Coverage across Dorset
Typical clients for fire door hold-open devices include businesses, public buildings, care settings and households that rely on a door opening every time. Wherever the address is in Dorset, the price is set out in writing before work starts, and the job is done by specialist engineers under our management. The towns we list here currently number 5.
Towns listed in Dorset: Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Christchurch, Ferndown.
What to think about for fire door hold-open devices in Dorset
- If the alarm panel has no spare outputs, a relay or an extra interface may be needed. Your alarm engineer can confirm this, and it is added to the quote once agreed.
- 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.
- Residential blocks often have communal corridor doors that residents prop open. Hold-open devices give the same convenience while letting the doors close when the alarm sounds.
- Fire doors on stairs and protected escape routes need particular care. The fire risk assessment may allow some of them to be held open and not others, so pricing is door by door.
- Think about who tests the fire alarm each week at your building in Dorset. Adding a walk past the held-open doors to that test is the easiest way to confirm they release.
Fire door hold-open devices in Dorset: 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
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.
Hold-open devices and door release units linked to the fire alarm need regular testing as part of the building’s fire safety checks, and the results should be recorded.
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.
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 Dorset.
- 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.
Tell us about the fire doors that cause problems in Dorset. We will survey them free of charge and explain which hold-open options your alarm can support.
Fire door hold-open devices in Dorset: questions
Which doors in my building in Dorset 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 much should I budget for fire door hold-open devices in Dorset?
Our guide starts from £145 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in Dorset confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Will you test the hold-open devices before leaving our site in Dorset?
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.
How soon can hold-open devices be fitted in Dorset?
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.
How are payments structured for work in Dorset?
Payment stages are set out in the quote before you accept it. Larger or made-to-order jobs may involve a deposit and a balance on completion, while smaller jobs may be invoiced once the work is finished. Nothing is charged for the survey itself, and the terms you accept are the terms that apply.
Do I need permission from a landlord or the council before work in Dorset?
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 Dorset?
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.