Roller door types

Electric roller garage doors

An electric roller garage door is a roller door driven by a tubular motor inside its barrel, so it opens and closes at the press of a remote fob, keypad or switch. Limits set where it stops, and a safety edge or photocells stop or reverse it if something is in the way. You can have it with single-skin or insulated aluminium laths.

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Guide price: from £1,195 inc VAT
First step: Free survey
Covers: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

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In short

Tubular motor hidden inside the barrel, with a wall control box
Rolling-code remote fobs, plus optional keypad or smart control
Safety edge, plus photocells where needed, to stop or reverse the door
Manual override for power cuts, with battery backup available

How does an electric roller garage door work?

An electric roller garage door works by a tubular motor turning the barrel inside the box, which winds the curtain of laths up or lets it down along the guide rails.

The motor sits hidden inside the barrel itself, so there's nothing hanging from the ceiling and no separate motor unit beside the box. A control box on the garage wall takes the signal from your remote fob, keypad, key switch or smart receiver and tells the motor which way to turn.

Limits are set when the door is commissioned, so it stops in the right place when fully open and fully closed. Remote fobs use rolling codes, which change every time you press the button and make the signal much harder to copy. You can add a wireless keypad for family members without a fob, and smart app control if you'd like to use your phone.

What stops an electric roller door closing on a car or a person?

A pressure-sensitive safety edge on the bottom rail, photocells across the opening, or both, stop or reverse the door if it meets an obstruction.

The safety edge reacts when the bottom of the door touches something, such as a bike or a car bonnet. Photocells send a beam across the opening and stop the door before contact if the beam is broken. Which devices your door has depends on the door and how the opening is used, and we confirm this in the written quote.

These devices only protect you if they work, so test them once a month: place an empty cardboard box in the doorway first, then close the door from a safe position and check it stops or reverses on contact. If it doesn't, stop using the door and ask for a visit. Our guide to roller garage door safety covers the checks in more detail.

What paperwork should I get when an electric garage door is fitted?

When a powered door is put into service, you should receive a Declaration of Conformity and see UKCA or CE marking on the door, backed by a risk assessment and force testing.

The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, as amended, make the person who puts a powered door into service responsible for these steps. That includes assessing the risks at your garage, testing the closing force to BS EN 12453, and issuing the Declaration of Conformity. In Northern Ireland, CE marking applies. The product standard for the door itself is BS EN 13241.

We commission every powered door we fit to these standards and hand over the paperwork. Keep it with your house documents, because it records how the door was set up and is useful if you sell the house or need a repair later. Manufacturer's warranty terms for the door and motor are set out in writing in your quote.

How much does an electric roller garage door cost?

An electric single-skin roller garage door costs £1,195–£1,745 inc VAT for an opening up to 2.4 m wide, and an insulated electric door costs £1,495–£2,295 inc VAT for the same size.

Single-skin electric doors for bigger openings are £1,395–£2,045 inc VAT for 2.4 to 3.0 m, £1,795–£2,595 inc VAT for 3.0 to 4.0 m and £2,195–£3,195 inc VAT for 4.0 to 5.5 m. All of these include the door and motor, fitting, commissioning, disposal of the door you're replacing, and VAT.

Common extras are:

Fused spur from an existing circuit nearby: £129–£249 inc VAT
Wireless keypad: £79–£149 inc VAT
Extra remote handset: £39–£69 inc VAT each
Battery backup: £149–£279 inc VAT
Smart app control: £95–£245 inc VAT

What is checked at the survey and on fitting day for an electric door?

For an electric door, the free survey checks the power supply alongside the usual measurements, and fitting day ends with the door commissioned and tested in front of you.

The motor needs a power supply near the box, usually a fused spur or a socket. If there isn't one, we include a new spur in the quote, fitted by a qualified electrician. In England and Wales some domestic electrical work is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, and the electrician deals with that. We also measure the width, height, headroom and side room, and check the lintel and floor.

On fitting day the old door is removed, the new door and motor are installed, and the limits are set. The installer force tests the door, checks the safety edge or photocells, pairs your remotes and shows you the manual override. The date itself is confirmed in writing, depending on installer and electrician availability.

Guide prices for electric roller garage doors

Guide prices for homes, supplied and fitted, including removal of an old roller or up-and-over door. The written quote after your free survey is the price.

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)	Ex VAT
Electric single-skin roller door, single up to 2.4 m	£1,195–£1,745	£995.83–£1,454.17 + VAT
Insulated electric roller door, single up to 2.4 m	£1,495–£2,295	£1,245.83–£1,912.50 + VAT
Electric single-skin roller door, double 3.0–4.0 m	£1,795–£2,595	£1,495.83–£2,162.50 + VAT

Guide prices for homes, last reviewed 25 October 2026. Your written quote is the price. See the full price list.

What happens after I ask for a price?

STEP 01
Guide price
Answer four quick questions online and see a price range for your opening.
STEP 02
Free survey
We measure the opening, headroom, side room, lintel and power, and talk through options.
STEP 03
Written quote
You get the price inc VAT, what is included and the payment stages in writing.
STEP 04
Fitting day
Old door out, new door in, commissioned and handed over with the paperwork.

Questions about electric roller garage doors

Can I open an electric roller door during a power cut?

Yes. Most electric roller doors have a manual override, normally an internal crank or winding handle that turns the barrel by hand. If the garage has no other entrance, ask about an external override. A battery backup unit is another option: it keeps the door running for a limited number of cycles while the power is off.

Can I add more remotes or a keypad later?

Yes. When you order a new door, you can add extra handsets and a wireless keypad at the prices in your quote. On an existing door, adding or recoding remotes, or changing the receiver, is done on a visit whose price is agreed before we come out. Keep a note of how many handsets you have, so any lost ones can be dealt with.

Can my existing manual roller door be converted to electric?

Possibly. A manual-to-electric conversion is only practical when the existing curtain, barrel, box and guide rails are sound and compatible with a motor. We check this at a free survey. If the door isn't suitable, we'll say so and price a new electric door instead, so you're not paying to motorise a door that isn't up to it.

Why does my electric door start closing and then go back up?

That usually means a safety device thinks something is in the way. Check nothing is in the opening, wipe the photocell lenses and look for damage to the rubber safety edge on the bottom rail. If it keeps happening, stop using the door and ask for a repair visit, which is priced and agreed before anyone comes out.

Is an electric roller door safe around children and pets?

Treat it like any powered machine. Keep remote fobs out of children's reach, don't let anyone walk or play under the door while it's moving, and only operate it when you can see the opening is clear. The safety devices are a backstop, not a substitute for watching the door, so test them monthly.