Covering Cardiff and nearby
Our coverage of Cardiff takes in the CF10, CF11, CF14, CF15, CF23 and CF24 postcode districts and the neighbouring parts of South Glamorgan. If your address sits close to a boundary, it is still covered: send the postcode with your enquiry about automating an existing door and we will confirm the arrangements and the price in writing.
Hospitals, universities and large public buildings in and around Cardiff often have dozens of automatic doors on one estate, from main entrances to ward and corridor doors. Grouping surveys, servicing and inspections across a site keeps records in one place and visits efficient.
Nearby towns we also list for automating an existing door (straight-line distance): Penarth (2.9 miles), Caerphilly (6.7 miles), Barry (7.1 miles), Risca (9.5 miles), Newport (10.8 miles), Pontypridd (10.9 miles).
What to think about for automating an existing door in Cardiff
- Older buildings in Cardiff 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.
- 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.
- Glass in a door that will be automated should be safety glass. Older doors in Cardiff may have panes that need replacing before the work goes ahead.
- Homes in Cardiff 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.
Automating an existing door in Cardiff: 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 Wales
Wales has its own building regulations guidance. Approved Document M (Wales) uses a lower opening-force limit than England, 20 N at the leading edge, before a powered door is called for, 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 in Wales 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
- Send photos and the address. A few pictures of the door from both sides, the address in Cardiff and a note of who uses the entrance help us understand the job before anyone visits the site.
- No-cost survey on site. We arrange a survey at a time that suits the building. The engineer records measurements, fixings and power, plus any constraints such as listed status, opening hours or access for deliveries.
- Itemised quote to approve. We price every element of the work on automating an existing door separately in a written quote that you can check, share and approve. Lead time and payment stages are stated, and nothing is ordered until you accept.
- Fit, test and hand over. On the agreed dates the engineer installs the equipment, commissions the operator and tests each safety function. You get a demonstration, the test record and any conformity paperwork that applies to the work.
Want to automate an existing door in Cardiff? Start with a free survey, and decide once you have the fixed, itemised quote in front of you.
Automating an existing door in Cardiff: questions
What if our door in Cardiff 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.
Is there a guide price for automating an existing door in Cardiff?
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 Cardiff 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 Cardiff?
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 you automate the existing doors at our building in Cardiff?
In most cases, yes. We check each door at a free survey, including the hinges, frame, glass, locks and power, and then quote a fixed price. If a door is not a good candidate, we explain why and what it would take to fix it, or quote a replacement instead.
What is the lead time for automating an existing door in Cardiff?
Lead times depend on the door type and what has to be made to order. As a guide, operators and accessible door kits are typically two to four weeks from order, and complete sliding entrances typically four to eight weeks from drawing approval. Curved, revolving and hermetic doors usually take longer. The expected lead time is stated in your quote.
Can automatic doors be fitted to a listed building in Cardiff?
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.
Are the rules for automatic doors different in Wales?
Some are. Wales has its own building regulations guidance: Approved Document M (Wales) calls for a powered door where opening a self-closing entrance door would need more than 20 N, lower than the figure used in England. Fire law (the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005) and the Equality Act 2010 apply as in England.