Covering Southampton and nearby
Sites across the SO14, SO15, SO16, SO17, SO18 and SO19 postcode districts are visited by specialist automatic door engineers working under our management. They travel to Southampton for break-out escape route doors as bookings come in, so dates depend on the diary rather than a fixed local team, and we give you the earliest date we can offer when you book.
Out-of-hours work is common in a city, where retail entrances may only be available before opening and office lobbies at weekends. Work in Southampton can be arranged early in the morning, in the evening or at weekends where the building needs it, with any extra cost shown in the written price.
Nearby towns we also list for break-out escape route doors (straight-line distance): Hythe (3.0 miles), Totton (3.9 miles), Hedge End (4.5 miles), Eastleigh (4.9 miles), Chandler's Ford (5.6 miles), Romsey (7.2 miles).
What to think about for break-out escape route doors in Southampton
- 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.
- Hospitals and clinics in Southampton 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Supermarkets and large stores in Southampton 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 Southampton: 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 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.
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 Southampton.
- 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 the opening size and what your fire strategy asks for, and we will arrange a free survey in Southampton and a fixed, itemised quote for a break-out entrance.
Break-out escape route doors in Southampton: questions
Is a break-out door suitable for an exposed entrance in Southampton?
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 Southampton 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 Southampton confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
How long will our entrance in Southampton be out of use?
Usually one to three days on site, depending on the size of the opening and any building or electrical work. Where the entrance is the only way in, we plan the sequence so a temporary door or a partly open entrance can be kept, and agree any out-of-hours working in the quote.
Will a break-out door in Southampton need building regulations approval?
It can. Replacing an entrance, especially one on an escape route, may count as building work that needs approval, and the rules differ in each UK nation. We tell you at survey when approval or landlord consent looks likely, so it can be arranged before the door is ordered.
What happens to the old door when a new one is fitted in Southampton?
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 written quote for break-out escape route doors in Southampton include?
The quote lists each item separately: the door or equipment, installation, electrical connections where we provide them, removal of anything being replaced, testing and handover. It is a fixed price for the work described, so it does not change unless the scope changes, and any change is agreed with you in writing first.
Do businesses in Southampton 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.