Bi-fold and patio doors in Smethwick

What should you know before starting in Smethwick?

Live in a conservation area or a listed building in Smethwick? Check with Sandwell 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.

If a new beam bears on a wall you share with a neighbour, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Solar control glass can help south- and west-facing rooms in Smethwick stay cooler in summer.
Bi-fold and patio doors must meet a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or an equivalent energy rating.

Postcode district: B66
Planning and building control: Sandwell Council
From our West Bromwich base: 2 miles

Which option fits your home?

uPVC bi-fold doors

uPVC bi-folds cost less than aluminium and insulate well, but the frames are chunkier and the maximum panel size is smaller. They work best on openings up to about three metres wide. White, grey and woodgrain finishes are available, and they can be matched to existing uPVC windows on the same wall.

Widening an opening

Turning a window into doors, or making an opening wider, means cutting the wall and fitting a new lintel or steel beam sized by a structural engineer. Building control must approve the structural work. We organise the calculations, temporary supports, steel and making good, and show these costs on their own lines in your quote.

Guide prices for Smethwick

Expect to budget between £1,200 and £8,500 per doorset in Smethwick. Three-panel aluminium bi-fold, about 2.4 m wide, in an existing opening: typically £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.

Questions about bi-fold and patio doors in Smethwick

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.

Which postcodes in Smethwick do you work in?

We cover B66 and the streets around them. If you're on the edge of Smethwick, neighbouring Handsworth and West Bromwich are covered too.

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.

Will I need permission from the council in Smethwick?

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

Nearby places we cover

Other work we do in Smethwick

Phone 0800 088 6248 to arrange a visit in Smethwick, with the doors and any structural work priced on separate lines.