Covering Faversham and nearby
We cover the whole of the ME13 postcode district, along with nearby towns in Kent. 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.
Older shopfronts are common in market towns, and some in Faversham may sit in a conservation area or a listed building. Changes to a frontage can need planning permission or listed building consent, so it is worth checking with the local planning authority before work is booked.
Nearby towns we also list for automating an existing door (straight-line distance): Whitstable (6.7 miles), Sittingbourne (7.0 miles), Canterbury (8.6 miles), Herne Bay (11.1 miles), Ashford (11.6 miles), Gillingham (15.5 miles).
What to think about for automating an existing door in Faversham
- 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.
- Check how the door hangs now. A door that drops, rubs on the floor or needs a shoulder to close will need its hinges or frame sorted before an operator goes on.
- Older buildings in Faversham 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.
- Shop fronts on high streets in Faversham often have narrow aluminium frames. The survey checks the transom can carry the operator without flexing, and whether it needs reinforcing.
- 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 Faversham: 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.
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.
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 Faversham.
- 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.
Tell us about the door, how it is used and who uses it, and we will plan a retrofit for your building in Faversham.
Automating an existing door in Faversham: questions
Can you automate a front door at a house in Faversham?
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.
What is the guide price for automating an existing door in Faversham?
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 Faversham 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 Faversham 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.
How long will our door in Faversham 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.
Do you service doors in Faversham after installing them?
Yes. We recommend a trained engineer checks the safety functions at least once a year, with service intervals set by the manufacturer's instructions and how heavily the door is used; busy doors are often serviced more often. Servicing can follow on from the installation, with the price agreed in writing and a record left after every visit.
Do I need permission from a landlord or the council before work in Faversham?
It depends on the building. Tenants usually need the landlord's written consent before changing an entrance, and some changes to a shopfront or external door need planning permission. The survey notes anything that may need consent. We can supply drawings and product details to support an application, but the owner or tenant makes it.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Faversham?
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.