Coverage across Kent
Not every part of Kent is easy to reach, and some sites need planning around access, parking or opening hours. We take that into account when arranging automatic sliding doors, and the engineer, working under our management, arrives with what the job is likely to need. The towns below, 24 in all, each have their own page, but any address in the area can be covered.
Towns listed in Kent: Maidstone, Gillingham, Chatham, Tunbridge Wells, Folkestone, Margate, Ashford, Canterbury, Sittingbourne, Gravesend, Dartford, Ramsgate, Dover, Tonbridge, Strood, Whitstable, Deal, Sevenoaks, Rochester, Herne Bay, Northfleet, Broadstairs, Faversham, Swanley.
What to think about for automatic sliding doors in Kent
- High street entrances with heavy footfall tend to suit bi-parting leaves. They open faster than a single slide for the same clear width, which keeps queues moving at lunchtime and on Saturday afternoons.
- Surgeries and clinics need wide, easy access for wheelchairs, walking frames and the occasional stretcher. A clear opening of at least 1,000 mm is, in our view, a sensible starting point, and wider still where trolleys or beds pass through.
- Shops that use a roller shutter at night need the new header to sit below the shutter box and clear of its guide channels. Both are measured at survey so the door and shutter can work together.
- Care settings in Kent sometimes need a sliding entrance that visitors can use freely while some residents cannot leave unaccompanied. Keypads and programme modes can be set to follow the home's own care policies.
- Wind blowing straight at an entrance can make sliding leaves drag or cause the door to open when nobody is there. On exposed frontages across Kent, a partial opening mode or a draught lobby is worth considering.
Automatic sliding doors in Kent: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: typically £4,495 to £12,995 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single-slide door set, about 1.0 to 1.2 m clear opening | £4,495 – £7,995 | framed aluminium and glass, installed, ex VAT |
| Bi-parting door set, about 2 m clear opening, with side screens | £6,995 – £12,995 | installed, ex VAT |
| Large, full-height or heavy-duty entrances | from £14,995 | Priced on survey |
| Break-out leaves and screens for an escape route | £995 – £3,995 | added to a sliding door, 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 |
| Battery backup for power-cut operation | £395 – £695 | 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 sliding 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 Kent.
- 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.
Send us a photo of the doorway and its postcode, and we will arrange a free site survey in Kent and a fixed, itemised quote for a new sliding entrance.
Automatic sliding doors in Kent: questions
What happens after the sliding door in Kent is fitted?
You get a handover pack with the test record, risk assessment and user instructions, and staff are shown the programme switch. From then on the door needs daily checks and planned servicing. We can quote a service arrangement at intervals based on how much the door is used and the risk.
How are prices worked out for automatic sliding doors in Kent?
Our guide is £4,495 to £12,995 excluding VAT (per door set), the same guide prices we use across the UK. The free site survey in Kent confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Can the old door in Kent be removed and taken away?
Yes. Removal of the existing door and frame is listed as a line in the quote, along with making good around the opening. Glass and aluminium are taken away for recycling where possible. If the old door belongs to a landlord, tell us at survey so its removal can be agreed with them before the work is booked.
Will a new sliding door in Kent work with our alarm and access control?
In most cases, yes. The operator can take signals from a fire alarm panel, a card reader, a keypad, an intercom or a timer. Tell us what you have at the survey, and the quote will show the interface work and who is responsible for each connection, whether that is us, your electrician or your alarm company.
What happens to the old door when a new one is fitted in Kent?
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 free site survey in Kent involve?
An engineer working under our management visits the building, measures the opening, checks the frame, floor, head height and power supply, and looks at how people use the entrance. The survey is free and carries no obligation. Afterwards you receive a fixed, itemised written quote for automatic sliding doors, with drawings where the door type needs them.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Kent?
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.