Covering Gillingham and nearby
If your building is in Gillingham, or anywhere in the ME7 and ME8 postcode districts, we can arrange automating an existing door. Visits are booked with you in advance, timed around opening hours where that matters, and carried out by engineers who work under our management.
Council offices, libraries, leisure centres and other public buildings in Gillingham usually buy through procurement rules. Itemised written prices, method statements and the paperwork a buyer needs can all be provided, and the work is carried out by specialist engineers working under our management.
Nearby towns we also list for automating an existing door (straight-line distance): Chatham (1.1 miles), Rochester (1.9 miles), Strood (3.1 miles), Gravesend (8.5 miles), Maidstone (8.6 miles), Sittingbourne (8.6 miles).
What to think about for automating an existing door in Gillingham
- Doors facing the weather in exposed parts of Gillingham are pushed about by wind. The survey checks whether a low-energy operator will cope or a stronger unit is needed.
- 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.
- Glass in a door that will be automated should be safety glass. Older doors in Gillingham may have panes that need replacing before the work goes ahead.
- Homes in Gillingham 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.
- 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.
Automating an existing door in Gillingham: 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.
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
- Describe what you need. Whether the job is automating an existing door for a busy entrance or for a single internal door, a brief description and some photos let us understand it and plan a survey visit in Gillingham.
- Free visit to the site. An engineer working under our management assesses the opening, the existing door and frame, the floor and the electrical supply, and notes any access, consent or timing issues to plan around.
- Your fixed quotation. The quote is fixed for the work it describes and lists each item, including any removal, making good and electrical work. It also states the lead time, the payment stages and the warranty terms.
- Fitting and sign-off. Work goes ahead on dates agreed with you. Once fitted, the door is adjusted and its safety functions are tested and recorded with reference to BS EN 16005, and you are shown how to use it.
Keep the door you have and make it automatic. Book a free survey in Gillingham and receive a written, itemised quote.
Automating an existing door in Gillingham: questions
What if our door in Gillingham turns out to need replacing?
Then we will say so and explain why. If you want to go ahead, we can quote a new automatic door, or a new door ready for an operator. If both options are reasonable, we price each so you can choose, and the survey costs nothing either way.
What is the guide price for automating an existing door in Gillingham?
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 Gillingham 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 Gillingham 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 look after the door in Gillingham 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 installation in Gillingham 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.
Is there a warranty on automating an existing door?
Yes. The warranty terms for the equipment and the installation are set out in your written quote, so you can see exactly what is covered before you accept. Keeping the door serviced at the recommended intervals helps keep it in good order, and the quote explains any conditions that apply to the warranty.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Gillingham?
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.