This automatic door installation checklist is what we work through before an entrance goes in. Running it early avoids the two most expensive surprises on site: no power at the door head, and an opening that will not take the operator you have ordered.
Before you order: the automatic door installation checklist
- Measure the structural opening, not the old door. Width, height and the depth available above the opening all matter.
- Confirm side space for a sliding leaf. A sliding door needs somewhere to slide to; without it, a swing operator is the realistic option.
- Check for power at the head. An operator needs a supply at the top of the opening. If there is none, an electrician is a separate line on the job.
- Establish the traffic. Roughly how many people pass through per day decides the specification, not the aesthetics.
- Identify escape route duties. If the door forms part of an escape route, its power-failure behaviour must be agreed before ordering.
- Agree the finish so the entrance matches the rest of the shopfront rather than being an afterthought.
Automatic door installation checklist: on the day: what a good install looks like
- The opening is clear and the floor is level and finished where the track or floor guide lands.
- Power is available and terminated at the head, ready for the operator.
- Trading hours are agreed, so work happens before opening or after close where needed.
- Sensors are aimed and tested, not simply fitted.
- Opening speed, hold-open time and reversal behaviour are set for your traffic during commissioning.
Automatic door installation checklist: the commissioning step people skip
An entrance that opens is not the same as an entrance that is safe. Commissioning is where the door is proved to detect a person in the opening and hold rather than close on them, the principle set out in EN 16005. Insist that this is demonstrated before the job is signed off, and keep it in the service scope afterwards — see our automatic door service contract guide.
Retrofit or new entrance
If you are automating what is already there rather than fitting a new entrance, the same automatic door installation checklist applies, with one addition: the existing frame and hinges must be sound enough to take thousands of powered cycles. Our cost to automate an existing door guide covers what that involves.
The automatic door installation checklist for handover
The last part of any automatic door installation checklist is what you are handed at the end. Before signing off, make sure you have the operator model and serial recorded, the commissioned settings noted, confirmation that the safety sensors were demonstrated, and a clear statement of what the warranty covers. The MC-125 carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty, and it is worth having that written down alongside the install date.
Keep the record somewhere the facilities team can find it. When a door needs attention in three years, knowing the model, the settings and the install date turns a diagnostic visit into a straightforward one, and keeps the repair cost down.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an automatic door installation take?
A standard automatic door is typically installed in a day once the site is ready, though larger or custom shopfronts may take longer.
Do I need an electrician before installation?
Only if there is no power supply at the door head. Where a supply already exists, it is part of the same job.
What is the most common cause of delay on site?
No power at the head, and floors that are not finished where the track or floor guide lands. Both are avoidable with this checklist.
Can you install into an existing shopfront?
In many cases, yes. We confirm from your measurements whether the opening and frame will take the operator before quoting.
Planning an installation. See automatic door installation for how the work runs, or the automatic doors hub for the operator range.
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