Roller door types

Steel roller garage doors

A steel roller garage door is a roller door whose curtain is made from steel laths instead of aluminium, giving a heavier and more rigid door. It coils into a box above the opening and runs in two side guide rails, just like an aluminium door. The steel doors in our price list are electric and cover single openings up to 2.4 m and doubles of 3.0 to 4.0 m.

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Guide price: from £1,345 inc VAT
First step: Free survey
Covers: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Galvanised steel roller garage door on a flat-roofed brick garage beside a house

Computer-generated image

In short

Steel laths for a heavier, more rigid curtain than aluminium
Electric operation with a tubular motor and remote fobs
Single up to 2.4 m and double 3.0 to 4.0 m; other widths on survey
Removal and disposal of your old door included

What is the difference between a steel and an aluminium roller garage door?

The difference is the lath material: a steel door's curtain is made from steel laths, which makes it heavier and more rigid than a door made from aluminium laths.

Aluminium is lighter, which is why it can be used for manual doors and why it comes in both single-skin and foam-filled insulated versions. Steel gives you a stiffer curtain, but because of its weight the steel doors we price are electric, so the motor does the lifting.

Both work in the same way. The curtain coils onto a barrel in the box above the opening, runs in two vertical guide rails and needs no ceiling space. If a warmer garage is your main reason for changing the door, compare steel with our insulated roller garage doors before deciding, because it's the foam-filled lath that reduces heat loss, not the metal the door is made from.

Is a steel roller garage door more secure than aluminium?

Not necessarily, because how well a door resists a determined attack depends on how that specific manufacturer's model has been tested, not on the metal alone.

Security ratings such as LPS 1175, STS 202 and Secured by Design product approval belong to particular door models that have passed the relevant tests. A steel door without a rating hasn't been proven against those tests, however solid it feels when you knock on it.

If resistance to forced entry is your main concern, look at our security-rated roller garage doors, where we show you the certificate for the exact model. Whichever door you choose, rolling-code remotes make the signal harder to copy, and some motors include anti-lift or auto-locking devices that resist the curtain being forced up from outside.

Some insurers ask about garage security, so it's worth checking with yours what they expect before you settle on a door.

How much does a steel roller garage door cost?

A steel electric roller garage door costs £1,345–£1,995 inc VAT for a single opening and £2,095–£3,095 inc VAT for a double opening up to 4 m wide.

Both prices cover the door and tubular motor, fitting and commissioning, and the removal and disposal of your old roller or up-and-over door, with VAT included at 20%. Steel doors wider than 4 m are priced on survey, as is any structural work such as a new lintel.

Extras you can add include:

RAL colour or woodgrain finish: £95–£245 inc VAT
Battery backup for power cuts: £149–£279 inc VAT
Wireless keypad: £79–£149 inc VAT
Fused spur from an existing circuit nearby: £129–£249 inc VAT

Your written quote lists every extra on its own line, so you can see what each one adds before you agree to anything.

What does my garage need for a steel roller door to be fitted?

A steel roller door needs a sound lintel, solid reveals for the guide rails, enough headroom for the box, and a power supply near the box for the motor.

Because the curtain is heavier than aluminium, the masonry that the box and guides fix to matters. At survey we look closely at the lintel and the wall on both sides of the opening. If the lintel is cracked or sagging, or the reveals are crumbling, the repair is priced on survey and shown separately in your quote.

The guide rails typically need around 75 to 100 mm of side room each side. The box needs headroom above the opening, or it can go under the lintel or on the front of the wall where space inside is short. The control box needs a fused spur or socket close by, and any new electrical work is carried out by a qualified electrician.

What happens at the survey and on fitting day for a steel door?

The free survey confirms whether steel suits your opening and how it will be fixed, and fitting day finishes with the door commissioned and its paperwork handed over.

After the survey you receive a written quote naming the exact door, width and extras. When you accept it, the fitting date is confirmed in writing, depending on installer availability. If a new spur is needed, it's included in the quote and carried out by a qualified electrician.

On the day, the old door is removed and taken away, then the box, guides, steel curtain and motor are installed. The installer sets the open and closed limits, tests the closing force and the safety devices, and pairs your remotes. You're shown how to use the manual override in a power cut, and you receive the Declaration of Conformity for the powered door.

Guide prices for steel 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
Steel electric roller door, single up to 2.4 m	£1,345–£1,995	£1,120.83–£1,662.50 + VAT
Steel electric roller door, double 3.0–4.0 m	£2,095–£3,095	£1,745.83–£2,579.17 + 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 steel roller garage doors

Can I have a manual steel roller door?

The steel doors in our price list are electric, because a steel curtain is heavier than an aluminium one and the tubular motor does the lifting. If you want a hand-operated door, our manual doors use single-skin aluminium laths. Where there's no socket near the box, a qualified electrician can fit a fused spur from an existing circuit, shown as a separate line in your quote; a new supply to a garage with no power is priced on survey.

Why are steel doors over 4 m wide priced on survey?

Our standard steel price list covers single openings up to 2.4 m and doubles of 3.0 to 4.0 m; other widths are priced on survey. A wider steel door needs the opening, lintel and fixing points checked individually before the right door can be specified, so we price it after the survey rather than from a table. For openings up to about 5.5 m, insulated aluminium doors have a set price band you can see online.

How do I open a steel roller door in a power cut?

Use the manual override, normally an internal crank or winding handle that turns the barrel by hand. Keep it somewhere you can find quickly. A steel curtain is heavy, so take your time and wind steadily. If you'd rather not crank it, battery backup keeps the door running for a limited number of cycles while the power is off.

Can I repaint a steel roller door later?

When you order a new steel door, you can choose a RAL colour or woodgrain finish as a priced extra, and colours outside the manufacturer's range are priced on survey. If you're thinking of repainting the door years later, check the manufacturer's care guidance first, as their warranty terms for the door are set out in writing in your quote.

Is a steel door the right choice for a row of lock-ups?

It can be, particularly where a stiffer curtain appeals for garages that are opened less often. Every steel door in our price list is electric, though, so each garage needs a power supply near its box. Where lock-ups have no power, manual aluminium doors may be more practical. We can survey and price a whole row together.