Coverage across Hertfordshire
From large town centres to quiet villages, entrances across Hertfordshire vary a great deal, and the right approach to fire door hold-open devices varies with them. A surgery door used by patients with walking frames needs different settings from a supermarket entrance, so the engineer looks at the actual door first. The towns we list in this area currently number 19.
Towns listed in Hertfordshire: Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, St Albans, Welwyn Garden City, Cheshunt, Hatfield, Bishop's Stortford, Borehamwood, Hitchin, Hoddesdon, Letchworth, Harpenden, Bushey, Hertford, Rickmansworth, Potters Bar, Berkhamsted, Ware.
What to think about for fire door hold-open devices in Hertfordshire
- 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.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas can make new cable runs difficult. Radio-triggered battery units avoid most wiring, although the transmitter still needs a connection at the alarm panel.
- Think about who tests the fire alarm each week at your building in Hertfordshire. Adding a walk past the held-open doors to that test is the easiest way to confirm they release.
- 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.
- 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.
Fire door hold-open devices in Hertfordshire: 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
- 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 Hertfordshire.
- 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 Hertfordshire, plus any notes from your fire risk assessment, and we will arrange a survey at no cost.
Fire door hold-open devices in Hertfordshire: questions
Are battery hold-open units a good choice for older buildings in Hertfordshire?
Often they are. Radio and acoustic battery units avoid long cable runs, which helps in older or listed buildings and finished corridors. Acoustic units are only suitable where the fire risk assessment allows them and the alarm can be heard clearly at the door. Batteries need replacing at the interval the maker states.
How are prices worked out for fire door hold-open devices in Hertfordshire?
Our guide starts from £145 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in Hertfordshire 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 Hertfordshire 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.
Will you test the hold-open devices before leaving our site in Hertfordshire?
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 are payments structured for work in Hertfordshire?
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.
What power supply is needed for fire door hold-open devices in Hertfordshire?
Most powered doors need a fused spur close to the operator, and some activation and access control devices also need a low-voltage link. The survey checks what is already there. If a new supply is required, the quote says whether we arrange it or your own electrician does, so nothing is left unclear on the day.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Hertfordshire?
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the responsible person for the premises must make sure escape routes work and fire safety equipment is maintained. Automatic doors on an escape route need fail-safe opening or break-out, set by the fire strategy.