Covering Chichester and nearby
If your building is in Chichester, or anywhere in the PO19 postcode district, we can arrange drive unit replacement. Visits are booked with you in advance, timed around opening hours where that matters, and carried out by engineers who work under our management.
Doors at quieter sites in Chichester and elsewhere in West Sussex can go many years between checks. A safety inspection looks at how the sensors, closing behaviour and emergency functions are working, and gives you a written record to keep on file.
Nearby towns we also list for drive unit replacement (straight-line distance): Bognor Regis (5.8 miles), Emsworth (6.9 miles), Havant (9.1 miles), Littlehampton (10.6 miles), Waterlooville (11.3 miles), Portsmouth (13.8 miles).
What to think about for drive unit replacement in Chichester
- 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 Chichester may need an alternative entrance during the changeover. Plan signs and step-free access for wheelchair users before work starts.
- 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.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas in Chichester make it attractive to keep the existing frame. A new operator inside the existing header changes little that can be seen.
- Busy retail entrances in Chichester 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 Chichester: 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
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
- Get in touch. Call, email or use the form with the address and what you have in mind. If you are not sure which type of door suits, describe the entrance and we will suggest the options worth considering.
- Survey and advice. The survey costs nothing and carries no obligation. The engineer checks the site and explains which options suit the entrance, the people using it and the budget, before anything is priced.
- Quote in writing. You receive a fixed, itemised quote for drive unit replacement in Chichester, covering equipment, installation, testing and handover, with the lead time and payment stages set out clearly.
- Install, test, explain. The engineer installs and commissions the door, tests the sensors, safety functions and emergency behaviour, and walks you through the controls. The handover pack records what was installed and tested.
If parts for your door in Chichester are obsolete, talk to us before replacing the entrance. A free survey shows what can be kept and what it will cost.
Drive unit replacement in Chichester: questions
Can you fit a new operator to a door another company installed in Chichester?
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.
How much should I budget for drive unit replacement in Chichester?
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 Chichester confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Will you remove the old operator from our premises in Chichester?
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.
What if the frame of our door in Chichester 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.
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.
What is the lead time for drive unit replacement in Chichester?
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.
Which building regulations apply to a new automatic entrance in Chichester?
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.