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The question behind most enquiries in autumn is not what a roller garage door costs but how long it takes: will it be here before the weather turns, before the builders finish, before Christmas? The honest answer has several parts, because a made-to-measure door is measured, ordered, manufactured, delivered and fitted, and each step has its own clock. This guide puts the steps in order with the times we actually work to.
Two facts frame everything. Every TWF roller door is built to your measurements in our Norfolk workshop, which is why it fits, and orders are usually delivered within 4 weeks of ordering. And this year the site carries a date: order by Friday 13 November 2026 for pre-Christmas delivery.
The short answer
From deciding to a working door, allow five to six weeks if you are fitting it yourself: an afternoon to measure, a few minutes to price and order, up to 4 weeks for manufacture and delivery, then a day to fit. If we are fitting it for you in Norfolk or Suffolk, add the time to arrange a free survey at the front and a fitting date at the back. Order in the first half of November and the door is on the house before Christmas.
Step 1: measuring, under an hour
Everything downstream depends on six numbers: the opening width at the top and at the bottom, the height from the finished floor to the underside of the lintel, the left and right side returns, and the clearance above the lintel for the top box. Our measuring guide has a video and a PDF that take you through them in order. Measure in millimetres, from inside looking out, to the brickwork rather than any trims, and use the smallest figure where the opening varies. Then do it again. A roller door cannot be made larger once it has been manufactured, so this is the step where ten careful minutes save weeks.
Step 2: pricing and ordering online, a few minutes
Open the Garage Door Builder, enter your measurements, and choose your door range, colour and controls. The price appears as you go, from £505 inc VAT for a Standard 55 single door in white with key switch controls, and you can pay online at the end. Delivery to mainland England and Wales is £65. If your measurements put you into the Classic 77 range for a wider opening, the builder tells you, and our post on double garage roller doors explains why.
If you would rather talk it through first, request a callback or book a survey if you are local. Either way, the clock on manufacture starts when the order is placed, not when you first enquire.
Step 3: manufacture in Norfolk
A TWF door is not pulled off a shelf. The curtain is cut to your width from insulated aluminium slats, the guides and end plates are sized to your opening, the top box and motor assembly are built up, and the whole kit is packed with the controls, the fixings and the fitting guidance. Because every door is individual, we quote delivery as usually within 4 weeks rather than a fixed day, and slight variations can occur either way. Your order confirmation is the figure to plan around.
Step 4: delivery, usually within 4 weeks of ordering
The kit arrives as a long, heavy package, so someone needs to be at home to receive it, check it over and sign. For a single door one adult can manage it with care; for a Classic 77, have a second person there, because the 77mm curtain and barrel are heavier. Unpack it somewhere dry, check the contents against the kit list and keep the fixings together. If anything is missing or damaged, tell us the same day so it can be sorted before your fitting day.
What is in the box: the roller curtain, side guides and end plates, the top box and motor assembly, wall mounted key switch controls, fixings and essential fitting components, and installation guidance. If you chose the remote upgrade, you also get a receiver box with control buttons, two remotes and a safety edge system. Our DIY roller garage doors page shows the kit laid out.
Step 5: fitting, a day for most people
Our existing guides agree on the time: a first time self-fitter should budget a full day for a single door, around 6 to 10 hours, with a second person for lifting the barrel into place, and plenty of people spread it over a weekend. The sequence is in our installation tips, and our post on how difficult a DIY garage door really is is the honest read before you decide. Electric is standard, and most kits plug into a socket, so the electrics are rarely the slow part.
If you are in Norfolk or Suffolk and would rather not, we fit doors ourselves: a free survey first, a written quote, then a fitting date agreed with you, and a 5-year parts and labour warranty on every installed door. Our garage door installation page runs through the process from survey to handover, and our Norwich and Norfolk pages cover the areas we drive to.
The timeline in one table
| Step | How long | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Measure the opening | Under an hour | Doing it twice |
| Price and order online | Minutes | Having the six figures ready |
| Made to order and delivered | Usually within 4 weeks | Order date; a query on a measurement |
| Self-fit a single door | A full day, or a weekend | A second pair of hands |
| Local installation | Survey, quote, agreed date | Booking the survey early |
What slows a roller garage door order down
- A measurement that has to be queried. If a width or a headroom figure looks unusual we will check it with you before manufacture, which is the right thing to do, but it pauses the clock. Measure carefully and note anything odd about the opening in the order.
- Headroom surprises. A beam, a pipe or an old opener above the lintel discovered on fitting day means a change of plan. Step six of the measuring guide exists for this.
- Nobody home for the delivery. A missed delivery of a long, heavy package costs days.
- Structural work not finished. If a pier is coming out to make a double opening, the new lintel must be in and the opening settled before it is measured. Our guide to converting two garage doors into one covers the order of work.
- The weeks before Christmas. Everyone wants the door before the holidays, which is why there is a cut-off date rather than a hope.
The Christmas cut-off explained
Order your door by Friday 13 November 2026 and it is on the pre-Christmas delivery run. The date is simply the usual lead time counted back from the last deliveries before the holidays, with a little room for the busiest weeks of the year. Orders placed after it are made in turn and delivered as soon as they are ready, but we cannot promise a date before Christmas, and a door arriving between Christmas and New Year is rarely what anyone wants. If a working door by Christmas matters to you, measure this weekend and order in the week; our special offers page is worth a look before you do.
FAQs
How long does delivery of a roller garage door take?
TWF doors are made to measure after you order, and orders are usually delivered within 4 weeks to mainland England and Wales. Each door is made individually, so slight variations can occur either way; the order confirmation is the figure to plan around.
Can I still get a roller garage door before Christmas?
Yes, if you order by Friday 13 November 2026. That date allows for the made-to-order lead time and the delivery run before the holidays. Orders placed after it will still be made in turn, but we cannot promise they will arrive before Christmas.
How long does it take to fit a roller garage door?
A first time self-fitter should budget a full day for a single door, around 6 to 10 hours, with a second person for lifting the barrel. Many people spread it over a weekend. For doors we install in Norfolk and Suffolk, the fitting date is agreed at the free survey.
Do I need to be at home for the delivery?
Yes. A roller door kit is long and heavy, and someone needs to be there to receive it, check it and sign for it. For a Classic 77 kit, have a second person on hand to help carry the barrel and curtain.
What happens if my measurements are wrong?
Contact us straight away, before the door goes into manufacture. A roller door cannot be made larger once it has been made, so check the six measurements in our measuring guide twice before you order, and call if anything about your opening is unusual.
Do you deliver to Scotland or Northern Ireland?
The Garage Door Builder prices delivery to mainland England and Wales at £65. For other areas, get in touch before ordering and we will tell you what is possible for your address.
Key takeaways
- Measure in under an hour, order in minutes, manufacture and delivery usually within 4 weeks, fit in a day: five to six weeks end to end.
- Order by Friday 13 November 2026 for delivery before Christmas.
- The common delays are a queried measurement, a headroom surprise and a missed delivery, all avoidable.
- Local customers in Norfolk and Suffolk can hand the whole thing over after a free survey.
Conclusion
A made-to-measure roller garage door takes weeks, not days, because the weeks are spent building a door that fits your opening exactly. Plan the measuring carefully, order early in the month you want it, and be in when it arrives, and the rest looks after itself. Start by measuring your opening, price your door in the builder, and if it is for Christmas, do it before Friday 13 November.
Written by the TWF team, who have manufactured and fitted roller garage doors from Norfolk for over 25 years. Last updated: 30 October 2026.
