What are internal pocket doors?
An internal pocket door is an interior door that slides sideways into a hidden cavity inside the wall, so when it is open you see only the edge of the leaf and an empty doorway. Because nothing swings into the room, the space a hinged door would sweep through becomes usable again for furniture, a towel rail or simply a clear path. That makes pocket doors a practical answer for en suites, utility rooms, under-stair cupboards and the doorway between a kitchen and dining space.
The door runs on a concealed track at the head of a steel or timber pocket frame, sometimes called a cassette, which is built into a stud wall or into a new lining against masonry. The frame is boarded and plastered over, leaving a flush wall with the door gliding in and out on top-hung rollers. Options include soft-close dampers, flush finger pulls, privacy locks for bathrooms and pairs of doors that part from the middle.
Pocket doors need a stretch of wall roughly as wide as the door itself on one side of the opening (or both sides for a double), clear of pipes, cables and radiators. We survey the wall, check what it is made of and what runs through it, and tell you honestly whether a pocket door suits it before anything is ordered. See our pocket doors guide for the wider picture.
Who are they for?
Best suited to
- Small en suites and cloakrooms
- Kitchen to dining room doorways
- Utility rooms and larders
- Rooms where a door swing blocks furniture
Worth considering
- The section of wall that holds the pocket cannot take sockets, switches, radiators or heavy wall fixings.
- A pocket door does not seal as tightly as a hinged door, so sound and smells carry more easily between rooms.
- Fitting one into an existing wall means opening up and re-plastering it, which involves more mess than hanging a normal door.
Why choose internal pocket doors?
- Reclaims the floor area a hinged door needs to swing, which in a small bathroom or cloakroom can be the difference between fitting a vanity unit and going without.
- When the door is fully open it disappears into the wall, leaving a clear doorway that makes two connected rooms feel like one larger space.
- Top-hung rollers carry the weight of the leaf from above, so there is no floor track to trip over, clean around or catch the vacuum cleaner on.
- Soft-close dampers can slow the door in its final few centimetres in both directions, stopping it slamming shut or bouncing back out of the pocket.
- A double pocket door, with two leaves parting from the centre, opens up a wide doorway between a kitchen and a living area without any doors standing in the room.
- Privacy hook locks made for sliding leaves give a bathroom or en suite a door that locks from inside and can still be released from outside in an emergency.
- Flush pulls sit level with the face of the door so the leaf can slide fully into the pocket, with a small edge pull to draw it back out again.
- The door leaf can be chosen to match the other internal doors in the house, such as painted panels, oak veneer or a glazed design, so it does not look out of place.
Typical specification
| Door types | Single leaf, or a pair of leaves parting from the centre |
|---|---|
| Wall needed | Clear wall roughly equal to the door width beside the opening, per leaf |
| Typical finished wall thickness | Around 100 mm or more, depending on the pocket frame used |
| Track | Concealed top track with top-hung rollers; no floor track |
| Door height | Standard internal door heights; taller leaves by quotation, subject to survey |
| Closing | Soft-close in one or both directions, depending on the kit |
| Hardware | Flush pulls, edge pulls and privacy hook locks for bathrooms |
| Wall finish | Boarded and made good ready for decoration; scope confirmed in your quote |
Figures are typical and vary by system and size; your quote confirms the exact specification.
How much do internal pocket doors cost?
Guide prices for a fitted internal pocket door are £895–£1,595 for a single door and £1,695–£2,795 for a double, inc VAT at standard height, with your final price fixed in a written quote after survey.
| Overall width | Typical panels | Guide price (fitted, inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Single pocket door | 1 leaf | £895–£1,595 |
| Double pocket door | 2 leaves | £1,695–£2,795 |
Guide prices including the pocket kit, door leaf, fitting and making good to a stud wall, including VAT. Your price is fixed in a written quote after survey.
Options and extras
- Single pocket door. One leaf sliding into one side of the wall, the usual choice for en suites and cupboards.
- Double pocket door. Two leaves sliding into opposite sides of the opening for a wider, centred doorway.
- Soft-close dampers. Hidden dampers in the track that ease the door to a gentle stop at each end.
- Glazed leaf. A door with safety glass panels that borrows daylight from one room for another.
- Bathroom privacy lock. A hook lock with an emergency release, designed for doors that slide rather than swing.
- Flush and edge pulls. Recessed pulls in the door face plus an edge pull, so the leaf can disappear fully into the pocket.
Lead times and fitting
Lead time: Typically 3–5 weeks after survey sign-off, depending on the door leaf and finish.
Fitting: Typically 1–2 days, plus drying time before new plaster can be decorated.
Nothing is ordered until you confirm the surveyed specification in writing. See how it works.
Rules and approvals
England
Fitting an internal sliding or pocket door is not usually notifiable building work in England. Approved Document K treats glass in doors as a critical location, so we only supply safety glass for internal doors. If a wall has to be altered to form a pocket, check first whether it is load-bearing.
Wales
Internal sliding and pocket doors are not usually notifiable building work in Wales. We only supply safety glass for glazed doors, and any alteration to a load-bearing wall needs structural advice and approval from Building Control.
Scotland
Internal doors do not normally need a building warrant in Scotland. We only supply safety glass for glazed doors, and any change to a structural wall would need a warrant, so we check the wall at survey.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, internal doors are not usually building control work. We only supply safety glass for glazed doors, and structural wall changes need district council approval. Work in Northern Ireland is by arrangement.
Internal pocket doors: common questions
What is an internal pocket door?
An internal pocket door is an interior door that slides into a cavity built inside the wall instead of swinging on hinges. The leaf hangs from rollers on a concealed track at the top of a pocket frame, and the frame is boarded and plastered so the wall looks normal. When the door is open, only its edge and pull remain visible.
Can a pocket door be fitted into an existing wall?
Yes, a pocket door can usually be fitted into an existing wall, but it involves opening up the wall beside the doorway. In a stud partition we remove the plasterboard, fit the pocket frame and board it again. In a masonry wall the usual approach is a new stud lining, and if the wall is load-bearing, forming the pocket becomes structural work that needs proper assessment and approval first.
How much wall space does a pocket door need?
A pocket door needs a length of clear wall beside the opening that is roughly the width of the door, plus a little extra for the frame. A double pocket door needs that space on both sides. The pocket section must be free of radiators, sockets, switches, pipes and cables, which is often the deciding factor in whether a particular doorway works.
How much does an internal pocket door cost?
Our guide price for a fitted internal pocket door is £895–£1,595 for a single and £1,695–£2,795 for a double, inc VAT at standard height. Where your door falls in that range depends on the leaf, the hardware, the wall construction and how much making good is needed. The final figure is fixed in a written quote after we have surveyed the wall.
Are pocket doors suitable for bathrooms?
Pocket doors work well for bathrooms and en suites, particularly small ones where a swinging door clashes with a basin or toilet. A privacy hook lock with an emergency release gives you a lockable door. Bear in mind that a pocket door does not seal as tightly as a hinged door closing against stops on all sides, so a little more sound can pass through.
Can I put a light switch on the wall with the pocket?
Not on the pocket section itself, because the door slides through that cavity and there is nowhere to run a cable or fix a back box. Switches and sockets can usually move to the other side of the doorway or to an adjoining wall. We point out any that need moving at survey, and an electrician should relocate them before the pocket frame goes in.
Do pocket doors need a floor track?
No, the pocket doors we fit hang from rollers on a top track, so the floor stays clear and level through the doorway. A small guide at the mouth of the pocket keeps the leaf running straight without a groove across the floor. That makes them easy to clean around and suitable where the same flooring runs from room to room.
How long does it take to fit a pocket door?
Fitting a pocket door typically takes one to two days, depending on whether the wall is stud or masonry and how much needs opening up. New plaster then needs time to dry before it can be decorated. We agree the order of work with you at survey so other trades, such as an electrician or decorator, can be booked around it.