Sectional overhead doors
A sectional door is a stack of insulated panels, hinged together, that runs on rollers up and back along tracks inside the building. It seals better and insulates far better than a roller shutter, which is why it is the usual door on loading docks and heated warehouses. A typical insulated door for a 3 x 3.5 m dock opening costs £2,400 to £4,100 fitted, before VAT.
The catch is space: the tracks need headroom and run back into the building, so the specialist checks the roof steel, lighting and racking before anything else.
Where sectional doors earn their place
- Heated or chilled buildings
- Panels 40 to 60 mm thick, with seals on all four sides, give the best thermal performance of any common industrial door. On new buildings in England that matters: Approved Document L sets a limiting U-value of 1.3 W/m²K for vehicle access doors.
- Loading docks
- Sectional doors pair with dock levellers and shelters as a standard package, and the panels stand up well to the knocks of a working dock.
- Daylight
- Glazed sections or a full row of vision panels bring light in and let drivers see the bay. Shutters cannot do this.
- Busy doors
- Counterbalanced by torsion springs, a sectional door handles more cycles a day than a typical shutter. Springs are rated for a set number of cycles, so tell the surveyor how often it runs.
Typical fitted prices, insulated, electric, before VAT
| Item | Scope | Guide price |
|---|---|---|
| 3 x 3 m | Van and pedestrian opening, 40 mm panels | £2,200 to £3,800 |
| 3 x 3.5 m | Standard loading dock door | £2,400 to £4,100 |
| 4 x 5 m | Drive-in for lorries | £3,400 to £6,000 |
| 6 x 5.5 m | Large drive-through, heavier springs and operator | £4,800 to £8,600 |
| Manual instead of electric | Hand chain or push-up on a smaller door | about £350 to £600 less |
| Integrated wicket door | Pedestrian door built into the panels | quoted per door |
| Old door removed | Strip-out and disposal | £150 to £400 extra |
Built from a sectional door maker's 2026 guide (most industrial sectional doors £2,000 to £8,000) and a UK logistics article (standard insulated loading-bay door about £2,500 to £4,500 fitted). A guide, not a quote. Price your own doors.
Tell us the opening, the headroom you have and what the building is used for, and we will find a specialist to survey it.
Get door quotesHow a sectional door is specified
Panels
Panels are steel skins with polyurethane foam bonded between them, usually 40 mm or 60 mm thick. Thicker panels insulate better and resist wind better. Finishes are normally a stucco or smooth face, in a RAL colour to match the cladding; anthracite RAL 7016 and grey aluminium RAL 9006 are among the most common.
Track types and headroom
Standard lift needs roughly 400 to 500 mm of clear space above the opening. Low-headroom track works with less; high lift and vertical lift tracks carry the door up the wall before turning it back, which keeps it clear of lights and cranes but needs a tall building. The surveyor measures headroom, side room and the depth of clear roof behind the opening; these, not price, often decide the door.
Springs, operator and safety
Torsion springs balance the door so the operator only has to overcome friction. Springs are rated in cycles (often 25,000 as standard, with longer-life springs available), and a broken spring is the most common sectional door fault. Every powered door needs a safety edge or light curtain and spring-break and cable-break protection, and must be force-tested under BS EN 12453 when commissioned.
Vision panels and wicket doors
A row of acrylic or glazed windows lets drivers see the bay and brings daylight in. A wicket door saves opening the whole door for people, though it adds a threshold; a separate personnel door beside the opening is often better where there is room.
Where our information comes from
- GOV.UK, Approved Document L: conservation of fuel and power (2021 edition)
- 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
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
Sectional doors are made to order. Allow three to six weeks from order to fitting.
Survey
Opening sizes, headroom, side room, roof steel, obstructions in the track path, power supply and how often the door cycles.
Specification and price
Panel thickness and finish, track type, spring life, operator, safety devices, windows and wicket, with a fixed price before VAT.
Install
Tracks and springs first, panels hung and balanced, then the operator and controls. One door is commonly a day; a run of dock doors is phased bay by bay.
Commissioning
Balance checked, safety devices tested, force test recorded and the paperwork handed over, including the declaration of performance.
Sectional door questions
How much is an industrial sectional door?
Sectional door or roller shutter?
How much headroom does a sectional door need?
What U-value does an industrial door need?
How long do sectional door springs last?
Keep reading
- Dock levellers and loading bays
The leveller and shelter that sit under and around a dock door.
- Roller shutter doors
The compact, secure alternative.
- High-speed doors
For doors that open hundreds of times a day.
- Industrial door cost calculator
Price a door by opening size.
Get quotes for sectional 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.