- Postcode district
- TW9
- 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
- Twickenham, Hounslow, Barnes
- Building rules
- England
External pocket sliding doors in Richmond: what to know
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:
If the only wall beside your Richmond 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.
If the wall beside your Richmond patio opening is free of windows, radiators and sockets, it may be long enough to take a pocket so the panels disappear completely.
- A lined and drained pocket carries rainwater running along the track out of the wall, protecting the structure as well as the rollers.
- A removable access panel on the inside of the pocket wall lets the rollers be reached and adjusted without opening up the plaster.
- 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.
Planning glass for the light in Richmond
In Richmond the shortest day has roughly 7 h 50 min of daylight and the longest about 16 h 38 min. The noon sun sits near 15° above the horizon in winter and 62° in summer — so glass that faces south collects useful warmth from October to March, while a west-facing door may need solar control to stop it overheating in July.
External pocket sliding doors prices in Richmond
These figures are for the door supplied and fitted, with the engineer's 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. Your price is fixed in a written quote after survey.
| Overall width | Typical panels | Guide price (fitted, inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 m | 1 panel | £6,595–£8,095 |
| 2.1 m | 1 panel | £7,095–£8,595 |
| 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.
From survey to fitted door in Richmond
A surveyor visits your Richmond home to check the wall, the structure above and the floor levels, and talks through glass and finish. Any building work is planned to the engineer's design, the door is made to 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.
Do you need approval in Richmond?
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.
Which options matter for external pocket sliding doors?
- Glass. Double or triple glazed safety glass, with laminated or solar-control units as needed.
- Pocket side. A single pocket to one side, or pockets on both sides so a wide door parts in the middle.
- Threshold. Low or flush thresholds, with the external drainage channel continuing past the pocket.
Questions about external pocket sliding doors in Richmond
Do you fit external pocket sliding doors in Richmond?
Yes. We survey and fit external pocket sliding doors in Richmond and across Greater London, including nearby Twickenham and Hounslow. Start with a guide price online or call us, and we will arrange a free survey for a new or replacement door.
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 do you maintain rollers inside a wall pocket?
You maintain pocket door rollers through the access panel built into the inside of the pocket wall, which lets the track be vacuumed and the rollers adjusted without opening up the wall. Keep the outside drainage channel clear so water cannot back up into the pocket, and run the panels fully in and out now and then. If a panel starts to rub inside the pocket, a small roller height adjustment through the access panel usually cures it.