Internal security grilles

What are internal security grilles?

Internal security grilles divide a building into zones. Fitted across corridors, stockroom doors, cash offices and server rooms, they keep valuable areas locked off from the rest of the building after hours, or from visitors and staff who do not need access during the day.

Not every risk is at the outside wall. Many losses happen inside, through an unlocked stockroom or a corridor to the back office. Internal grilles let you lock those zones without building solid walls and doors.

Retractable grilles suit openings used often during the day. Hinged grille doors suit access-controlled rooms. Where a grille sits across an escape corridor it must be managed so it never blocks escape while anyone is in the building.

How much do internal security grilles cost?

Our guide range is £595 to £1,995 plus VAT (£714 to £2,394 inc VAT) per opening, supplied and fitted. The exact figure depends on size, type, finish and locking, and your fixed price is confirmed in writing after the free survey. See all grille prices.

Specification and options

Retractable, hinged and bi-fold grille doors
Lock boxes with cylinders on a master-key suite
Provision for access control hardware on hinged doors
Galvanised or powder-coated finishes
Fixings into block, brick, stud or steel
See-through barriers that keep CCTV coverage
Mesh infill to stop items being passed through
Wide openings across corridors and aisles

Where internal security grilles are used

Cash offices and safes rooms
Stockrooms and goods-in
Server and comms rooms
Corridors to back-office areas
Drug stores and dispensaries

What to decide before you order

Escape routes

Grilles across corridors that are escape routes need careful management and should be shown in your fire risk assessment.

Access control

Hinged grille doors can take electric locks or readers, wired by a suitable contractor.

Visibility

Grilles keep areas visible to staff and cameras, unlike solid partitions.

Partition strength

A grille is only as strong as what it is fixed to; stud walls may need reinforcement.

Rules across the UK

The rules on planning, listed buildings and fire safety differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. These are the points most relevant to internal security grilles; local pages show the version for your nation.

England (similar principles apply in Wales, Scotland and NI)

Grilles across exits in business premises

In workplaces and other non-domestic premises, including the common parts of blocks of flats and HMOs, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes the responsible person keep escape routes and emergency exits available and easy to open while people are present. A grille across an exit should be unlocked and parked open whenever the building is occupied, and covered in the fire risk assessment.

Listed buildings and conservation areas

Listed buildings need listed building consent for works that affect their character, which can include internal grilles and their fixings. In conservation areas, councils look closely at anything fitted to the outside. We recommend speaking to the council's conservation officer before ordering.

Insurer requirements

Insurers set their own conditions for business premises, stock and cash. If your policy names a type or rating of grille, get the wording in writing before ordering; the insurer decides whether a product meets it.

How it works

Tell us what needs securing

Use the quote tool or form, or call. Sizes and a couple of photos help us give a guide price straight away.

Free survey

A surveyor measures every opening, checks the walls and fixings, and talks through type, colour and locks.

Fixed price in writing

You get a written quote with the grille schedule, the price and the lead time. Nothing is ordered until you accept.

Made, fitted and handed over

Grilles are made to measure, fitted by installers working under our contract with you, tested and explained.

Internal security grilles: questions

How much do internal grilles cost?

Most internal grilles cost between £595 and £1,995 plus VAT (£714 to £2,394 inc VAT) per opening supplied and fitted.

Can an internal grille go across a corridor?

Yes, but if the corridor is an escape route the grille must be open whenever people are in the building.

Can grille doors take access control?

Hinged grille doors can be prepared for electric locks or readers, with the wiring done by a suitable installer.

Can internal grilles be fixed to stud walls?

Yes, with reinforcement such as a steel subframe or timber noggins, because a grille is only as strong as its fixings.

Do internal grilles need planning permission?

Generally not, though listed buildings may need consent for internal works.

Can you add mesh to stop things being passed through?

Yes. Mesh infill is common on stockroom and dispensary grilles.

Find internal security grilles near you

Choose your county or region for local information and the rules that apply where you are.

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