Covering Luton and nearby
We cover the whole of the LU1, LU2, LU3 and LU4 postcode districts, along with nearby towns in Bedfordshire. You book each visit for automating an existing door directly with us, and a specialist automatic door engineer working under our management travels to your site on the agreed date.
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 Luton 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 automating an existing door (straight-line distance): Dunstable (4.5 miles), Harpenden (5.0 miles), Hitchin (7.4 miles), Hemel Hempstead (8.8 miles), Stevenage (9.3 miles), St Albans (9.7 miles).
What to think about for automating an existing door in Luton
- If the door is on an escape route, keep the existing panic or emergency hardware working. The operator should not stop the door opening by hand in an emergency.
- Doors facing the weather in exposed parts of Luton are pushed about by wind. The survey checks whether a low-energy operator will cope or a stronger unit is needed.
- Older buildings in Luton often have heavy timber doors on floor springs. Some floor springs can be adapted, but many need replacing with hinges, which adds to the cost.
- Glass in a door that will be automated should be safety glass. Older doors in Luton may have panes that need replacing before the work goes ahead.
- Schools and community buildings in Luton may prefer the work done in holidays or after hours. Ask for any out-of-hours working to be priced in the quote.
Automating an existing door in Luton: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: from £1,795 ex VAT (£2,154 inc VAT).
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Low-energy operator on an existing swing door | £1,795 – £2,995 | installed, ex VAT; homes £2,154 – £3,594 inc VAT |
| Full-energy operator on an existing swing door, with safety sensors | £2,495 – £3,995 | installed, ex VAT; homes £2,994 – £4,794 inc VAT |
| Operators on an existing pair of swing doors | £3,795 – £6,495 | installed, ex VAT; homes £4,554 – £7,794 inc VAT |
| Automating an existing manual sliding door or screen | £2,995 – £5,495 | installed, ex VAT; homes £3,594 – £6,594 inc 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.
Whoever motorises a manual door, or builds an automatic door from separate parts, may take on the manufacturer’s legal duties for the finished door: a risk assessment, a technical file kept available for the authorities, a Declaration of Conformity, the conformity marking and instructions. You receive the Declaration of Conformity and the instructions at handover. 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.
How it works
- Send photos and the address. A few pictures of the door from both sides, the address in Luton 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 automating an existing door 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.
Send us a photo of the door and we will arrange a free survey in Luton to confirm whether it can be automated, followed by a fixed quote.
Automating an existing door in Luton: questions
Can you automate a front door at a house in Luton?
Yes. Front doors at home are often automated for wheelchair users and people with limited grip, usually with an electric keep or lock so the door locks itself as it closes. Home prices are quoted including VAT, and the survey is free.
How much should I budget for automating an existing door in Luton?
Our guide starts from £1,795 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide price we use across the UK. For homes that is from £2,154 including VAT. The free site survey in Luton confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Can you automate the existing doors at our building in Luton?
In most cases, yes. We check each door at a free survey, including the hinges, frame, glass, locks and power, and then quote a fixed price. If a door is not a good candidate, we explain why and what it would take to fix it, or quote a replacement instead.
How long will our door in Luton be out of use?
Usually half a day to a day per door. Where hinges, locks or glass are being changed as well, it can take longer. We plan the work so the building stays usable, and agree any out-of-hours working in the quote.
Can installation in Luton 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.
What does the free site survey in Luton involve?
An engineer working under our management visits the building, measures the opening, checks the frame, floor, head height and power supply, and looks at how people use the entrance. The survey is free and carries no obligation. Afterwards you receive a fixed, itemised written quote for automating an existing door, with drawings where the door type needs them.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Luton?
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.