Coverage across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
Coverage for drive unit replacement extends across all of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, including addresses some distance from the towns listed below. We are the contracting party, the engineers work under our management, and the price is agreed in writing first. If your town is not among the 4 we list, contact us anyway; the process and guide prices do not change.
Towns listed in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles: Stornoway, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Stromness.
What to think about for drive unit replacement in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
- 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.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles make it attractive to keep the existing frame. A new operator inside the existing header changes little that can be seen.
- Ask for the paperwork. A converted door should come with its risk assessment, Declaration of Conformity and user instructions, which belong with your building and maintenance records.
- Older shopfronts in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles may have headers made for discontinued operators. Adapter plates usually allow a new drive unit to fit, which the survey confirms before you commit.
- Doors linked to the fire alarm or access control in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles need those links rewired to the new controller. Let us know which systems connect to the door.
Drive unit replacement in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. For island addresses the survey is still free; travel and accommodation for the installation itself are shown as a separate line in the 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 Scotland
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
- Send photos and the address. A few pictures of the door from both sides, the address in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles and a note of who uses the entrance help us understand the job before anyone visits the site.
- No-cost survey on site. We arrange a survey at a time that suits the building. The engineer records measurements, fixings and power, plus any constraints such as listed status, opening hours or access for deliveries.
- Itemised quote to approve. We price every element of the work on drive unit replacement separately in a written quote that you can check, share and approve. Lead time and payment stages are stated, and nothing is ordered until you accept.
- Fit, test and hand over. On the agreed dates the engineer installs the equipment, commissions the operator and tests each safety function. You get a demonstration, the test record and any conformity paperwork that applies to the work.
Tired of repeat breakdowns at your entrance in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles? 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 Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles: questions
What if the frame of our door in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles 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 do you charge for drive unit replacement in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles?
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 Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Can the replacement in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles 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.
Will you remove the old operator from our premises in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles?
Yes. The old drive unit, sensors and any other replaced parts are taken away as part of the job, and the work area is left clean. Disposal is included in the fixed quote, so there is nothing extra to arrange or pay for afterwards.
Is there a warranty on drive unit replacement?
Yes. The warranty terms for the equipment and the installation are set out in your written quote, so you can see exactly what is covered before you accept. Keeping the door serviced at the recommended intervals helps keep it in good order, and the quote explains any conditions that apply to the warranty.
Can automatic doors be fitted to a listed building in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles?
Often, yes, but listed building consent is normally needed for changes that affect the character of the building, inside or out. Slim operators, concealed fixings and automating the existing door can all reduce the visual impact. Speak to the conservation officer at the local planning authority early; we can provide drawings and specifications to help.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles?
The person responsible for fire safety under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 for those premises. Scottish guidance allows automatic doors on escape routes only where they fail safely to outward opening or have a monitored fail-safe system that opens them on power failure, sensor failure and fire alarm.