High-speed doors
A high-speed door opens and closes in seconds, typically at 1 to 2.5 m a second, and is built for openings used by forklifts all day. Most are a flexible PVC curtain in side frames, often with a soft bottom edge that breaks away rather than breaks when it is hit. Expect around £7,600 to £15,300 for a typical 3 x 3.5 m internal door, installed, before VAT.
UK installers rarely publish high-speed door prices. The range above is built from a UK supplier's list price and a 2026 North American planning guide; how we got it is set out below the price table.
When a high-speed door pays for itself
- Forklift traffic all day
- A door that cycles 200 or more times a day wears out a shutter motor quickly. High-speed doors are built for hundreds of thousands of cycles.
- Temperature zones
- Between a chilled area and ambient, or at a dock entrance in winter, a door that is open for seconds rather than minutes saves energy every hour of the day.
- Hygiene and dust
- Food production, pharma and clean manufacturing use them to separate zones and keep out dust, birds and insects.
- Behind an outer security door
- Fabric doors are not secure. A common set-up is a roller shutter or sectional door for night security with a high-speed door inside it for the working day.
Budget ranges, installed, before VAT
| Item | Scope | Guide price |
|---|---|---|
| Internal fabric door, 2.5 x 3 m | Pedestrian and pallet truck openings | £6,900 to £13,500 |
| Internal fabric door, 3 x 3.5 m | Forklift opening, self-repairing curtain | £7,600 to £15,300 |
| External fabric door, 4 x 5 m | Wind-rated curtain with wind bars | £10,000 to £21,000 |
| Insulated spiral or freezer door | Rigid insulated slats or heated curtains | often above the fabric range; quoted per door |
Few UK installers publish high-speed door prices. These ranges start from a UK supplier's online price of £5,225 for a small 1 x 1 m made-to-measure door, and a 2026 North American planning guide putting interior fabric doors at US$12,000 to US$28,000 installed (converted at about 0.75). Treat them as budget figures and get a written quote. Price your own doors.
Tell us how often the opening is used and what is either side of it, and we will find a specialist who fits high-speed doors.
Get door quotesWhat separates one high-speed door from another
Fabric, spiral and folding
Most are rapid roll doors: a reinforced PVC curtain rolling onto a drum. Spiral doors carry rigid insulated slats on a spiral track and are faster, quieter and more secure, at a higher price. Stacking or folding doors gather the curtain in folds at the top and suit very large or very windy openings.
Speed and cycles
Opening speeds of 1 to 2.5 m a second are typical, with closing slower for safety. What matters more is the duty: ask what cycle count the door, motor and inverter are rated for, and compare that with how often your opening is used.
Crash recovery
Doors with a soft bottom edge or a curtain that pops out of its guides when hit, and re-feeds itself on the next cycle, save a callout every time a forklift catches the door. On a busy dock that feature alone can justify the door.
Safety
Fast doors carry more risk, so light curtains in the side frames, a safety edge on the bottom and careful setting of opening triggers (radar, induction loops, pull cords) are standard. Commissioning includes force testing under BS EN 12453.
Where our information comes from
- BSI, BS EN 13241 Industrial, commercial, garage doors and gates: product standard, performance characteristics
- BSI, BS EN 12453 Safety in use of power operated doors: requirements and test methods
- The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 18: doors and gates
- DHF (Door and Hardware Federation), the UK trade association for doors, gates and shutters
Prices are typical ranges from published UK installer and manufacturer price guides, November 2026, before VAT. Standards are summarised in our own words; read the standard itself before specifying.
How the job gets done
High-speed doors are made to order; lead times of four to eight weeks are common.
Survey and traffic check
Opening size, what passes through and how often, temperatures and air pressure either side, wind exposure, power and how the door will be triggered.
Specification and price
Door type, curtain or slat, speed, cycle rating, crash recovery, triggers and safety devices, with a fixed price before VAT.
Install
Side frames, drum and drive, control panel and inverter, then triggers and safety devices. Usually a day per door.
Commission and train
Speeds and triggers set, force testing recorded, and drivers shown how the door behaves and what to do if it is hit.
High-speed door questions
How much does a high-speed door cost?
What is a rapid roll door?
How fast is a high-speed door?
Can a high-speed door be used as an external door?
Do high-speed doors need servicing?
Keep reading
- Sectional overhead doors
The secure, insulated outer door on most docks.
- Dock levellers and loading bays
Levellers, shelters and seals.
- Servicing and maintenance
How often each door type needs a visit.
- Choosing warehouse doors
Which door suits which opening.
Get quotes for high-speed doors
Three short steps. The site postcode, the type of door and the rough opening size are enough to start. A specialist confirms the detail on a site survey.
Your request stays with us until you approve the independent industrial door specialist we put forward for your site.
Received. Here is what happens next.
- We look for an independent industrial door specialist who covers your area and fits doors like yours, then email or phone you with their name.
- Nothing goes to them until you say yes.
- If you agree, they measure up on site and send a written price. No newsletters and no sales calls from us.