Covering Portsmouth and nearby
We cover the whole of the PO1, PO2, PO3, PO4, PO5 and PO6 postcode districts, along with nearby towns in Hampshire. You book each visit for break-out escape route doors directly with us, and a specialist automatic door engineer working under our management travels to your site on the agreed date.
Shopping centre and transport entrances in Portsmouth are often on escape routes, so doors there are usually break-out or fail-safe types set up to match the fire strategy for the building. Any work on them is planned with the building's management so the route stays usable.
Nearby towns we also list for break-out escape route doors (straight-line distance): Gosport (1.7 miles), Fareham (5.3 miles), Havant (6.1 miles), Waterlooville (6.2 miles), Emsworth (7.5 miles), Hedge End (12.0 miles).
What to think about for break-out escape route doors in Portsmouth
- Get hold of the fire strategy, or ask your fire risk assessor, before the survey. Knowing whether the door must slide open on alarm, break out, or both, saves a second visit and a revised quote.
- Hospitals and clinics in Portsmouth 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.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas in Portsmouth may need consent before a new entrance goes in. Slim frames and the existing opening can often be kept, but check with the planning authority before ordering.
- Shopping centre units in Portsmouth 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.
- Older entrances on high streets in Portsmouth may have uneven thresholds or sloping pavements. Break-out leaves need a level floor and solid fixing for the bottom pivots, and correcting that can add a day to the work.
Break-out escape route doors in Portsmouth: 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.
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
- 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 break-out escape route doors and book a survey in Portsmouth.
- 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 about the building in Portsmouth, 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 Portsmouth: questions
We have an old sliding door in Portsmouth. 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.
Is there a guide price for break-out escape route doors in Portsmouth?
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 Portsmouth confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Do you install break-out sliding doors in Portsmouth?
Yes. We arrange surveys and installations in Portsmouth through specialist automatic door engineers working under our management. We supply the complete entrance, set it up to the fire strategy you give us, test it in every mode and hand over the records. The survey is free and the quote is fixed.
Our shop in Portsmouth 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.
How are payments structured for work in Portsmouth?
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.
Can installation in Portsmouth 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.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Portsmouth?
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the responsible person for the premises must make sure escape routes work and fire safety equipment is maintained. Automatic doors on an escape route need fail-safe opening or break-out, set by the fire strategy.