Covering Tunbridge Wells and nearby
From shops and surgeries to schools, care homes and private houses, any building in the TN1, TN2, TN3 and TN4 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.
Council offices, libraries, leisure centres and other public buildings in Tunbridge Wells usually buy through procurement rules. Itemised written prices, method statements and the paperwork a buyer needs can all be provided, and the work is carried out by specialist engineers working under our management.
Nearby towns we also list for automatic entrance lobbies (straight-line distance): Tonbridge (4.3 miles), Crowborough (6.6 miles), Sevenoaks (10.2 miles), East Grinstead (11.7 miles), Uckfield (13.4 miles), Maidstone (14.4 miles).
What to think about for automatic entrance lobbies in Tunbridge Wells
- 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.
- Where an over-door heater is fitted, check its settings once the lobby is working. Many buildings find the heater can run at a lower setting afterwards.
- 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.
- If the lobby is on an escape route, the fire strategy decides what both door sets do on alarm. Sequencing and interlocks must release so nothing stops people leaving.
- Work on a lobby in Tunbridge Wells 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.
Automatic entrance lobbies in Tunbridge Wells: 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
- Send photos and the address. A few pictures of the door from both sides, the address in Tunbridge Wells and a note of who uses the entrance help us understand the job before anyone visits the site.
- No-cost survey on site. We arrange a survey at a time that suits the building. The engineer records measurements, fixings and power, plus any constraints such as listed status, opening hours or access for deliveries.
- Itemised quote to approve. We price every element of the work on automatic entrance lobbies separately in a written quote that you can check, share and approve. Lead time and payment stages are stated, and nothing is ordered until you accept.
- Fit, test and hand over. On the agreed dates the engineer installs the equipment, commissions the operator and tests each safety function. You get a demonstration, the test record and any conformity paperwork that applies to the work.
Planning a refit or a new entrance in Tunbridge Wells? Get in touch early and we will quote the lobby as one package with the rest of the entrance.
Automatic entrance lobbies in Tunbridge Wells: questions
How will a lobby cope with the weather in Tunbridge Wells?
The survey looks at which way the entrance faces and how exposed it is. In windy or wet spots, a deeper lobby, a right-angle layout or doors with stronger seals and wind settings help. A good matting well deals with the water that still comes in on shoes.
Is there a guide price for automatic entrance lobbies in Tunbridge Wells?
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 Tunbridge Wells 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 Tunbridge Wells?
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 Tunbridge Wells 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 power supply is needed for automatic entrance lobbies in Tunbridge Wells?
Most powered doors need a fused spur close to the operator, and some activation and access control devices also need a low-voltage link. The survey checks what is already there. If a new supply is required, the quote says whether we arrange it or your own electrician does, so nothing is left unclear on the day.
How do you make sure the door works for disabled visitors in Tunbridge Wells?
We look at who uses the entrance: wheelchair users, people with walking aids, parents with buggies and older visitors. That shapes the opening width, the opening speed, the hold-open time and where push pads or sensors go. Service providers and employers have duties to make reasonable adjustments under equality and accessibility law, and an automatic door is a common one.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Tunbridge Wells?
In England the guidance is Approved Document M (Volume 2) for access, Approved Document B for fire safety and escape routes, and Approved Document K for glazing and powered doors. A new entrance can count as building work, so building control should be involved before it is ordered.