Coverage across Dorset
Enquiries about automating an existing door come to us from right across Dorset, 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 5 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 Dorset: Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Christchurch, Ferndown.
What to think about for automating an existing door in Dorset
- Older buildings in Dorset 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.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas in Dorset may need consent for an operator on an original door. Mounting it on the inside face usually keeps the street view the same.
- Glass in a door that will be automated should be safety glass. Older doors in Dorset may have panes that need replacing before the work goes ahead.
- Power is needed at the head of the door. If there is no supply close by, an electrician will need to run one, ideally hidden in trunking or the wall.
- 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.
Automating an existing door in Dorset: 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
- Send photos and the address. A few pictures of the door from both sides, the address in Dorset 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.
Get a fixed price for automating a door in Dorset. The quote covers the operator, safety devices, controls and any work the door needs first.
Automating an existing door in Dorset: questions
Can you automate a front door at a house in Dorset?
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.
Can you give me a price for automating an existing door in Dorset?
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 Dorset 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 door in Dorset 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.
Will automating our door in Dorset 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.
What does the free site survey in Dorset 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.
How much disruption should we expect while the work is done in Dorset?
Most installations take one visit or a short series of visits, with dust and noise kept to the area around the door. The engineer screens off the work area, keeps a route in or out where possible and clears up before leaving. Larger entrances, lobbies or structural changes take longer, and the quote explains how that work is phased.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Dorset?
In England the guidance is Approved Document M (Volume 2) for access, Approved Document B for fire safety and escape routes, and Approved Document K for glazing and powered doors. A new entrance can count as building work, so building control should be involved before it is ordered.