Bi-fold and patio doors in Bournville

Planning your bi-fold or patio doors in Bournville

Live in a conservation area or a listed building in Bournville? Check with Birmingham City Council before changing the outside of your home. Otherwise the main rules for your bi-fold or patio doors are Building Regulations, and we'll explain at the survey which certificates you'll receive.

Sliding doors never swing into the room, which helps in a kitchen where space is tight.
Solar control glass can help south- and west-facing rooms in Bournville stay cooler in summer.
Widening an opening needs a structural engineer's design and building control approval.

Postcode district: B30
Planning and building control: Birmingham City Council
From our West Bromwich base: 8 miles

Choices to weigh up in Bournville

French doors

A pair of hinged doors that open outwards or inwards, sometimes with fixed side panels. French doors suit narrower openings and older houses. They're the simplest and most affordable way to replace an old single back door, or to turn a window into a wider opening onto a patio.

Sliding patio doors

Two or more large panels slide past each other on a track, so nothing swings into the room or onto the patio. Sliders give the biggest uninterrupted panes and the narrowest frames, which makes them a good choice where the view matters more than opening the whole wall. Aluminium sliders also suit wide openings.

What does your bi-fold or patio doors cost in Bournville?

Guide prices start at £1,200 and run to £8,500 per doorset. Three-panel aluminium bi-fold, about 2.4 m wide, in an existing opening: around £3,200–£4,800 per doorset.

Guide prices for bi-fold and patio doors
Option	Guide price	Good to know
uPVC French or sliding doors	£1,200 – £2,400 per doorset	Openings up to about 1.8 m
Three-panel aluminium bi-fold	£3,000 – £5,000 per doorset	Openings of about 2.4–3 m
Four- or five-panel aluminium bi-fold	£4,800 – £8,500 per doorset	Openings of about 3.6–4.8 m

Guide ranges include VAT where it applies. Access, parking and the state of what's there now can move the price — the survey settles it.

Before you book in Bournville

How long does fitting take?

Fitting doors into a ready opening usually takes one to two days. If we're widening the opening, allow another two to four days for propping, cutting, fitting the beam, inspection and making good. Manufacture usually takes four to eight weeks after the design is signed off, depending on the material and colour.

How do I book a survey in Bournville?

Send the form on this page, use the guide-price tool or call 0800 088 6248 free. We'll ask a few questions about your bi-fold or patio doors and arrange a time to visit.

Which is better, bi-fold or sliding doors?

It depends on how you use the space. Bi-folds open almost the whole width, which suits summer living and wide openings onto a patio. Sliders have fewer, larger panes and slimmer frames, so they give a better view when closed and never take up room when open. Sliders are often the better pick where the doors stay shut for most of the year.

Does Birmingham City Council need to approve my bi-fold or patio doors?

You won't usually need planning permission, but the work must meet Building Regulations. Building control in Bournville is provided by Birmingham City Council or a registered building control approver, and some work is self-certified by registered installers.

Also covering nearby

Other work we do in Bournville

Not sure whether bi-folds or sliders suit your room? We'll talk it through on site in Bournville, with no obligation.