and ends with a written record.
Can work in the West Midlands be done outside opening hours?
Yes. Early mornings, evenings and weekends can be arranged for shops, surgeries, offices and schools that need their entrance during the day. Tell us your preferred times when you enquire. Any extra cost is set out in the written quote or the agreed visit price before the work is booked.
Do you cover all of the West Midlands?
Yes. Specialist automatic door engineers working under our management travel to addresses throughout the West Midlands, including smaller towns and rural sites. We are the contracting party for every job, so you arrange the work, agree the price and receive the paperwork through us.
Can a home in the West Midlands get help paying for a door opener?
Possibly. In England a Disabled Facilities Grant of up to £30,000 can fund adaptations that make it easier to get in and out of a home. It is means-tested and must be approved by the council before work starts, so ask your council and occupational therapist.