Coverage across the Scottish Borders
Wherever you are in the Scottish Borders, we need the same three things to get started on fire door hold-open devices: a short description of the door, a few photos if you have them, and the address. From there we agree the price in writing and book a specialist engineer working under our management. Every town listed below has a page of its own, 3 in total.
Towns listed in the Scottish Borders: Hawick, Galashiels, Peebles.
What to think about for fire door hold-open devices in the Scottish Borders
- Older buildings in the Scottish Borders 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Fire door hold-open devices in the Scottish Borders: 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 Scotland
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 person responsible for fire safety under the Fire (Scotland) Act 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
- Describe what you need. Whether the job is fire door hold-open devices for a busy entrance or for a single internal door, a brief description and some photos let us understand it and plan a survey visit in the Scottish Borders.
- Free visit to the site. An engineer working under our management assesses the opening, the existing door and frame, the floor and the electrical supply, and notes any access, consent or timing issues to plan around.
- Your fixed quotation. The quote is fixed for the work it describes and lists each item, including any removal, making good and electrical work. It also states the lead time, the payment stages and the warranty terms.
- Fitting and sign-off. Work goes ahead on dates agreed with you. Once fitted, the door is adjusted and its safety functions are tested and recorded with reference to BS EN 16005, and you are shown how to use it.
Ask for a hold-open survey in the Scottish Borders. We will check each door and the alarm system, then quote a fixed price with the right device for every opening.
Fire door hold-open devices in the Scottish Borders: questions
Will you test the hold-open devices before leaving our site in the Scottish Borders?
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.
What is the guide price for fire door hold-open devices in the Scottish Borders?
Our guide starts from £145 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in the Scottish Borders confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Are battery hold-open units a good choice for older buildings in the Scottish Borders?
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.
Do care homes in the Scottish Borders use free-swing closers?
Many do. A free-swing closer lets residents open their bedroom door without pushing against a closer, and it still shuts the door when the fire alarm operates. Whether it suits each room depends on the home's fire risk assessment and evacuation strategy, which we read before recommending any device.
What happens once the installation in the Scottish Borders 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.
What does the written quote for fire door hold-open devices in the Scottish Borders 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.
Is a building warrant needed for a new automatic entrance in the Scottish Borders?
Often, yes. Most building work in Scotland needs a building warrant before it starts, and the non-domestic Technical Handbook sets out what an accessible entrance should provide, including a clear opening of at least 800 mm. We tell you at the survey if your job is likely to need one.