Covering Sittingbourne and nearby
Requests for drive unit replacement in Sittingbourne are handled by us and passed to a specialist engineer working under our management. Coverage includes the ME10 postcode district: town-centre premises, business and retail sites, public buildings and residential streets alike.
Business parks around Sittingbourne tend to have reception doors that see steady rather than heavy traffic, often with access control after hours. A swing or sliding operator linked to a card reader or intercom is a common arrangement for entrances like these.
Nearby towns we also list for drive unit replacement (straight-line distance): Faversham (7.0 miles), Gillingham (8.6 miles), Chatham (9.2 miles), Rochester (10.3 miles), Maidstone (10.7 miles), Strood (11.6 miles).
What to think about for drive unit replacement in Sittingbourne
- Worn floor guides and rollers can shorten the life of a new operator. It is often worth replacing them during the same visit rather than coming back later.
- 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.
- Hospitals and care homes in Sittingbourne may need an alternative entrance during the changeover. Plan signs and step-free access for wheelchair users before work starts.
- Older shopfronts in Sittingbourne may have headers made for discontinued operators. Adapter plates usually allow a new drive unit to fit, which the survey confirms before you commit.
- Busy retail entrances in Sittingbourne may prefer the changeover after closing time or on a quiet trading day. Tell us your hours when you book the survey.
Drive unit replacement in Sittingbourne: 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.
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 Sittingbourne.
- 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.
Tired of repeat breakdowns at your entrance in Sittingbourne? 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 Sittingbourne: questions
Do you provide paperwork for the converted door in Sittingbourne?
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.
What is the guide price for drive unit replacement in Sittingbourne?
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 Sittingbourne 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 Sittingbourne?
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.
Can you fit a new operator to a door another company installed in Sittingbourne?
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 service doors in Sittingbourne after installing them?
Yes. We recommend a trained engineer checks the safety functions at least once a year, with service intervals set by the manufacturer's instructions and how heavily the door is used; busy doors are often serviced more often. Servicing can follow on from the installation, with the price agreed in writing and a record left after every visit.
Will the building stay secure while the entrance is being changed?
We plan to keep the entrance usable or secure throughout. Where a door has to come out, the work is sequenced so the opening is closed up before the engineer leaves, or a temporary door or hoarding is arranged when a longer gap cannot be avoided. How this is handled for your site in Sittingbourne is agreed before work starts.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Sittingbourne?
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.