Are sliding doors for new openings right for homes in Hampshire?
The right door depends on the opening, the room and the way you use the garden. Here is how sliding doors for new openings tend to work out in practice:
For homes in Hampshire that are listed or covered by an Article 4 direction, ask the council about the new opening before paying for structural calculations.
Thinking about a wider opening in Hampshire but unsure of the size? Mark it out on the wall inside and out with tape, then picture the furniture and the view before you decide.
- Widening a standard patio opening to a larger span can transform how a room connects to the garden, giving a wall of glass rather than a doorway.
- Making good the reveals and head after the steel goes in leaves a square, plumb opening, which is what a precision-made sliding door needs to run smoothly.
- The door is measured from the finished opening rather than from drawings, so it fits the opening as built, not as it was intended to be built.
Guide prices for sliding doors for new openings in Hampshire
Use these guide prices to budget for the whole job in Hampshire: the door, the steelwork, making good and the engineer's calculations, including VAT. Building Control or warrant fees are charged by the council on top.
| Overall width | Typical panels | Guide price (fitted, inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 m | 2 panels | £6,595–£7,295 |
| 2.4 m | 2 panels | £7,895–£8,895 |
| 3.6 m | 3 panels | £9,695–£10,895 |
| 4.8 m | 4 panels | £11,495–£12,995 |
Every size is on the sliding doors for new openings page.
Daylight and glass in Hampshire
Daylight in Hampshire runs from about 7 h 54 min in December to 16 h 33 min in June, with the noon sun at roughly 16° and 62° respectively. Use that to choose your glass: standard low-E double glazing for north and east elevations, and consider solar-control or triple glazing for sunny south and west walls.
Towns we cover in Hampshire
We survey and fit sliding doors for new openings in 23 towns across Hampshire, including the BH24, BH25, GU11, GU14, GU31, GU34 postcode districts.
Approvals in England
In England, forming or widening an opening is structural work that needs a Building Regulations application, structural calculations and usually a steel beam on padstones. The new door is also a controlled fitting (U-value 1.4 W/m²K or better if more than 60% glazed). If steelwork bears on a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Questions about sliding doors for new openings in Hampshire
Is the price different in Hampshire?
No. Guide prices for sliding doors for new openings are the same across mainland Britain, including Hampshire. The fitted price depends on size, system, glass and finish, and any structural work, all fixed in your written quote after survey.
Does the Party Wall Act apply to my new opening?
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (England and Wales) may apply if the new steel beam bears on, or is cut into, a wall you share with a neighbour, as is common in semi-detached and terraced houses. If it applies, you must serve notice on the neighbour before the work starts. A rear wall entirely on your own property is less likely to be affected.
Can you turn a window into a sliding door?
Yes, a window opening can usually be extended down to the floor and often widened to take a sliding door. The work involves removing the masonry below the window, forming a new threshold, and fitting a steel beam or lintel if the opening is widened. Drains, air bricks and floor levels outside need checking, and the work needs a Building Regulations application.
Do I need building regulations to widen a door opening?
Yes, forming or widening an opening is structural work and needs a Building Regulations application in England, supported by structural calculations. Building Control inspects the work, typically including the steel and its bearings. In Scotland a building warrant is needed. Wales and Northern Ireland follow their own building regulations through local authority or district council building control.