Covering Bedford and nearby
From shops and surgeries to schools, care homes and private houses, any building in the MK40 and MK41 postcode districts can be covered for automatic entrance lobbies. Specialist engineers working under our management carry out the work, and you deal with us as the contracting party from start to finish.
Supermarkets and larger stores in and around Bedford often trade long hours, so work on their entrances is usually planned for early mornings or late evenings. Where a store has more than one entrance, keeping one in use while the other is worked on is part of the plan.
Nearby towns we also list for automatic entrance lobbies (straight-line distance): Kempston (1.9 miles), St Neots (10.2 miles), Rushden (12.1 miles), Milton Keynes (13.9 miles), Letchworth (14.8 miles), Hitchin (14.9 miles).
What to think about for automatic entrance lobbies in Bedford
- Measure the depth you can give the lobby before settling on a layout. A lobby that is too shallow lets both sets open together and loses most of its benefit.
- Work on a lobby in Bedford takes longer than a door swap. Ask for the programme in writing, including which entrance stays usable each day and any out-of-hours working.
- Consider deliveries and bulky items. If trolleys or stock come through the front entrance, a switch that holds both sets open for short periods saves staff waiting on the sequencing.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas in Bedford may limit changes to the frontage. An internal lobby behind the existing doors often keeps the street view unchanged, though consent may still be needed.
- Entrances in Bedford that face the prevailing wind lose the most heat and take the most rain. A deeper lobby, or a right-angle layout that turns the inner doors away from the wind, makes the biggest difference there.
Automatic entrance lobbies in Bedford: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: typically £14,995 to £34,995 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Draught lobby: two sets of automatic sliding doors and glazed screens | £14,995 – £34,995 | doors and screens, installed, ex VAT |
| Lobby with curtain walling or building work | Priced on survey | larger public-sector lobbies have cost £50,000 or more |
| Card or fob reader tied into the door | £795 – £2,495 | per door, ex VAT |
| Battery backup for power-cut operation | £395 – £695 | per door, ex VAT |
Lobby prices cover the doors and glazed screens. Building work, flooring, heating and curtain walling are priced on survey.
Standards and rules in England
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.
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.
How it works
- Describe what you need. Whether the job is automatic entrance lobbies for a busy entrance or for a single internal door, a brief description and some photos let us understand it and plan a survey visit in Bedford.
- Free visit to the site. An engineer working under our management assesses the opening, the existing door and frame, the floor and the electrical supply, and notes any access, consent or timing issues to plan around.
- Your fixed quotation. The quote is fixed for the work it describes and lists each item, including any removal, making good and electrical work. It also states the lead time, the payment stages and the warranty terms.
- Fitting and sign-off. Work goes ahead on dates agreed with you. Once fitted, the door is adjusted and its safety functions are tested and recorded with reference to BS EN 16005, and you are shown how to use it.
Planning a refit or a new entrance in Bedford? Get in touch early and we will quote the lobby as one package with the rest of the entrance.
Automatic entrance lobbies in Bedford: questions
Will an automatic lobby in Bedford need planning permission?
An internal lobby often leaves the outside of the building unchanged, but a glazed porch or new frontage may need planning permission, and a listed building may need consent for either. We point out likely approvals at survey so they can be sorted before anything is ordered.
How are prices worked out for automatic entrance lobbies in Bedford?
Our guide is £14,995 to £34,995 excluding VAT (per lobby, doors and screens), the same guide prices we use across the UK. The free site survey in Bedford confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Do you design lobbies for new buildings in Bedford?
Yes. We can work from the architect's drawings, suggest door types and depth, and quote the doors, screens and controls as one package for the main contractor or the client. Designing the lobby in at the start is usually simpler and cheaper than adding it later.
Is a revolving door a better option than a lobby in Bedford?
It can be where space is tight and traffic is steady, because a revolving door seals the entrance at every turn. A revolving door is not accessible on its own, though, so an accessible powered sliding or swing door is needed alongside it. We can price both at survey.
What is the lead time for automatic entrance lobbies in Bedford?
Lead times depend on the door type and what has to be made to order. As a guide, operators and accessible door kits are typically two to four weeks from order, and complete sliding entrances typically four to eight weeks from drawing approval. Curved, revolving and hermetic doors usually take longer. The expected lead time is stated in your quote.
Can installation in Bedford happen outside opening hours?
Yes. Many shops, surgeries and offices prefer work early in the morning, in the evening or at weekends, when the entrance is quietest. Tell us your constraints when you enquire and they are built into the plan. Any extra cost for out-of-hours work is shown in the written quote rather than added afterwards.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Bedford?
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the responsible person for the premises must make sure escape routes work and fire safety equipment is maintained. Automatic doors on an escape route need fail-safe opening or break-out, set by the fire strategy.