Covering Ferndown and nearby
Our coverage of Ferndown takes in the BH22 postcode district and the neighbouring parts of Dorset. If your address sits close to a boundary, it is still covered: send the postcode with your enquiry about drive unit replacement and we will confirm the arrangements and the price in writing.
Older shopfronts are common in market towns, and some in Ferndown may sit in a conservation area or a listed building. Changes to a frontage can need planning permission or listed building consent, so it is worth checking with the local planning authority before work is booked.
Nearby towns we also list for drive unit replacement (straight-line distance): Bournemouth (6.1 miles), Christchurch (7.2 miles), Poole (7.4 miles), New Milton (10.8 miles), Salisbury (18.7 miles), Totton (19.4 miles).
What to think about for drive unit replacement in Ferndown
- Heavy glass leaves need an operator rated for their weight. The survey records the size and glass type of each leaf so the right drive unit is specified.
- 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.
- Battery backup is easier to add with a new drive unit. It lets the door open or close safely in a power cut, which matters most on escape routes.
- If the door is on an escape route, the new drive unit must be set up to open, break out or be openable by hand, as the building's fire strategy requires.
- Older shopfronts in Ferndown may have headers made for discontinued operators. Adapter plates usually allow a new drive unit to fit, which the survey confirms before you commit.
Drive unit replacement in Ferndown: 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
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.
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.
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 drive unit replacement and book a survey in Ferndown.
- 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.
Tired of repeat breakdowns at your entrance in Ferndown? Ask us to compare a new operator with a new door, so you can choose with both prices in front of you.
Drive unit replacement in Ferndown: questions
Can you fit a new operator to a door another company installed in Ferndown?
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.
What will drive unit replacement in Ferndown cost?
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 Ferndown confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
What lead time should we expect in Ferndown?
Once the quote is accepted, drive units are typically 2 to 4 weeks to arrive, depending on the length and weight rating needed. The changeover date is agreed with you as soon as the parts are confirmed, and it can be planned around your opening hours.
What if the frame of our door in Ferndown is not worth keeping?
Then we will tell you. Damaged or corroded frames, glass that is not safety glass, or an opening that is too narrow for the people using it are all reasons to choose a new door instead. We can quote both options so you can compare them side by side.
What is the lead time for drive unit replacement in Ferndown?
Lead times depend on the door type and what has to be made to order. As a guide, operators and accessible door kits are typically two to four weeks from order, and complete sliding entrances typically four to eight weeks from drawing approval. Curved, revolving and hermetic doors usually take longer. The expected lead time is stated in your quote.
What happens to the old door when a new one is fitted in Ferndown?
If the work replaces an existing door, frame or operator, removal and disposal are listed in the quote. The old door comes out only when the new one is ready to go in, so the opening is not left empty for longer than necessary. Making good to the surrounding wall, floor or ceiling is included where the quote says so.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Ferndown?
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.