Coverage across Lancashire
Not every part of Lancashire is easy to reach, and some sites need planning around access, parking or opening hours. We take that into account when arranging automating an existing door, and the engineer, working under our management, arrives with what the job is likely to need. The towns below, 21 in all, each have their own page, but any address in the area can be covered.
Towns listed in Lancashire: Preston, Burnley, Blackburn, Blackpool, Morecambe, Lancaster, Lytham St Annes, Skelmersdale, Bamber Bridge, Leyland, Accrington, Chorley, Darwen, Thornton-Cleveleys, Nelson, Fleetwood, Ormskirk, Rawtenstall, Colne, Poulton-le-Fylde, Heysham.
What to think about for automating an existing door in Lancashire
- Older buildings in Lancashire 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.
- 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.
- Glass in a door that will be automated should be safety glass. Older doors in Lancashire may have panes that need replacing before the work goes ahead.
- 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.
- Schools and community buildings in Lancashire may prefer the work done in holidays or after hours. Ask for any out-of-hours working to be priced in the quote.
Automating an existing door in Lancashire: 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.
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 Lancashire.
- 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.
Send us a photo of the door and we will arrange a free survey in Lancashire to confirm whether it can be automated, followed by a fixed quote.
Automating an existing door in Lancashire: questions
What if our door in Lancashire 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 Lancashire?
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 Lancashire confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Do you provide the paperwork for an automated door in Lancashire?
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.
Will automating our door in Lancashire 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.
What happens once the installation in Lancashire 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.
Can automatic doors be fitted to a listed building in Lancashire?
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.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Lancashire?
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.