Coverage across Dorset
Multi-site organisations in Dorset, such as councils, housing providers, schools and health providers, can arrange automatic folding doors for every building through one contact. Each site gets its own written price and its own record. Smaller customers, from corner shops to private homes, follow exactly the same process. The towns we list here, 5 in all, appear below.
Towns listed in Dorset: Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Christchurch, Ferndown.
What to think about for automatic folding doors in Dorset
- Busy food and drink outlets in Dorset may want the door to stay folded open in summer and run automatically in winter. Hold-open and automatic modes on the programme switch make that easy.
- 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.
- Pavements in older parts of Dorset often slope or dip at the threshold. Bottom pivots need a level, solid floor, so the survey records levels and any work needed.
- Exposed corner plots catch the wind from more than one direction. A canopy, good seals and the right fold direction help a folding door run reliably in bad weather.
- Pharmacies in Dorset 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 Dorset: 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
- Send photos and the address. A few pictures of the door from both sides, the address in Dorset 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 folding doors 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.
Try the guide price tool first, then let us measure your opening in Dorset and fix the price in writing.
Automatic folding doors in Dorset: questions
What happens after the folding door in Dorset is installed?
You receive the test record, a site-specific risk assessment and user instructions, and staff are shown the programme switch and how to fold the door by hand. Planned servicing can then be arranged, with each visit priced in writing before an engineer attends.
Is there a guide price for automatic folding doors in Dorset?
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 Dorset confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Is the folding door survey in Dorset free?
Yes, for a new automatic folding door the survey is free and there is no obligation. The engineer measures the opening and sweep zone, checks the floor, structure and power, and you receive a drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote.
Do we need permission to change the shop door in Dorset?
It depends on the building. Changing how a shopfront looks may need planning permission, and listed buildings may need listed building consent. Your local planning authority decides. If you rent the unit, the landlord will usually need to approve the work too. We flag both at the survey.
What happens to the old door when a new one is fitted in Dorset?
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.
What does the written quote for automatic folding doors in Dorset include?
The quote lists each item separately: the door or equipment, installation, electrical connections where we provide them, removal of anything being replaced, testing and handover. It is a fixed price for the work described, so it does not change unless the scope changes, and any change is agreed with you in writing first.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Dorset?
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.