Electric roller shutters
Motorised shutters with key switch, remote or timer control and a manual override.
An electric roller shutter is opened and closed by a motor in the barrel instead of by hand. It is controlled from a key switch, remote fob or timer, and has a manual override so it can still be operated in a power cut.
- Shop & commercial shutters
- From £695 + VAT
- UK-wide
Get a free quote
Send the postcode and rough size. We reply with a guide price and book a free survey.
How electric roller shutters work
A tubular motor sits inside the barrel on most shop and domestic shutters, while larger doors use a direct-drive or chain motor on the end plate. Key switches are the most common control for shops because only a key holder can open the shutter from outside. Remote fobs, wall switches and timer controls can be combined, so staff can open up from the car or the shutter can close at a set time. Powered shutters are treated as machinery, so they are commissioned with a risk assessment and safety checks rather than simply wired in.
Where people or vehicles pass under the curtain, a safety edge or photocells stop and reverse it if something is in the way. An electrician connects the shutter to a fused spur, and the work is done to BS 7671, the wiring regulations. A manual override, usually a crank or a release cord, means the shutter can still be opened in a power cut.
Motors are sized to the weight of the curtain, so heavy steel or insulated curtains are paired with a stronger drive. Smart controllers can add app or timer control to many existing motors without replacing the shutter. Electric operation saves the daily strain of lifting a heavy curtain, which is a common reason for converting older shutters.
Options we can specify
- Tubular, direct-drive or chain-drive motors sized to the curtain
- Key switch, wall switch, remote fob or timer control
- Manual override for power cuts
- Safety edge and photocells where the risk assessment needs them
- Soft start and stop to reduce wear
- Optional app or smart-home control
- Commissioning and force checks on handover
- Fused spur connection by a qualified electrician
- Aluminium, steel, perforated or insulated curtains
- Powder coating to a RAL colour
Typical specification
| Drive | Tubular motor in the barrel, or direct-drive / chain motor on larger doors |
|---|---|
| Controls | Key switch, wall switch, remote fob, timer or app |
| Override | Manual crank or release for power cuts |
| Safety | Safety edge, photocells and obstacle detection as the risk assessment requires |
| Power | Fused spur within reach; new circuits quoted separately |
| Standards | BS EN 12453 safety in use; wiring to BS 7671 |
How much do electric roller shutters cost?
Electric roller shutters typically cost £695 to £4,495 ex VAT (£834 to £5,394 inc VAT) for the common sizes we fit, depending on width, operation, lath type and finish. Larger or specialist jobs are priced after survey.
| Option | Ex VAT | Inc VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Shopfront shutter, 5m and wider | £2,395 to £4,495 | £2,874 to £5,394 |
| Shopfront shutter, opening up to 3m wide | £1,495 to £2,795 | £1,794 to £3,354 |
| Window shutter, opening up to 1.5m wide | £695 to £1,395 | £834 to £1,674 |
Guide prices assume a straightforward opening with a power supply nearby. Your fixed price is confirmed in writing after the survey, before anything is ordered.
Work out your own guide price
Enter the width and height, choose the operation and lath type, and the quote tool draws your shutter to scale with a price range.
Rules that apply
What the law and planning system expect, by nation. We check these at survey.
Safety of powered shutters
Powered doors and shutters are treated as machinery. The installer commissions them with a risk assessment, safety devices where the risk calls for them and force checks to BS EN 12453, then hands over a declaration of conformity and maintenance instructions. In workplaces, the employer or whoever controls the premises must keep doors maintained and safe for staff and visitors.
Electrical work
England
Electric shutters are wired to BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations. In homes in England, new circuits are notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, so the work is done by a registered electrician who can self-certify it, or notified to building control.
Wales
Electric shutters are wired to BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations. In homes in Wales, new circuits are notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations as applied in Wales, so the work is self-certified by a registered electrician or notified to building control.
Scotland
Electric shutters are wired to BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations. In Scotland electrical work in buildings must also meet the Scottish building standards, and is carried out and certified by a qualified electrician.
Northern Ireland
Electric shutters are wired to BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, by a qualified electrician. Northern Ireland has its own building regulations, and any building control requirement for the work is confirmed with your council.
Planning permission for shopfront shutters
England
In England an external shutter on a shopfront is usually treated as development that needs planning permission from the local planning authority, and a listed building also needs listed building consent. Many councils' shopfront design guides favour internal shutters, perforated or open-grille designs and boxes hidden behind the fascia, and some refuse solid external shutters in conservation areas and on main shopping streets.
Wales
In Wales an external shopfront shutter normally needs planning permission from your county or county borough council, or the national park authority, and a listed building also needs listed building consent. Welsh councils' design guidance often prefers internal or open-pattern grilles to solid shutters, particularly in conservation areas.
Scotland
In Scotland fitting an external security shutter to a shopfront normally needs planning permission from the council, and listed building consent if the building is listed. Councils often ask for the box to be concealed and for open or perforated designs rather than solid shutters in conservation areas.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland planning permission for an external shopfront shutter is decided by your local council, which took over most planning decisions in 2015, and a listed building also needs listed building consent. Design guidance generally favours shutters that keep the frontage visible.
What happens next
Tell us about the opening
Send the postcode, a rough size and a photo if you have one, using the form or a call.
Free survey
We measure, check the structure, power supply and planning position, and talk through options.
Written fixed price
You get a written quote with the product, finish, controls and price before anything is ordered.
Made, fitted and handed over
The shutter is made to measure, fitted, commissioned and handed over with its documents.
Electric roller shutters: common questions
What happens to an electric shutter in a power cut?
Every electric shutter we supply has a manual override, so it can be wound or released by hand until the power returns.
Do I need a new electrical circuit?
Usually not. Most shutters run from a fused spur near the shutter box. If there is no supply nearby, a new circuit is quoted separately and done by a qualified electrician.
Can I open the shutter with my phone?
Yes, many motors can be paired with a smart controller for app or timer control. Ask for it at survey and we will confirm whether your motor supports it.
Are safety edges always needed?
Not always. It depends on the risk assessment: who uses the opening, whether people or vehicles pass under it, and how the shutter is controlled. Hold-to-run key switches on a shopfront often need less than an automatic industrial door.
How long do shutter motors last?
With regular servicing a good tube motor typically lasts many years. Heavy daily use, an overweight curtain or misaligned guides shorten its life, which is why servicing matters.
Is the survey free?
Yes, for new shutters, grilles and doors: the survey and written quote are free and there is no obligation to go ahead. Repair and servicing visits are charged, and we tell you the price before we visit.
Are your prices fixed?
Yes. After the survey you get a written price for the agreed specification, confirmed before anything is ordered or any work starts. If you change the specification, or a hidden problem such as a weak lintel is found during fitting, we price it and agree it with you before carrying on.
Related services
Manual to electric conversion
Add a motor and controls to an existing manual shutter that is still in good condition.
Shutter motor replacement
Replacement tube and industrial motors, controls, key switches and remotes.
Shop front shutters
Shutters for high street shops, takeaways and offices, designed with planning in mind.
Home security shutters
External roller shutters for house windows, patio and bi-fold doors.
Who uses electric roller shutters
Electric roller shutters near you
Choose your county or area for local details and towns we cover.
England
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- County Durham
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
Scotland
Ready for a fixed price?
Free survey, made-to-measure shutters and a written quote before any work starts.