Covering Chatham and nearby
From shops and surgeries to schools, care homes and private houses, any building in the ME4 and ME5 postcode districts can be covered for automatic folding doors. Specialist engineers working under our management carry out the work, and you deal with us as the contracting party from start to finish.
Housing providers and managing agents in Chatham look after communal entrance doors that are used day and night. Reliable closing, good security and a written service record are usually the priorities, along with door entry or fob systems tied into the operator.
Nearby towns we also list for automatic folding doors (straight-line distance): Rochester (1.1 miles), Gillingham (1.1 miles), Strood (2.4 miles), Maidstone (7.8 miles), Gravesend (8.0 miles), Sittingbourne (9.2 miles).
What to think about for automatic folding doors in Chatham
- 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.
- Pavements in older parts of Chatham often slope or dip at the threshold. Bottom pivots need a level, solid floor, so the survey records levels and any work needed.
- 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.
- 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.
- Listed shopfronts and conservation areas in Chatham may need consent for a new entrance. Folding doors with slim frames in a matched colour often keep the character of the frontage.
Automatic folding doors in Chatham: 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
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
- Tell us about the entrance. Send the address, a few photos and a rough size of the opening, and say how the door is used. That is enough for us to suggest options for automatic folding doors and book a survey in Chatham.
- Free site survey. A specialist engineer working under our management measures the opening, checks the frame, floor, head height and power, and talks through how people use the entrance. There is no charge and no obligation.
- Fixed written quote. You receive a fixed, itemised written quote with the specification, lead time, payment stages and warranty terms. The price does not change unless the scope does, and any change is agreed in writing first.
- Installation and handover. The door is fitted on the agreed dates, then set up, tested and documented with reference to BS EN 16005. You are shown the controls and the simple checks to make, and receive the handover paperwork.
Try the guide price tool first, then let us measure your opening in Chatham and fix the price in writing.
Automatic folding doors in Chatham: questions
Is the folding door survey in Chatham 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.
What do you charge for automatic folding doors in Chatham?
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 Chatham confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Do we need permission to change the shop door in Chatham?
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.
Can you fit the door in Chatham 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.
Can installation in Chatham 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.
What is the lead time for automatic folding doors in Chatham?
Lead times depend on the door type and what has to be made to order. As a guide, operators and accessible door kits are typically two to four weeks from order, and complete sliding entrances typically four to eight weeks from drawing approval. Curved, revolving and hermetic doors usually take longer. The expected lead time is stated in your quote.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Chatham?
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.