- Postcode district
- RH12
- 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
- Crawley, Cranleigh, Horley
- Building rules
- England
Why choose external pocket sliding doors in Horsham?
Before you settle on a door type, it helps to know what external pocket sliding doors do well and what to check before you order.
However sheltered or exposed your Horsham 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.
If the wall beside your Horsham patio opening is free of windows, radiators and sockets, it may be long enough to take a pocket so the panels disappear completely.
- 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.
- A removable access panel on the inside of the pocket wall lets the rollers be reached and adjusted without opening up the plaster.
- 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.
Sunlight, glass and orientation in Horsham
Sun angles matter for big glazed doors. Around Horsham, midday sun reaches about 62° in summer and drops to about 15° in winter. That low winter sun is free heat through south-facing glass; high summer sun is easier to shade with a roof overhang, and solar-control glass helps where there is none.
How much do external pocket sliding doors cost in Horsham?
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) |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 m | 1 panel | £7,095–£8,595 |
| 3.0 m | 2 panels | £8,395–£10,295 |
| 4.0 m | 2 panels | £9,895–£12,095 |
See every size on the external pocket sliding doors page or try the guide price tool.
Survey, manufacture and fitting around Horsham
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 Crawley or Cranleigh, the same process and prices apply.
Rules for external pocket sliding doors 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.
Specification choices for external pocket sliding doors in Horsham
- Pocket side. A single pocket to one side, or pockets on both sides so a wide door parts in the middle.
- 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.
Questions about external pocket sliding doors in Horsham
How soon can you survey in Horsham?
Surveys in the RH12 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.
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 wide can an external pocket sliding door be?
An external pocket sliding door in our range typically gives a clear opening of about 1.8 m to 6 m, using one panel at the narrow end and two or three panels on wider doors. Wider openings usually use pockets on both sides, or a multi-track pocket so the panels stack inside the wall. Sizes are confirmed after survey and the engineer's design.
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.