Covering Sittingbourne and nearby
Addresses anywhere in the ME10 postcode district can book automating an existing door through us. The engineer who attends works under our management and travels to the site. There is no branch in Sittingbourne, so the price, the booking and the paperwork all come from one place.
Around Sittingbourne there is usually a mix of retail parks, business parks and town-centre shops, each with different door needs. A retail park unit may need a wide bi-parting door for trolleys, while a town-centre shop often has a narrow frontage better suited to a single slider or a folding door.
Nearby towns we also list for automating an existing door (straight-line distance): Faversham (7.0 miles), Gillingham (8.6 miles), Chatham (9.2 miles), Rochester (10.3 miles), Maidstone (10.7 miles), Strood (11.6 miles).
What to think about for automating an existing door in Sittingbourne
- Older buildings in Sittingbourne 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 Sittingbourne may prefer the work done in holidays or after hours. Ask for any out-of-hours working to be priced in the quote.
- Glass in a door that will be automated should be safety glass. Older doors in Sittingbourne may have panes that need replacing before the work goes ahead.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas in Sittingbourne may need consent for an operator on an original door. Mounting it on the inside face usually keeps the street view the same.
- 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 Sittingbourne: 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
- Tell us about the entrance. Send the address, a few photos and a rough size of the opening, and say how the door is used. That is enough for us to suggest options for automating an existing door and book a survey in Sittingbourne.
- Free site survey. A specialist engineer working under our management measures the opening, checks the frame, floor, head height and power, and talks through how people use the entrance. There is no charge and no obligation.
- Fixed written quote. You receive a fixed, itemised written quote with the specification, lead time, payment stages and warranty terms. The price does not change unless the scope does, and any change is agreed in writing first.
- Installation and handover. The door is fitted on the agreed dates, then set up, tested and documented with reference to BS EN 16005. You are shown the controls and the simple checks to make, and receive the handover paperwork.
Want to automate an existing door in Sittingbourne? Start with a free survey, and decide once you have the fixed, itemised quote in front of you.
Automating an existing door in Sittingbourne: questions
How long will our door in Sittingbourne 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 Sittingbourne?
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 Sittingbourne confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Can you automate a front door at a house in Sittingbourne?
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 if our door in Sittingbourne 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 does the written quote for automating an existing door in Sittingbourne include?
The quote lists each item separately: the door or equipment, installation, electrical connections where we provide them, removal of anything being replaced, testing and handover. It is a fixed price for the work described, so it does not change unless the scope changes, and any change is agreed with you in writing first.
What should I send before the survey in Sittingbourne?
A few photos of the door from inside and outside, rough measurements of the opening, the address and a note of how the entrance is used. If the door already has an operator, a photo of any label on it helps. With that, the engineer arrives prepared, the survey takes less of your time and we can put the quote for automating an existing door together more easily.
Can a home in Sittingbourne get help paying for a door opener?
Possibly. In England a Disabled Facilities Grant of up to £30,000 can fund adaptations that make it easier to get in and out of a home. It is means-tested and must be approved by the council before work starts, so ask your council and occupational therapist.