Coverage across County Durham
Multi-site organisations in County Durham, such as councils, housing providers, schools and health providers, can arrange automatic internal 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, 13 in all, appear below.
Towns listed in County Durham: Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, Chester-le-Street, Billingham, Stanley, Consett, Newton Aycliffe, Bishop Auckland, Seaham, Peterlee, Spennymoor.
What to think about for automatic internal doors in County Durham
- Care homes in County Durham often have residents with dementia. Think about which doors should open freely and which should be controlled, and agree that as a care decision before choosing controls.
- Lightweight stud partitions may not carry an operator without extra support. The survey checks what the wall is made of and what reinforcement is needed.
- Measure what passes through the door, not just the door. Beds, hoists, trolleys and catering equipment can need a wider opening than the current door gives.
- Doors linked to the fire alarm need a signal from the alarm panel. Allow time for your fire alarm contractor to provide the connection and test it with us.
- Infection control rules may set what materials and controls can be used. Wipe-clean surfaces and sealed switches that stand up to cleaning products are worth specifying.
Automatic internal doors in County Durham: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: from £1,795 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Swing operator on an existing internal door | £1,795 – £3,995 | low-energy or full-energy, installed, ex VAT |
| Operators on a pair of cross-corridor doors | £3,795 – £6,495 | installed, ex VAT |
| Internal single-slide automatic door set | £4,495 – £7,995 | installed, ex VAT |
| 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
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. Fitting an automatic door helps, but does not on its own guarantee those duties are met.
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.
Whoever motorises a manual door, or builds an automatic door from separate parts, may take on the manufacturer’s legal duties for the finished door: a risk assessment, a technical file kept available for the authorities, a Declaration of Conformity, the conformity marking and instructions. You receive the Declaration of Conformity and the instructions at handover. 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.
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 internal doors and book a survey in County Durham.
- 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.
Tell us which corridor, ward or office doors are causing problems in County Durham, and we will arrange a site visit and a written quote.
Automatic internal doors in County Durham: questions
How disruptive is the work in an occupied building in County Durham?
Usually less than people expect. Most swing operators take half a day to a day per door, and sliding doors a little longer. We plan the order of work to keep routes open, control dust, and agree any out-of-hours working in the quote.
What will automatic internal doors in County Durham cost?
Our guide starts from £1,795 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in County Durham confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Can you fit automatic doors in a school in County Durham?
Yes. Corridor fire doors, dining halls and doors to accessible facilities are common. We usually plan the work for school holidays or after hours, and agree the programme with the school in writing so safeguarding and fire arrangements are maintained throughout.
Do you supply internal sliding doors as well as swing operators in County Durham?
Yes. Where there is wall space beside the opening, a sliding door keeps the corridor clear and gives a wide opening, which suits wards. Where there is not, or the door is a fire door, a swing operator is usually the better fit. The survey compares both.
How much disruption should we expect while the work is done in County Durham?
Most installations take one visit or a short series of visits, with dust and noise kept to the area around the door. The engineer screens off the work area, keeps a route in or out where possible and clears up before leaving. Larger entrances, lobbies or structural changes take longer, and the quote explains how that work is phased.
Do you service doors in County Durham after installing them?
Yes. We recommend a trained engineer checks the safety functions at least once a year, with service intervals set by the manufacturer's instructions and how heavily the door is used; busy doors are often serviced more often. Servicing can follow on from the installation, with the price agreed in writing and a record left after every visit.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in County Durham?
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.