Covering Chelmsford and nearby
From shops and surgeries to schools, care homes and private houses, any building in the CM1 and CM2 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.
Schools and colleges in and around Chelmsford often want work done in the holidays, when entrances can be taken out of use without disrupting pupils. Planning ahead for half-term or summer dates makes it easier to find a slot that suits the timetable.
Nearby towns we also list for automatic entrance lobbies (straight-line distance): Billericay (7.7 miles), Witham (8.5 miles), Maldon (8.8 miles), Wickford (8.9 miles), Braintree (10.5 miles), Brentwood (10.6 miles).
What to think about for automatic entrance lobbies in Chelmsford
- Plan for a recessed matting well across the lobby floor. Wet shoes on a hard floor are a slip risk, and loose mats can trip people or upset floor-level sensors.
- Office buildings on business parks in Chelmsford often have a reception desk close to the entrance. Keeping the desk out of line with the doors, and making the lobby deep enough, keeps the receptionist out of the draught.
- Surgeries and clinics in Chelmsford need lobbies wide and deep enough for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and people with walking frames. Avoid interlocks at public entrances unless there is a strong security reason for them.
- Two operators mean two power supplies, or one supply sized for both. Check whether there is a suitable supply at ceiling height, as cable runs across a finished foyer add cost.
- 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.
Automatic entrance lobbies in Chelmsford: 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
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. New entrances and some alterations count as building work, so check with building control before the work is ordered.
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
- Start with a short enquiry. Use the form, phone or email. Tell us whether the work is a new door, an upgrade or an opener for a home, and we arrange the next step for your site in Chelmsford.
- Measured survey. The free survey confirms what will fit and what the entrance needs: opening width, door type, activation, safety sensors and behaviour on power loss or fire alarm, matched to how the building is used.
- Written price, no surprises. A fixed, itemised quote sets out the specification, the work involved, the expected lead time and the warranty terms. You can ask questions or change the specification before accepting it.
- Installed and commissioned. The door is installed with as little disruption as possible, then set up and tested for its hazard zones. Before leaving, the engineer explains the controls and hands over the documents for your records.
Planning a refit or a new entrance in Chelmsford? Get in touch early and we will quote the lobby as one package with the rest of the entrance.
Automatic entrance lobbies in Chelmsford: questions
Can you look after the lobby doors in Chelmsford after installation?
We can arrange planned servicing for both door sets, checking sequencing, safety sensors and alarm releases at each visit and leaving a written record. Servicing is charged per visit, and the price is confirmed in writing before an engineer comes out.
What will automatic entrance lobbies in Chelmsford cost?
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 Chelmsford confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Can you add a lobby to our existing entrance in Chelmsford?
Usually, if there is enough depth inside the existing doors or room for a glazed porch outside. We check the space, the floor and the power at the free survey, then quote either an inner set to pair with your current doors or a complete new lobby.
Will an automatic lobby in Chelmsford 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.
What does the free site survey in Chelmsford involve?
An engineer working under our management visits the building, measures the opening, checks the frame, floor, head height and power supply, and looks at how people use the entrance. The survey is free and carries no obligation. Afterwards you receive a fixed, itemised written quote for automatic entrance lobbies, with drawings where the door type needs them.
Can automatic doors be fitted to a listed building in Chelmsford?
Often, yes, but listed building consent is normally needed for changes that affect the character of the building, inside or out. Slim operators, concealed fixings and automating the existing door can all reduce the visual impact. Speak to the conservation officer at the local planning authority early; we can provide drawings and specifications to help.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Chelmsford?
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.