Coverage across Devon
Enquiries about automating an existing door come to us from right across Devon, and each one is handled the same way. Specialist automatic door engineers working under our management travel to the address, and we remain your contracting party throughout. The 9 towns we list below are a starting point, not a boundary: villages, business parks and rural sites in between are covered as well.
Towns listed in Devon: Plymouth, Exeter, Paignton, Torquay, Newton Abbot, Exmouth, Barnstaple, Bideford, Tiverton.
What to think about for automating an existing door in Devon
- Think about how the door is locked. If it is locked by key every night, an electric lock or keep may be worth adding so the door can be secured without switching the operator off.
- Doors facing the weather in exposed parts of Devon are pushed about by wind. The survey checks whether a low-energy operator will cope or a stronger unit is needed.
- Schools and community buildings in Devon may prefer the work done in holidays or after hours. Ask for any out-of-hours working to be priced in the quote.
- Shop fronts on high streets in Devon often have narrow aluminium frames. The survey checks the transom can carry the operator without flexing, and whether it needs reinforcing.
- Homes in Devon with uPVC or composite doors can usually be automated, but the multipoint lock needs to work smoothly first. A stiff lock is best fixed before fitting.
Automating an existing door in Devon: 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.
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
- 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 automating an existing door and book a survey in Devon.
- 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 door, how it is used and who uses it, and we will plan a retrofit for your building in Devon.
Automating an existing door in Devon: questions
Will automating our door in Devon need planning permission?
Fitting an operator to an existing door does not usually need planning permission, but a listed building may need consent for fixings or new switches on the outside. In a conservation area, mounting the operator inside often avoids any change to the street view. Check with the planning authority if in doubt.
Can you give me a price for automating an existing door in Devon?
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 Devon 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 Devon 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.
Can you automate a fire door at our premises in Devon?
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 lead time for automating an existing door in Devon?
Lead times depend on the door type and what has to be made to order. As a guide, operators and accessible door kits are typically two to four weeks from order, and complete sliding entrances typically four to eight weeks from drawing approval. Curved, revolving and hermetic doors usually take longer. The expected lead time is stated in your quote.
Can installation in Devon 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 Devon?
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.