Covering Bexleyheath and nearby
Homes, businesses and public buildings throughout the DA6 and DA7 postcode districts can arrange automating an existing door with us. We are the contracting party and organise every visit; the engineer, who works under our management, travels in to Bexleyheath for the job rather than working from premises in town.
Security matters on busy London streets, so entrances in Bexleyheath often need doors that lock firmly at night and work with alarms, shutters or access control. The operator, the locking and any shutter are planned together so they work in the right order.
Nearby towns we also list for automating an existing door (straight-line distance): Welling (1.4 miles), Erith (2.1 miles), Thamesmead (2.9 miles), Sidcup (3.0 miles), Dartford (3.4 miles), Woolwich (3.8 miles).
What to think about for automating an existing door in Bexleyheath
- Glass in a door that will be automated should be safety glass. Older doors in Bexleyheath may have panes that need replacing before the work goes ahead.
- 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.
- Older buildings in Bexleyheath 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 Bexleyheath may prefer the work done in holidays or after hours. Ask for any out-of-hours working to be priced in the quote.
- 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 Bexleyheath: 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
- Get in touch. Call, email or use the form with the address and what you have in mind. If you are not sure which type of door suits, describe the entrance and we will suggest the options worth considering.
- Survey and advice. The survey costs nothing and carries no obligation. The engineer checks the site and explains which options suit the entrance, the people using it and the budget, before anything is priced.
- Quote in writing. You receive a fixed, itemised quote for automating an existing door in Bexleyheath, covering equipment, installation, testing and handover, with the lead time and payment stages set out clearly.
- Install, test, explain. The engineer installs and commissions the door, tests the sensors, safety functions and emergency behaviour, and walks you through the controls. The handover pack records what was installed and tested.
Keep the door you have and make it automatic. Book a free survey in Bexleyheath and receive a written, itemised quote.
Automating an existing door in Bexleyheath: questions
Can you look after the door in Bexleyheath 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 are prices worked out for automating an existing door in Bexleyheath?
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 Bexleyheath 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 Bexleyheath 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.
Do you provide the paperwork for an automated door in Bexleyheath?
Yes. Motorising a manual door brings manufacturer's duties for the completed powered door, so when we automate a door we provide the risk assessment, test record, settings and conformity paperwork at handover. Keep them with your building records, as insurers, inspectors and future service engineers may ask to see them.
Can automatic doors be fitted to a listed building in Bexleyheath?
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.
What happens once the installation in Bexleyheath 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.
Do businesses in Bexleyheath 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.