Covering Brighton and nearby
We cover the whole of the BN1 and BN2 postcode districts, along with nearby towns in East Sussex. 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.
Large office buildings in Brighton often pair automatic doors with access control, turnstiles and visitor systems. Linking the operator to card readers, intercoms or timers means the entrance opens for staff and visitors at the right times and stays secure out of hours.
Nearby towns we also list for automating an existing door (straight-line distance): Hove (1.2 miles), Shoreham-by-Sea (5.9 miles), Peacehaven (6.3 miles), Lewes (7.2 miles), Lancing (8.0 miles), Burgess Hill (9.0 miles).
What to think about for automating an existing door in Brighton
- Older buildings in Brighton 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.
- Schools and community buildings in Brighton may prefer the work done in holidays or after hours. Ask for any out-of-hours working to be priced in the quote.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Automating an existing door in Brighton: 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
- Start with a short enquiry. Use the form, phone or email. Tell us whether the work is a new door, an upgrade or an opener for a home, and we arrange the next step for your site in Brighton.
- Measured survey. The free survey confirms what will fit and what the entrance needs: opening width, door type, activation, safety sensors and behaviour on power loss or fire alarm, matched to how the building is used.
- Written price, no surprises. A fixed, itemised quote sets out the specification, the work involved, the expected lead time and the warranty terms. You can ask questions or change the specification before accepting it.
- Installed and commissioned. The door is installed with as little disruption as possible, then set up and tested for its hazard zones. Before leaving, the engineer explains the controls and hands over the documents for your records.
Get a fixed price for automating a door in Brighton. The quote covers the operator, safety devices, controls and any work the door needs first.
Automating an existing door in Brighton: questions
How long will our door in Brighton 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 price range should I expect for automating an existing door in Brighton?
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 Brighton confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Will automating our door in Brighton 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 automate the existing doors at our building in Brighton?
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.
What happens once the installation in Brighton is finished?
The engineer tests every function, including the safety sensors and the behaviour on power loss, and sets the door up with reference to BS EN 16005. You are shown how to use the controls and which simple checks to make, and you receive the handover documents, including the test record and any conformity paperwork that applies to the work.
What do you need from us for parking and access in Brighton?
Somewhere for the engineer's van as close to the entrance as possible, and a clear working area around the door. If parking is restricted, loading rules apply or the site has security procedures, tell us when you book. Those details go into the plan so the visit is not held up on the day.
Do businesses in Brighton have to fit automatic doors?
No law says every building must have automatic doors. Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and building regulations guidance in England calls for a powered door where an entrance door would otherwise be too heavy to open. An automatic door is often the simplest way to meet both.