Covering Westminster and nearby
If your building is in Westminster, or anywhere in the SW1A, SW1E, SW1H, SW1V, SW1Y and W2 postcode districts, we can arrange automatic entrance lobbies. Visits are booked with you in advance, timed around opening hours where that matters, and carried out by engineers who work under our management.
Office entrances in Westminster commonly combine automatic doors with turnstiles, concierge desks and card access. When the operator is wired into those systems, staff pass through quickly, visitors are let in from reception and the building locks down outside working hours.
Nearby towns we also list for automatic entrance lobbies (straight-line distance): Chelsea (1.6 miles), Battersea (1.8 miles), the City of London (2.2 miles), Kensington (2.4 miles), Clapham (2.4 miles), Brixton (2.5 miles).
What to think about for automatic entrance lobbies in Westminster
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas in Westminster 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 Westminster 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 Westminster: 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
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.
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.
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 Westminster.
- 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.
Want a warmer, cleaner entrance in Westminster? Send us a few photos and the opening sizes, and we will arrange a site survey and a written quote.
Automatic entrance lobbies in Westminster: questions
Will an automatic lobby in Westminster 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 do you charge for automatic entrance lobbies in Westminster?
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 Westminster confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Can the lobby doors in Westminster be locked at night?
Yes. The outer set is usually locked out of hours, and the inner set can be locked too. Locks and any access control are wired to release on the fire alarm where the fire strategy requires, and the settings are recorded at handover.
Can you add a lobby to our existing entrance in Westminster?
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.
How much disruption should we expect while the work is done in Westminster?
Most installations take one visit or a short series of visits, with dust and noise kept to the area around the door. The engineer screens off the work area, keeps a route in or out where possible and clears up before leaving. Larger entrances, lobbies or structural changes take longer, and the quote explains how that work is phased.
Will the building stay secure while the entrance is being changed?
We plan to keep the entrance usable or secure throughout. Where a door has to come out, the work is sequenced so the opening is closed up before the engineer leaves, or a temporary door or hoarding is arranged when a longer gap cannot be avoided. How this is handled for your site in Westminster is agreed before work starts.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Westminster?
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.