Covering Cambridge and nearby
If your building is in Cambridge, or anywhere in the CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4 and CB5 postcode districts, we can arrange fire door hold-open devices. Visits are booked with you in advance, timed around opening hours where that matters, and carried out by engineers who work under our management.
Housing providers and managing agents in Cambridge look after communal entrance doors that are used day and night. Reliable closing, good security and a written service record are usually the priorities, along with door entry or fob systems tied into the operator.
Nearby towns we also list for fire door hold-open devices (straight-line distance): Newmarket (12.6 miles), Ely (15.1 miles), Huntingdon (15.7 miles), Haverhill (15.9 miles), St Neots (16.3 miles), Letchworth (21.1 miles).
What to think about for fire door hold-open devices in Cambridge
- Background noise matters for acoustic units. Kitchens, plant areas and busy receptions may be too loud for a unit that listens for the alarm, so a wired or radio device is often better there.
- Older buildings in Cambridge may have fire doors that no longer close fully on their own. A hold-open device cannot fix that, so the survey checks closers, hinges and latches first.
- Think about who tests the fire alarm each week at your building in Cambridge. Adding a walk past the held-open doors to that test is the easiest way to confirm they release.
- Doors that open too far from a wall for a wall magnet can use a floor-mounted unit or a magnet on an extension arm. The survey measures where each door rests when open.
- Care homes in Cambridge usually want bedroom doors that residents can open easily. Free-swing closers suit this, provided the evacuation strategy for the home supports them.
Fire door hold-open devices in Cambridge: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: from £145 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Battery acoustic hold-open unit | £145 – £295 | per door, fitted, ex VAT |
| Hard-wired hold-open magnet linked to the fire alarm | £245 – £595 | per door, ex VAT; alarm panel work extra |
| Free-swing door closer linked to the fire alarm | £395 – £895 | per door, fitted, ex VAT |
Which hold-open device is suitable depends on your fire risk assessment. Linking to the fire alarm may need work by your alarm engineer.
Standards and rules in England
Workplace law (the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992) expects powered doors to have suitable and effective features to stop them trapping anyone and, where needed for safety, to open by hand unless they open automatically if the power fails. Doors at work must also be kept in efficient working order under a suitable system of maintenance.
Fire doors that are held open must close automatically when the fire alarm operates. Where hold-open devices can be used is decided by the fire risk assessment, which is the job of the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
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 fire door hold-open devices and book a survey in Cambridge.
- 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.
Send us a list of the doors you want held open at your building in Cambridge, plus any notes from your fire risk assessment, and we will arrange a survey at no cost.
Fire door hold-open devices in Cambridge: questions
Will you test the hold-open devices before leaving our site in Cambridge?
Yes. Every door is released from fully open and checked to close and latch. Where the alarm connection is complete, the doors are also tested with the alarm itself. You receive a schedule of the doors and devices fitted, ready to keep with your fire safety records and weekly alarm test log.
Is there a guide price for fire door hold-open devices in Cambridge?
Our guide starts from £145 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in Cambridge confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Which doors in my building in Cambridge can be held open?
That is decided by the fire risk assessment for the building, not by the installer. Many corridor, lounge and office doors can be held open on a device that releases on the alarm, while some stair and escape route doors cannot. If the assessment is unclear, check with your assessor before we finalise the quote.
How soon can hold-open devices be fitted in Cambridge?
Once the quote is accepted, supply is typically 1 to 3 weeks, and fitting a few devices on one floor usually takes a day. Larger jobs are planned in stages so doors are never left without protection. Your quote shows the expected programme, and fitting dates are agreed with you before work starts.
What does the written quote for fire door hold-open devices in Cambridge 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.
Do I need permission from a landlord or the council before work in Cambridge?
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.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Cambridge?
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.