- Postcode district
- RH4
- 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
- Reigate, Redhill, Cobham
- Building rules
- England
Are external pocket sliding doors right for your Dorking home?
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 wall beside your Dorking patio opening is free of windows, radiators and sockets, it may be long enough to take a pocket so the panels disappear completely.
For a Dorking extension still at the drawing stage, planning the pocket wall now is far simpler than rebuilding a finished wall later.
- With every panel slid into the wall, the full width of the opening is clear, so the room and terrace join without a fixed panel in the way.
- Insulating the pocket wall and sealing the panel edges limits heat loss through the cavity, helping the wall beside the door perform like the rest of the house.
- A removable access panel on the inside of the pocket wall lets the rollers be reached and adjusted without opening up the plaster.
How much sun will a door in Dorking get?
Because Dorking sees long summer days (about 16 h 35 min) and short winter ones (about 7 h 52 min), the elevation your door faces makes a real difference. With the midday sun at about 15° in winter, a south-facing door brings light well into the room; a west-facing door catches hot late-afternoon sun in summer.
How much do external pocket sliding doors cost in Dorking?
Pricing does not change because you are in Dorking: 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 |
| 3.6 m | 2 panels | £9,295–£11,395 |
| 4.8 m | 3 panels | £11,095–£13,595 |
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 Dorking?
Here is the usual sequence in Dorking: guide price, free survey, written quote, any building work, then manufacture (typically 6–8 weeks from survey sign-off). Fitting typically takes 3–5 days of building work to form the opening and pocket, then 1–2 days to fit the door. Nearby, we also survey in Reigate, Redhill and Cobham.
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?
- Glass. Double or triple glazed safety glass, with laminated or solar-control units as needed.
- System type. Standard aluminium, slimline or lift and slide pocket systems, chosen to suit panel weight and sightlines.
- Pocket side. A single pocket to one side, or pockets on both sides so a wide door parts in the middle.
Questions about external pocket sliding doors in Dorking
How soon can you survey in Dorking?
Surveys in the RH4 district are booked at a time that suits you, and we offer survey dates when we reply to your enquiry. After you approve the written quote, manufacture is typically 6–8 weeks from survey sign-off.
How long does an external pocket door project take?
An external pocket door typically takes 6–8 weeks to make after survey sign-off, and the building work to form the opening and pocket typically takes 3–5 days before the door goes in. Fitting the door then takes 1–2 days. Engineer design and Building Regulations approval come first, so the whole project runs longer than a straight door swap.
Are external pocket doors secure?
External pocket doors are secure when the panels lock to the frame with multi-point hardware, the glass is laminated, and the pocket is closed off so the panels cannot be reached from outside. Once shut, the front edge of the panel locks into the frame just as on a standard slider. Systems are available tested to PAS 24, and the locking specification is set out in your quote.
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.