Coverage across the Bristol area
From large town centres to quiet villages, entrances across the Bristol area vary a great deal, and the right approach to automatic folding doors varies with them. A surgery door used by patients with walking frames needs different settings from a supermarket entrance, so the engineer looks at the actual door first. The towns we list in this area currently number 4.
Towns listed in the Bristol area: Bristol, Fishponds, Bedminster, Clifton.
What to think about for automatic folding doors in the Bristol area
- Glass kiosks in shopping centres usually have landlord fit-out rules. Ask centre management about working hours, power and alarm connections before installation is booked, so the date does not slip.
- Terraced shopfronts across the Bristol area sometimes have timber frames and fascias that need strengthening to carry a header. The survey checks what the operator can be fixed to.
- Fold direction matters. Folding inwards keeps the pavement clear but takes a little space inside the shop; folding outwards suits internal doors where room inside is tight.
- Folding doors have more hinges than sliding doors. Planned servicing at intervals based on how busy the door is keeps hinges, pivots and finger guards in good order.
- Pharmacies in the Bristol area with queues near the counter may want the door to fold away from the waiting area, with presence sensors set to ignore people standing nearby.
Automatic folding doors in the Bristol area: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: from £5,995 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic folding door, up to about 2 m clear opening | £5,995 – £10,995 | installed, ex VAT |
| Folding door with break-out for an escape route | top of range or on survey | depends on the fire strategy |
| Touch-free switch or push pad, fitted | £145 – £395 | per switch, ex VAT |
| Card or fob reader tied into the door | £795 – £2,495 | per door, ex VAT |
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.
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.
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
- Describe what you need. Whether the job is automatic folding doors 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 the Bristol area.
- 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.
For a wide, hands-free entrance on a narrow shopfront in the Bristol area, talk to us. The survey is free and there is no obligation to go ahead.
Automatic folding doors in the Bristol area: questions
Will a folding door fit our narrow shopfront in the Bristol area?
Very often, yes. Folding doors need almost no wall space beside the opening, so they suit frontages that run from wall to wall. The survey checks the opening, the structure above and the space for the folded leaves, and the drawing shows exactly how much clear width you will get.
How much should I budget for automatic folding doors in the Bristol area?
Our guide starts from £5,995 excluding VAT (per door set), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in the Bristol area confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Can a folding door in the Bristol area open with a push button instead of a sensor?
Yes. Many shops use a radar sensor so the door opens as customers approach, but push pads, wave-to-open switches or a key switch can be used instead or as well. Internal doors often use push buttons, so the door only opens when someone needs it.
Can you fit the door in the Bristol area without closing the shop?
Usually. Most folding doors take about a day on site, and we can start early, work in the evening or at a weekend so trading carries on. The opening is secured if work runs past closing time, and any out-of-hours cost is shown separately in the quote.
What happens once the installation in the Bristol area is finished?
The engineer tests every function, including the safety sensors and the behaviour on power loss, and sets the door up with reference to BS EN 16005. You are shown how to use the controls and which simple checks to make, and you receive the handover documents, including the test record and any conformity paperwork that applies to the work.
Can installation in the Bristol area 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.
Do businesses in the Bristol area have to fit automatic doors?
No law says every building must have automatic doors. Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and building regulations guidance in England calls for a powered door where an entrance door would otherwise be too heavy to open. An automatic door is often the simplest way to meet both.