Covering Forres and nearby
Sites across the IV36 postcode district are visited by specialist automatic door engineers working under our management. They travel to Forres for automatic entrance lobbies as bookings come in, so dates depend on the diary rather than a fixed local team, and we give you the earliest date we can offer when you book.
In Forres, automatic door needs often centre on the high street: independent shops, pharmacies, banks, cafés and estate agents. Frontages are often narrow, so the choice is usually between a compact sliding door, a folding door or a swing operator on the existing door.
Nearby towns we also list for automatic entrance lobbies (straight-line distance): Nairn (9.8 miles), Elgin (11.5 miles), Inverness (24.1 miles), Buckie (24.8 miles), Keith (25.4 miles).
What to think about for automatic entrance lobbies in Forres
- Office buildings on business parks in Forres 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.
- Work on a lobby in Forres 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.
- Entrances in Forres 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.
- 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.
- Surgeries and clinics in Forres 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.
Automatic entrance lobbies in Forres: 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 Scotland
Scottish building standards guidance (the non-domestic Technical Handbook) expects an accessible entrance door to give a clear opening of at least 800 mm, says powered doors improve accessibility as long as they add no new hazard, and expects signage, sensors that hold the door open long enough, and guarding against collision or entrapment.
Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers in Scotland must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which can include altering a physical feature such as a heavy entrance door. Most building work in Scotland needs a building warrant before it starts, so new entrances are checked with the local authority verifier first.
How it works
- Get in touch. Call, email or use the form with the address and what you have in mind. If you are not sure which type of door suits, describe the entrance and we will suggest the options worth considering.
- Survey and advice. The survey costs nothing and carries no obligation. The engineer checks the site and explains which options suit the entrance, the people using it and the budget, before anything is priced.
- Quote in writing. You receive a fixed, itemised quote for automatic entrance lobbies in Forres, covering equipment, installation, testing and handover, with the lead time and payment stages set out clearly.
- Install, test, explain. The engineer installs and commissions the door, tests the sensors, safety functions and emergency behaviour, and walks you through the controls. The handover pack records what was installed and tested.
Book a free survey of your entrance in Forres and we will suggest a lobby layout, then send a fixed quote for both door sets and the screens.
Automatic entrance lobbies in Forres: questions
Do you design lobbies for new buildings in Forres?
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.
How much should I budget for automatic entrance lobbies in Forres?
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 Forres confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
How will a lobby cope with the weather in Forres?
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.
Can you add a lobby to our existing entrance in Forres?
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.
Can automatic doors be fitted to a listed building in Forres?
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.
What happens to the old door when a new one is fitted in Forres?
If the work replaces an existing door, frame or operator, removal and disposal are listed in the quote. The old door comes out only when the new one is ready to go in, so the opening is not left empty for longer than necessary. Making good to the surrounding wall, floor or ceiling is included where the quote says so.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Forres?
The person responsible for fire safety under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 for those premises. Scottish guidance allows automatic doors on escape routes only where they fail safely to outward opening or have a monitored fail-safe system that opens them on power failure, sensor failure and fire alarm.