Covering Cambridge and nearby
Addresses anywhere in the CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4 and CB5 postcode districts can book automating an existing door through us. The engineer who attends works under our management and travels to the site. There is no branch in Cambridge, so the price, the booking and the paperwork all come from one place.
Schools and colleges in and around Cambridge often want work done in the holidays, when entrances can be taken out of use without disrupting pupils. Planning ahead for half-term or summer dates makes it easier to find a slot that suits the timetable.
Nearby towns we also list for automating an existing door (straight-line distance): Newmarket (12.6 miles), Ely (15.1 miles), Huntingdon (15.7 miles), Haverhill (15.9 miles), St Neots (16.3 miles), Letchworth (21.1 miles).
What to think about for automating an existing door in Cambridge
- Find out whether the door is a fire door. If it is, the operator must suit fire doors and be wired so the door closes when the alarm sounds.
- 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 Cambridge are pushed about by wind. The survey checks whether a low-energy operator will cope or a stronger unit is needed.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas in Cambridge may need consent for an operator on an original door. Mounting it on the inside face usually keeps the street view the same.
- Schools and community buildings in Cambridge 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 Cambridge: 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
Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which can include altering a physical feature such as a heavy entrance door. Fitting an automatic door helps, but does not on its own guarantee those duties are met.
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
- Describe what you need. Whether the job is automating an existing door 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 Cambridge.
- 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.
Want to automate an existing door in Cambridge? Start with a free survey, and decide once you have the fixed, itemised quote in front of you.
Automating an existing door in Cambridge: questions
Can you automate a fire door at our premises in Cambridge?
Usually, using an operator designed for fire doors and wired to the fire alarm so the door closes when the alarm operates. We check the door's rating and condition first. A fire door that does not close and seal properly needs repairing before an operator goes on.
What is the guide price for automating an existing door in Cambridge?
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 Cambridge confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Can you look after the door in Cambridge once it is automated?
Yes. We can arrange servicing at intervals that suit how much the door is used, with the operator, safety devices and hinges checked and a written record left. Each visit has its price confirmed in writing before an engineer attends.
How long will our door in Cambridge 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.
What should I send before the survey in Cambridge?
A few photos of the door from inside and outside, rough measurements of the opening, the address and a note of how the entrance is used. If the door already has an operator, a photo of any label on it helps. With that, the engineer arrives prepared, the survey takes less of your time and we can put the quote for automating an existing door together more easily.
Can automatic doors be fitted to a listed building in Cambridge?
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.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Cambridge?
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.