Coverage across Greater London
Coverage for break-out escape route doors extends across all of Greater London, including addresses some distance from the towns listed below. We are the contracting party, the engineers work under our management, and the price is agreed in writing first. If your town is not among the 77 we list, contact us anyway; the process and guide prices do not change.
Towns listed in Greater London: Croydon, Hackney, Harrow, Kensington, Camden Town, Canary Wharf, Islington, Bromley, Westminster, Barnet, Orpington, Finchley, Wembley, Willesden, Tottenham, Wandsworth, Enfield, Ilford, Hayes, Wimbledon, Ealing, Barking, Walthamstow, Battersea, Whitechapel, Fulham, Woolwich, Sutton, Edmonton, Hammersmith, Edgware, Kingston upon Thames, Streatham, Romford, Chelsea, Kilburn, Putney, Twickenham, Hounslow, Eltham, Hornchurch, Peckham, Acton, Southall, Ruislip, Beckenham, Surbiton, Richmond, Chiswick, Canning Town, Brixton, Sidcup, Tooting, Chingford, Clapham, East Ham, Bexleyheath, Mitcham, Holloway, Thamesmead, Catford, Greenford, Uxbridge, Leytonstone, Greenwich, Shepherd's Bush, Stratford, Purley, Lewisham, Erith, Carshalton, Feltham, Wood Green, Dagenham, Morden, Welling, the City of London.
What to think about for break-out escape route doors in Greater London
- Hospitals and clinics in Greater London often want break-out entrances tied into the building management and fire alarm systems. Allow time for the alarm contractor to provide a signal and for the estates team to approve the interface.
- Entrances facing the prevailing wind can have break-out leaves pushed by strong gusts. The break-out fittings and the door's wind settings are chosen at survey to suit how exposed the entrance is.
- Work on a busy entrance in Greater London is often best done early in the morning, in the evening or over a weekend. Any out-of-hours working is agreed and priced in the written quote rather than added later.
- If a canopy, ramp or steps sit close to the door, measure how far a broken-out leaf will travel. A leaf that clips a handrail or step edge will not give the escape width the strategy assumes.
- Think about night security alongside escape. A lock that stops a leaf breaking out while people are still inside causes problems, so choose one that releases on the fire alarm where the strategy calls for it.
Break-out escape route doors in Greater London: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: from £7,995 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Break-out sliding door set for an escape route | from £7,995 | installed, ex VAT; typically up to £16,995 |
| Converting an existing sliding door to break-out | Priced on survey | depends on the frame, leaves and operator |
| Battery backup for power-cut operation | £395 – £695 | per door, ex VAT |
| Touch-free switch or push pad, fitted | £145 – £395 | per switch, ex VAT |
Standards and rules in England
In England, fire safety law says sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as emergency exits. Break-out sliding doors are used where an entrance also forms part of an escape route, as the fire strategy allows. Whether a break-out door is suitable is decided by the fire strategy for the building and the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
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.
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.
How it works
- Start with a short enquiry. Use the form, phone or email. Tell us whether the work is a new door, an upgrade or an opener for a home, and we arrange the next step for your site in Greater London.
- Measured survey. The free survey confirms what will fit and what the entrance needs: opening width, door type, activation, safety sensors and behaviour on power loss or fire alarm, matched to how the building is used.
- Written price, no surprises. A fixed, itemised quote sets out the specification, the work involved, the expected lead time and the warranty terms. You can ask questions or change the specification before accepting it.
- Installed and commissioned. The door is installed with as little disruption as possible, then set up and tested for its hazard zones. Before leaving, the engineer explains the controls and hands over the documents for your records.
Tell us about the building in Greater London, its footfall and its fire alarm, and we will plan a break-out door around them, starting with a free site visit.
Break-out escape route doors in Greater London: questions
Is a break-out door suitable for an exposed entrance in Greater London?
Usually, yes. Wind pressure on the leaves is one of the things the survey checks, along with which way the entrance faces and how sheltered it is. The break-out fittings and operator settings are chosen so the leaves hold in line in normal weather but still open by hand in an emergency.
What will break-out escape route doors in Greater London cost?
Our guide starts from £7,995 excluding VAT (per door set), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in Greater London confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
We have an old sliding door in Greater London. Do we have to replace all of it?
Not always. If the frame and operator can take break-out leaves and parts are still available, a conversion may be possible. If the door is older or its parts are unsupported, replacing the whole entrance is usually more reliable. The survey looks at both and the quote explains the difference.
Can you look after break-out doors in Greater London once they are fitted?
Yes. We can arrange planned servicing, with the break-out fittings, alarm release and power failure behaviour tested at each visit and a written record left on site. Each visit is priced in writing before anyone attends, and the interval is set by how hard the door works.
What is the lead time for break-out escape route doors in Greater London?
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.
How are payments structured for work in Greater London?
Payment stages are set out in the quote before you accept it. Larger or made-to-order jobs may involve a deposit and a balance on completion, while smaller jobs may be invoiced once the work is finished. Nothing is charged for the survey itself, and the terms you accept are the terms that apply.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Greater London?
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.