- Postcode district
- BH20
- Survey
- Free for new and replacement doors
- Typical lead time
- Typically 6–8 weeks from survey sign-off
- Guide price
- From £6,595 inc VAT
- Nearby
- Poole, Swanage, Wimborne Minster
- Building rules
- England
Are external pocket sliding doors right for your Wareham home?
Here is what to weigh up if you are considering external pocket sliding doors for a home in Wareham:
Want the whole width of your Wareham kitchen open to the garden but prefer the look of sliders to bifolds? A pocket gives you both, at the cost of more building work.
If the only wall beside your Wareham opening is shared with a neighbour, check the pocket design and any steel bearing on it early, as the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (England and Wales) may apply.
- Open panels are hidden inside the wall rather than stacked in view, keeping the opening clean-lined compared with a bifold stack at one side.
- 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.
- Parked inside the wall, open panels are protected from weather and knocks, and garden furniture can sit right up to the edge of the opening.
Sunlight, glass and orientation in Wareham
Daylight in Wareham runs from about 7 h 58 min in December to 16 h 29 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.
Guide prices for external pocket sliding doors in Wareham
Guide prices include the door, fitting and structural calculations, including 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 |
| 3.6 m | 2 panels | £9,295–£11,395 |
See every size on the external pocket sliding doors page or try the guide price tool.
What happens when you order external pocket sliding doors in Wareham?
Nothing is ordered until you sign off the surveyed specification. The door is made from the finished opening sizes (typically 6–8 weeks from survey sign-off), and fitting usually takes 3–5 days of building work to form the opening and pocket, then 1–2 days to fit the door. If you are in Poole or Swanage, the same process and prices apply.
Rules for external pocket sliding doors 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.
Which options matter for external pocket sliding doors?
- System type. Standard aluminium, slimline or lift and slide pocket systems, chosen to suit panel weight and sightlines.
- Threshold. Low or flush thresholds, with the external drainage channel continuing past the pocket.
- Internal finish. Plastered, panelled or tiled finishes on the pocket wall, with the access panel set discreetly into it.
Questions about external pocket sliding doors in Wareham
Do you fit external pocket sliding doors in Wareham?
Yes. We survey and fit external pocket sliding doors in Wareham and across Dorset, including nearby Poole and Swanage. Start with a guide price online or call us, and we will arrange a free survey for a new or replacement door.
Does a pocket in the wall cause heat loss?
A pocket in the wall does not have to cause significant heat loss if it is insulated, lined and sealed as part of the design, and the door itself typically achieves whole-door U-values around 1.2–1.6 W/m²K double glazed. In England, a new door in an existing home with more than 60% glazing must achieve 1.4 W/m²K or better. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own energy rules.
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.