Covering the City of London and nearby
Addresses anywhere in the EC2V, EC3M, EC3V, EC4N, EC4R and EC4V postcode districts can book break-out escape route doors through us. The engineer who attends works under our management and travels to the site. There is no branch in the City of London, so the price, the booking and the paperwork all come from one place.
Frontages in the City of London can be narrow, and many London streets include listed buildings or conservation areas where changes to a shopfront need consent. Slimline operators and folding doors are often the practical options, as is a discreet operator fitted to the existing door.
Nearby towns we also list for break-out escape route doors (straight-line distance): Whitechapel (1.1 miles), Islington (1.7 miles), Westminster (2.2 miles), Peckham (2.8 miles), Camden Town (2.9 miles), Holloway (3.1 miles).
What to think about for break-out escape route doors in the City of London
- 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.
- A break-out door needs a dedicated fused spur and, where the strategy relies on it opening without mains power, a battery unit. If there is no supply near the head of the door, an electrician will need to run one.
- Shopping centre units in the City of London usually need landlord approval for a new entrance and for any fire alarm connection. Ask centre management for their fit-out rules early, as they often set working hours and contractor requirements.
- 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.
- Supermarkets and large stores in the City of London see trolleys, pallets and cleaning machines through the entrance. Those knocks can stiffen or loosen break-out fittings, so set service intervals with that traffic in mind.
Break-out escape route doors in the City of 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
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 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.
How it works
- Describe what you need. Whether the job is break-out escape route 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 the City of London.
- 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.
Ready to replace a sliding entrance in the City of London with one that breaks out? Book a free site survey and receive a written quote with the door, safety devices and lead time set out.
Break-out escape route doors in the City of London: questions
Can you look after break-out doors in the City of 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.
How much should I budget for break-out escape route doors in the City of London?
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 the City of London confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Is a break-out door suitable for an exposed entrance in the City of 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.
Our shop in the City of London is inside a shopping centre. Can you still fit a break-out door?
In most cases, yes. Centre management usually sets rules on contractors, working hours and connections to the centre's fire alarm. We work within those rules, provide the method statements and insurance details they ask for, and plan the fitting so the unit can trade for as much of the time as possible.
Can automatic doors be fitted to a listed building in the City of London?
Often, yes, but listed building consent is normally needed for changes that affect the character of the building, inside or out. Slim operators, concealed fixings and automating the existing door can all reduce the visual impact. Speak to the conservation officer at the local planning authority early; we can provide drawings and specifications to help.
Do you service doors in the City of London 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.
Do businesses in the City of London have to fit automatic doors?
No law says every building must have automatic doors. Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and building regulations guidance in England calls for a powered door where an entrance door would otherwise be too heavy to open. An automatic door is often the simplest way to meet both.