Are external pocket sliding doors right for homes in Dorset?
The right door depends on the opening, the room and the way you use the garden. Here is how external pocket sliding doors tend to work out in practice:
For a Dorset extension still at the drawing stage, planning the pocket wall now is far simpler than rebuilding a finished wall later.
However sheltered or exposed your Dorset home is, external pocket sliding doors need a drained pocket and a clear external channel so rainwater running along the track never sits inside the wall.
- A removable access panel on the inside of the pocket wall lets the rollers be reached and adjusted without opening up the plaster.
- When closed, a pocket door looks like a large-paned slider, with slim meeting stiles and plenty of glass instead of the many frames of a folding door.
- A lined and drained pocket carries rainwater running along the track out of the wall, protecting the structure as well as the rollers.
Guide prices for external pocket sliding doors in Dorset
Pricing does not change because you are in Dorset: the ranges below include fitting, structural calculations and VAT. They include forming the opening and the pocket in the wall; Building Control fees are set by your council and are extra.
| Overall width | Typical panels | Guide price (fitted, inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 m | 1 panel | £6,595–£8,095 |
| 2.4 m | 2 panels | £7,495–£9,195 |
| 3.0 m | 2 panels | £8,395–£10,295 |
| 4.8 m | 3 panels | £11,095–£13,595 |
Every size is on the external pocket sliding doors page.
Daylight and glass in Dorset
Daylight in Dorset runs from about 7 h 57 min in December to 16 h 30 min in June, with the noon sun at roughly 16° and 63° 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 Dorset
We survey and fit external pocket sliding doors in 12 towns across Dorset, including the BH15, BH19, BH2, BH20, BH21, BH22 postcode districts.
Approvals in England
A new or wider opening in England needs Building Control approval for the structural work as well as compliance for the door itself under Approved Documents L and K. Expect structural calculations, a steel beam and, where a party wall is involved, notices under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Questions about external pocket sliding doors in Dorset
Is the price different in Dorset?
No. Guide prices for external pocket sliding doors are the same across mainland Britain, including Dorset. The fitted price depends on size, system, glass and finish, and any structural work, all fixed in your written quote after survey.
Do external pocket doors need Building Regulations approval?
External pocket doors need Building Regulations approval in England, because forming the opening and pocket is structural work needing an application, structural calculations (included in our guide prices), and usually a steel beam or lintel. If the steel bears on a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (England and Wales) may apply. Scotland needs a building warrant; Wales and Northern Ireland have their own building control rules.
How much do external pocket sliding doors cost?
External pocket sliding doors start from a guide price of £6,595 for a 1.8 m single-panel door, fitted, inc VAT, at standard 2.1 m height, including forming the wall pocket. A 3 m two-panel door is a guide £8,395–£10,295, and a 6 m three-panel door is around £12,895. Wall construction, glass and finish affect the figure, which is fixed in a written quote after survey.
How much wall do I need for an external pocket door?
An external pocket door needs a clear length of wall beside the opening at least as long as the panels that slide into it, plus a little for the frame. For a single 2 m panel that means just over 2 m of wall with no windows, radiators, sockets or pipes in it. A two-sided pocket splits the panels between both sides, so each side needs less length.