{"id":27400,"date":"2026-07-30T07:00:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T07:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metacon-next.com\/en\/?p=27400"},"modified":"2026-08-04T07:21:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T07:21:35","slug":"how-far-in-advance-should-industrial-doors-be-ordered-for-a-new-build","status":"publish","type":"knowledge-base","link":"https:\/\/metacon-next.com\/en\/knowledge-base\/how-far-in-advance-should-industrial-doors-be-ordered-for-a-new-build\/","title":{"rendered":"How far in advance should industrial doors be ordered for a new build?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For most custom fire-rated industrial doors, you should plan for a lead time of eight to fourteen weeks<\/strong> from order confirmation to delivery on site. That window covers engineering, production, and logistics \u2014 and it assumes all technical specifications are finalised before the order is placed. For architects and project planners, the practical implication is clear: doors need to be specified well before the structural openings are closed. The sections below walk through every factor that shapes that timeline and how to stay ahead of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What factors affect industrial door lead times?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lead time for a fire-rated industrial door is determined by three variables: the degree of customisation required, the complexity of the fire resistance classification, and the completeness of the order information at the time of placement<\/strong>. Standard-sized doors with common classifications move faster through production than bespoke solutions engineered for atypical openings or demanding performance criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Custom dimensions are one of the most significant drivers of extended lead times. Industrial buildings \u2014 logistics centres, production halls, healthcare complexes \u2014 routinely require openings that fall outside catalogue dimensions. A door engineered to fit a non-standard structural opening must go through a dedicated engineering and production sequence that cannot be parallelised with stock manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fire resistance classification also plays a role. Fire resistance is classified per EN 13501-2 and describes how long a closed door withstands fire \u2014 expressed as a combination of performance criteria and duration (for example, EI2-60 or EW 90). An EI1-60 or EI2-60 door follows a well-established production path. A door specified for EI2-90 or a high-cycle automated application requires additional engineering review to confirm the configuration remains within the tested and classified parameters. Requesting a classification that sits at the boundary of what a product line covers will always add time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, incomplete order information is the most avoidable cause of delay. If dimensions, classification, hardware configuration, or installation interface details are missing or ambiguous at order placement, production cannot begin. Every clarification request adds days to the schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long does it typically take to deliver a fire-rated industrial door?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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A typical delivery window for a custom fire-rated industrial door is eight to fourteen weeks<\/strong> from the moment a complete, confirmed order is placed. Simpler configurations with well-defined specifications sit toward the lower end of that range. Complex or heavily customised solutions \u2014 large sliding doors, automated fire doors with integrated controls, or doors for non-standard openings \u2014 sit toward the upper end or beyond it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is worth understanding what happens inside that window. After order confirmation, the engineering team finalises production drawings based on the project-specific dimensions and classification requirements. Those drawings go into the production queue, where the door is manufactured and assembled. After production, the unit is inspected before leaving the facility, then shipped to the installation site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Express or accelerated delivery is occasionally possible, but it depends entirely on production capacity at the time of enquiry and the complexity of the specification. It is not a reliable planning assumption. Architects and project managers who build their schedules around standard lead times avoid situations where accelerated delivery becomes necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For projects with tight construction programmes, the most effective approach is to engage a manufacturer early. Metacon-Next’s fire-rated door range<\/a> is produced entirely in-house at their facility in Moordrecht, which gives the production team direct control over scheduling \u2014 but that control only benefits a project when the order arrives with enough lead time to work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When in the construction schedule should doors be specified?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fire-rated industrial doors should be specified at the design stage, not the procurement stage<\/strong>. The correct moment is when the fire compartmentation strategy is being developed and structural opening dimensions are being fixed \u2014 typically during the detailed design phase, well before a contractor is appointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifying doors at design stage serves two purposes. First, it ensures the structural opening is dimensioned correctly for the door system being used. Fire-rated industrial doors have defined installation requirements \u2014 frame depths, clearances, lintel loads \u2014 that must be incorporated into the building structure before concrete is poured or steel is erected. Retrofitting an opening to fit a door after the fact is expensive and sometimes structurally impractical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, early specification gives the supply chain enough time to function properly. A door specified at design stage can be ordered as soon as the contractor is appointed, which means the eight-to-fourteen-week production window runs in parallel with other construction activities rather than delaying them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The practical recommendation for architects is to treat fire-rated door specification the same way you treat structural steelwork or precast elements: fix the specification early, confirm the supplier early, and issue the purchase order as soon as the contract is in place. Waiting until the building shell is complete before thinking about doors is the single most common cause of programme delays on industrial construction projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens if industrial doors are ordered too late?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If a fire-rated industrial door is ordered after the construction programme has already consumed the lead time available, the project faces a choice between delaying the building handover, accepting a non-compliant temporary solution, or paying a significant premium for expedited production<\/strong> \u2014 none of which is a good outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delayed handover is the most common consequence. A building cannot receive its occupancy certificate if fire compartmentation elements are missing or incomplete. Fire doors are not cosmetic finishes that can be installed after occupation begins \u2014 they are structural safety elements that must be in place and inspected before the building is handed over. A two-week delay in door delivery can translate directly into a two-week delay in handover, with all the contractual and commercial consequences that follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temporary solutions are rarely compliant. Boarding up an opening or fitting a non-fire-rated door as a placeholder does not satisfy the requirements of the building permit or the fire safety assessment. Inspectors will flag it, and the building owner carries the liability until the correct product is installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expedited production, where it is available at all, comes at a cost premium and is not guaranteed. A manufacturer with a full production queue cannot simply move a late order to the front of the line without consequences for other projects. The better path is always to avoid the situation through early specification and timely ordering. Requesting a quotation early<\/a> in the design process costs nothing and gives the project team the information needed to plan accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What information is needed to place a fire door order?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Want to know more about our doors and shutters?<\/div>\n Contact us<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

To place a confirmed order for a fire-rated industrial door, a manufacturer needs five categories of information: the exact opening dimensions, the required fire resistance classification, the door type and operating mechanism, the installation interface details, and the delivery address and programme requirements<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n