Covering Smethwick and nearby
Coverage for drive unit replacement runs across the B66 and B67 postcode districts and out into the surrounding parts of the West Midlands. Wherever the building is, the arrangements stay the same: one contracting party, a written price before work, and a specialist engineer working under our management on site.
Town-centre buildings in Smethwick range from modern units to older shopfronts. Older frontages can have uneven floors, limited head height and timber frames that need checking before an operator is fitted or adjusted, and the engineer looks at these on site.
Nearby towns we also list for drive unit replacement (straight-line distance): West Bromwich (2.1 miles), Oldbury (2.1 miles), Birmingham (2.9 miles), Rowley Regis (3.3 miles), Halesowen (4.6 miles), Wednesbury (4.7 miles).
What to think about for drive unit replacement in Smethwick
- Hospitals and care homes in Smethwick may need an alternative entrance during the changeover. Plan signs and step-free access for wheelchair users before work starts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Older shopfronts in Smethwick may have headers made for discontinued operators. Adapter plates usually allow a new drive unit to fit, which the survey confirms before you commit.
- 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.
Drive unit replacement in Smethwick: 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
- 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 Smethwick.
- 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.
Keep the frame, replace the drive. Arrange a free survey in Smethwick and receive a fixed quote covering the new operator, sensors and paperwork.
Drive unit replacement in Smethwick: questions
Do you provide paperwork for the converted door in Smethwick?
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.
Is there a guide price for drive unit replacement in Smethwick?
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 Smethwick confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
What if the frame of our door in Smethwick 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.
How long will our entrance in Smethwick be closed for the changeover?
A standard sliding door changeover typically takes a day, and a swing operator often less. The work can be scheduled early, after closing or at a weekend so it causes less disruption. Your quote shows the planned date and how long the entrance will be out of use.
What is the lead time for drive unit replacement in Smethwick?
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 power supply is needed for drive unit replacement in Smethwick?
Most powered doors need a fused spur close to the operator, and some activation and access control devices also need a low-voltage link. The survey checks what is already there. If a new supply is required, the quote says whether we arrange it or your own electrician does, so nothing is left unclear on the day.
Who is responsible for automatic doors on escape routes in Smethwick?
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.