Coverage across Dorset
Typical clients for drive unit replacement 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 drive unit replacement in Dorset
- Business parks and office blocks in Dorset with several identical doors can replace operators in phases, keeping at least one entrance open at all times.
- Doors linked to the fire alarm or access control in Dorset need those links rewired to the new controller. Let us know which systems connect to the door.
- Busy retail entrances in Dorset may prefer the changeover after closing time or on a quiet trading day. Tell us your hours when you book the survey.
- Check the power supply. A dedicated fused spur and isolator near the door is usually needed, and older installations sometimes need electrical work before the new operator goes in.
- Hospitals and care homes in Dorset may need an alternative entrance during the changeover. Plan signs and step-free access for wheelchair users before work starts.
Drive unit replacement in Dorset: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: typically £1,995 to £3,995 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New drive unit on an existing automatic sliding door | £1,995 – £3,995 | existing leaves kept, installed, ex VAT |
| New operator on an existing automatic swing door | £1,795 – £3,995 | installed, ex VAT |
| Sensors replaced at the same time | £195 – £495 | per sensor, ex VAT |
Standards and rules in England
Standards are not retrospective, so an older door does not become unlawful when a standard is updated; a site-specific risk assessment shows whether any upgrades are sensible. BS EN 16005 is the current standard for the safety in use of powered pedestrian doors, and BS 7036-0:2014 is the British code of practice for risk assessment and risk reduction used alongside it. Standards are not law in themselves, but they are the recognised benchmark for showing an automatic door is safe to use, and we set up, test and document doors with reference to them.
Whoever motorises a manual door, or builds an automatic door from separate parts, may take on the manufacturer’s legal duties for the finished door: a risk assessment, a technical file kept available for the authorities, a Declaration of Conformity, the conformity marking and instructions. You receive the Declaration of Conformity and the instructions at handover. In Great Britain a new or converted powered door must meet the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 before it is first used, and can carry the UKCA or the CE marking.
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 drive unit replacement 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 Dorset.
- 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.
Book a free survey in Dorset to find out whether a new drive unit will bring your automatic door back to reliable use. The quote is fixed and itemised.
Drive unit replacement in Dorset: questions
Can the replacement in Dorset include a service plan?
It can. After the changeover we recommend a service interval based on how heavily the door is used, and a service contract can be set up with a written record of each visit. Servicing is priced separately and agreed in writing before any visit takes place.
How much should I budget for drive unit replacement in Dorset?
Our guide is £1,995 to £3,995 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide prices 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.
Can you fit a new operator to a door another company installed in Dorset?
Yes. We replace drive units on doors whoever fitted them. The survey identifies the existing header, leaves and track, and adapter plates usually let a new drive unit from one of the major European operator brands fit without changing the frame.
Do you provide paperwork for the converted door in Dorset?
Yes. When we fit a new drive unit we prepare the paperwork for the finished door, including the risk assessment, Declaration of Conformity and user instructions, and hand it over with the test results and settings. It belongs with your building records.
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.
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.
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.