Coverage across the Highlands
From large town centres to quiet villages, entrances across the Highlands vary a great deal, and the right approach to curved automatic doors varies with them. A surgery door used by patients with walking frames needs different settings from a supermarket entrance, so the engineer looks at the actual door first. The towns we list in this area currently number 6.
Towns listed in the Highlands: Inverness, Fort William, Nairn, Thurso, Wick, Portree.
What to think about for curved automatic doors in the Highlands
- A half-round door often projects beyond the existing building line. In town centres around the Highlands, check early whether that affects the pavement, the highway boundary or the need for planning permission.
- If the entrance is on an escape route, the fire strategy decides how the door must behave when the alarm sounds or the power fails. Confirm this with your fire risk assessor before the design is fixed.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas in the Highlands may need consent for a curved entrance. Drawings showing the radius, frame colour and canopy detail help the planning authority understand the proposal.
- Busy entrances with curved floor guides collect grit from the street. A good matwell and regular cleaning of the guide channels keep the leaves running smoothly around the arc.
- Curved doors on landmark buildings in the Highlands are often lit at night. Plan canopy lighting, signage and any warm air curtain alongside the door, so cables and fixings are in place before the glass goes in.
Curved automatic doors in the Highlands: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: from £14,995 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Half-round curved sliding entrance | from £14,995 | installed, ex VAT; priced on survey |
| Full-round curved entrance or large radius | Priced on survey | glass and track are made to the radius |
| Battery backup for power-cut operation | £395 – £695 | per door, ex VAT |
| Card or fob reader tied into the door | £795 – £2,495 | per door, ex VAT |
Curved doors are designed and priced after a free site survey, because the glass, track and screens are made to the radius of your entrance.
Standards and rules in Scotland
Scottish building standards guidance (the non-domestic Technical Handbook) expects an accessible entrance door to give a clear opening of at least 800 mm, says powered doors improve accessibility as long as they add no new hazard, and expects signage, sensors that hold the door open long enough, and guarding against collision or entrapment.
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 in Scotland must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which can include altering a physical feature such as a heavy entrance door. Most building work in Scotland needs a building warrant before it starts, so new entrances are checked with the local authority verifier first.
How it works
- Send photos and the address. A few pictures of the door from both sides, the address in the Highlands and a note of who uses the entrance help us understand the job before anyone visits the site.
- No-cost survey on site. We arrange a survey at a time that suits the building. The engineer records measurements, fixings and power, plus any constraints such as listed status, opening hours or access for deliveries.
- Itemised quote to approve. We price every element of the work on curved automatic doors separately in a written quote that you can check, share and approve. Lead time and payment stages are stated, and nothing is ordered until you accept.
- Fit, test and hand over. On the agreed dates the engineer installs the equipment, commissions the operator and tests each safety function. You get a demonstration, the test record and any conformity paperwork that applies to the work.
Get a guide figure from the price tool, then arrange a survey in the Highlands to turn it into a fixed written quote for curved automatic doors.
Curved automatic doors in the Highlands: questions
How long does a curved door project in the Highlands take?
Curved doors are typically 8 to 14 weeks from order once the drawings are approved, because the glass and frame are made to your radius. Installation then usually takes two to four days for a half-round door, and longer for a full-round door with a roof. The quote sets out the expected programme for your building.
Is there a guide price for curved automatic doors in the Highlands?
Our guide starts from £14,995 excluding VAT (per entrance), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in the Highlands confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Will we need planning permission for a curved entrance in the Highlands?
Possibly. A curved door that changes the look of the frontage or projects beyond the building line may need planning permission, and listed buildings may need listed building consent. Your local planning authority decides. We raise the question at survey and can supply drawings and product details for an application.
Can a curved door in the Highlands replace a revolving door?
In many cases, yes. A full-round curved door gives similar draught protection with a straight, open path through, which many visitors find easier than a revolving door. The survey checks whether the existing drum position, floor recess and canopy can be reused or need altering.
What does the written quote for curved automatic doors in the Highlands 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.
What power supply is needed for curved automatic doors in the Highlands?
Most powered doors need a fused spur close to the operator, and some activation and access control devices also need a low-voltage link. The survey checks what is already there. If a new supply is required, the quote says whether we arrange it or your own electrician does, so nothing is left unclear on the day.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in the Highlands?
The person responsible for fire safety under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 for those premises. Scottish guidance allows automatic doors on escape routes only where they fail safely to outward opening or have a monitored fail-safe system that opens them on power failure, sensor failure and fire alarm.