How much does an automatic door cost in the UK?
An automatic door in the UK can cost anything from the price of an operator fitted to an existing door to the price of a complete revolving entrance, so the type of door is the biggest single factor in the price. The table gives our guide prices for supply and installation of each type.
| Door or work | Guide price | Priced |
|---|---|---|
| Automating an existing door | from £1,795 ex VAT (£2,154 inc VAT) | per door |
| Low-energy accessible operator | typically £1,795 to £2,995 ex VAT | per single door, with push pads |
| Automatic swing door | from £2,495 ex VAT | per door |
| Automatic internal door | from £1,795 ex VAT | per door |
| Automatic sliding door | typically £4,495 to £12,995 ex VAT | per door set |
| Frameless glass automatic door | from £5,495 ex VAT | per door set |
| Automatic folding door | from £5,995 ex VAT | per door set |
| Telescopic sliding door | from £6,995 ex VAT | per door set |
| Break-out escape route door | from £7,995 ex VAT | per door set |
| Hermetic sliding door | from £8,995 ex VAT | per door |
| Curved automatic door | from £14,995 ex VAT | per entrance |
| Automatic entrance lobby | typically £14,995 to £34,995 ex VAT | per lobby, doors and screens |
| Revolving door | typically £29,995 to £59,995 ex VAT | per automatic door |
| Home automatic door opener | typically £1,495 to £2,995 inc VAT | per door |
These are guide figures, not quotes. Commercial prices exclude VAT and home door opener prices include it. Each service page and our price guide break the figures down further, and the guide price tool gives a range for your own opening in four steps.
For new doors, retrofits, upgrades and home door openers, a free site survey and a fixed, itemised written quote confirm the price. Nothing starts until you accept the quote.
What changes the price of an automatic door?
The price of an automatic door is set mainly by the size of the opening, the type of door and glass, the safety devices it needs and any building or electrical work around it. Two entrances of the same width can be priced quite differently once these are taken into account.
- Opening size. Wider and taller openings need bigger leaves, longer tracks and stronger operators. Full-height glazed entrances cost more than standard door heights.
- Door type and glass. Framed aluminium doors cost less than frameless glass, telescopic or curved doors. Laminated glass, special finishes and coloured frames add to the price.
- Traffic. A supermarket or hospital entrance needs a heavier-duty operator than a quiet office side door.
- Safety devices. The number of safety sensors and guards depends on the door's hazard zones and the site-specific risk assessment, including who uses the door.
- Activation and control. Push pads, touch-free switches, card readers, timers and links to the fire alarm are priced separately. A touch-free switch or push pad is from £145 ex VAT (£174 inc VAT) per switch fitted, and access control is from £795 ex VAT per door as a guide.
- Escape routes. A door on an escape route may need break-out leaves, battery-backed fail-safe opening or both, as the fire strategy for the building requires.
- Building and electrical work. A new power supply, a stronger head or lintel, floor work for tracks and guides, and making good all add cost.
- Access and working hours. Out-of-hours installation, restricted access, listed buildings and work at height can all affect the price.
The site survey checks each of these before we quote, so the written quote reflects your entrance rather than an average.
How much does it cost to automate an existing door?
Automating an existing door is usually the lowest-cost way to get an automatic door, because the door, frame and glass are kept and only the operator, safety sensors and controls are added. As a guide, automating an existing door is from £1,795 ex VAT (£2,154 inc VAT) per door, and a low-energy accessible operator on a single public door is typically £1,795 to £2,995 ex VAT.
A pair of doors needs more operator hardware and more sensors than a single door, so it costs more, but not usually twice as much, because the survey, wiring and commissioning are shared.
The door must be sound for this to work. The survey checks the hinges, the frame fixings, the space above the door for the operator and the condition of the leaf. If the door is worn out, very heavy or too narrow for the people who use it, a new door set may be better value over its life. Our guide to making an existing door automatic explains what makes a door suitable.
Fitting an operator to a manual door has legal consequences as well as practical ones. A powered door is treated as machinery, and whoever motorises a manual door may take on the manufacturer's duties for it, including the conformity paperwork and marking. A properly priced job includes that paperwork, so check that a cheaper quote does too.
Is VAT included in automatic door prices?
Commercial automatic door prices are shown excluding VAT, and prices for home door openers are shown including VAT, because that is how each kind of customer normally pays. Businesses registered for VAT can usually reclaim the VAT on business costs under the normal HMRC rules, so the ex VAT figure is the one that matters to them.
For homes, some work and equipment for disabled people can qualify for VAT relief where HMRC's conditions are met. HMRC's guidance on VAT reliefs for disabled people explains that the service of adapting goods for a disabled person can be zero-rated while a replacement door itself is not, and that the supplier should hold a written eligibility declaration from the customer. We will say on the quote if we think relief may apply, but it cannot be promised in advance.
Grants can help too. Disabled Facilities Grants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and help through the council's Scheme of Assistance in Scotland, can sometimes contribute to a door opener at home. Grants are means-tested, your council or housing authority decides, and the council must approve the work before it starts. See home automatic door openers for more.
What does an automatic door cost to run?
An automatic door's main running costs are planned servicing, safety checks and the occasional repair. For most doors the electricity the operator uses is modest by comparison, so budget mainly for maintenance.
| Running cost | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Planned service visit | from £145 ex VAT (£174 inc VAT) | first door on the visit; extra doors on the same visit cost less |
| Safety inspection and risk assessment | typically £125 to £250 ex VAT | per door, with a written report |
| Repair visit | from £95 ex VAT (£114 inc VAT) | including the first hour; parts quoted before fitting |
| Sensor replacement | typically £195 to £495 ex VAT | per sensor fitted |
No law sets a fixed service interval. We recommend a trained engineer checks the safety functions at least once a year, with busy doors serviced more often, and the visit price is agreed in writing before an engineer attends. Our guide to how often automatic doors should be serviced covers intervals in detail.
A service contract spreads the cost and gives you a written record of every visit, which is the usual way to show a door is properly maintained. See automatic door servicing for contract options.
Should you repair or replace an automatic door?
Repair an automatic door when the frame, leaves and drive are sound and the fault is a part that wears out, such as a belt, roller or sensor. Replace the drive unit, or the whole door, when parts are no longer available, the same faults keep coming back, or the door cannot be made safe at a sensible cost.
| Option | Guide price | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Repair | from £95 ex VAT (£114 inc VAT) for the visit | A single worn or failed part on an otherwise sound door |
| New drive unit | typically £1,995 to £3,995 ex VAT per door | Old or unsupported operator, but a good frame, leaves and glass |
| Refurbishment | from £395 ex VAT per door | Tired running gear, seals and guides, or a damaged glass leaf |
| Safety and compliance upgrades | from £195 ex VAT per door | Gaps found by a safety inspection on an older door |
| New door set | See the first table | Frame or leaves worn out, wrong width, or a change of door type |
Repairs are priced in stages. The visit price is agreed in writing before we attend, and parts or further work are quoted before they are done. Some repairs can be priced from photos and the door's make and model. If a door keeps failing, ask for a safety inspection and a written view on whether a repair, a new drive unit or a replacement door gives the best value.
How do you get an accurate price?
The way to get an accurate automatic door price is a site survey followed by a fixed, itemised written quote. For new doors, retrofits, upgrades and home door openers the survey is free and there is no obligation.
Before the survey, it helps to have:
- photos of the door from inside and outside, and of the space above and beside it
- the rough width and height of the opening
- an idea of how many people use the door and who they are
- whether the door is on an escape route, linked to the fire alarm or locked out of hours
- any limits on working hours, such as finishing before opening time
The written quote sets out the door or operator, safety devices, activation, any building or electrical work, the lead time and the warranty terms. Start with the guide price tool, read how it works, or contact us to book a survey.
Questions
Why are automatic door prices given as ranges?
Because no two entrances are the same. The width and height of the opening, the door type, the glass, the safety devices, the activation method and any building work all change the price. A range shows where most jobs fall, and the free site survey and fixed written quote confirm the figure for your door.
Do the guide prices include safety sensors and setting up?
Yes. The guide prices are for supply and installation of a working door, including the safety sensors a typical installation needs, setting up and testing with reference to BS EN 16005, and handover paperwork. Extras such as card readers, battery backup or building work are listed separately in the quote.
Does a pair of doors cost twice as much to automate?
Not usually. A pair needs more operator hardware and more sensors, but the survey, wiring, commissioning and paperwork are shared, so a pair normally costs less than two single doors. The price guide shows both.
Is the site survey free?
Yes, for new automatic doors, automating an existing door, drive unit replacement, refurbishment, upgrades and home door openers. Repairs, servicing and safety inspections are paid visits, and we agree the price in writing before an engineer attends.
Can I get help paying for a door opener at home?
Possibly. Disabled Facilities Grants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Scheme of Assistance in Scotland, can sometimes help, and some installation work can be zero-rated for VAT where HMRC's conditions are met. Your council decides on grants, so speak to them before any work starts.
