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Garage openings vary from house to house. Brickwork is rarely perfectly square, floors slope, and the space above the lintel can be generous or almost nothing. A roller garage door that fits properly has to be built for the opening it is going into, which is exactly what made to measure means. This guide follows a TWF roller door from six numbers on a notepad to a door on your house.
What made to measure means for a roller garage door
A made to measure roller door is built after you order, to the figures you give us. The curtain of insulated aluminium slats is cut to your width, the guide runners and end plates are sized to your opening, and the top box and motor assembly are built up around them. Nothing is trimmed to fit on the drive, which is why your measurements matter more than any other part of the order.
We manufacture our three roller door ranges in East Anglia and have been making and fitting garage doors for over 25 years. The same made to measure door is either delivered to you as a DIY kit with installation guidance, anywhere in mainland England and Wales, or surveyed and fitted by our own engineers if you live in Norfolk or Suffolk.
Step one: the six measurements that define your door
Every door starts with six figures, all in millimetres and all taken from inside the garage looking out:
- Opening width at the top, brick to brick.
- Opening width at the bottom, brick to brick at the floor line, at the tightest point.
- Opening height, from the finished floor to the underside of the lintel, on the highest side if the floor slopes.
- Left side return, from the edge of the opening back to the nearest wall or obstruction.
- Right side return, measured the same way.
- Top box clearance, from the lintel up to the nearest obstruction, such as a ceiling, a beam or a pipe.
Measure to the brickwork rather than any trims, and note anything near the opening that could get in the way, such as lights, sockets or pipes. Where a width varies, the smallest figure is the one that counts. Our garage door measuring guide has a video and a PDF that take you through each figure in order, and our post on how to measure a garage door covers the mistakes people most often make. Then measure again. A roller door cannot be made larger once it has been manufactured, so ten careful minutes here save weeks later.
Step two: Standard 55, Premium 55 or Classic 77
All three of our ranges are insulated aluminium roller doors. The difference is the slat height and the profile depth, which affect the headroom the door needs, the size of the top box, how rigid the curtain feels and how wide the door can be.
| Range | Slat and profile | Width, inc guide runners |
|---|---|---|
| Standard 55 | 55mm slat, 9mm profile | 1,200mm to 2,500mm |
| Premium 55 | 55mm slat, 12.5mm profile | 1,200mm to 2,650mm |
| Classic 77 | 77mm slat, 18mm profile | 1,500mm to 4,950mm |
Standard 55 is the best value and suits most single garages. Premium 55 is the comfort upgrade, with noticeably stronger insulation, and is the better choice for an attached or integral garage, or one used as a workshop, gym or utility room. Classic 77 is built for wider openings and double garages, comes in three width bands up to 4,950mm, and usually needs more headroom for its larger roll and box.
In the builder, prices start from £505 inc VAT for a Standard 55 single door in white with key switch controls. Premium 55 starts from £605 inc VAT and Classic 77 from £815 inc VAT, rising with the width band. Our guide to 55mm vs 77mm slats goes deeper on the choice, and our post on double garage roller doors covers the widest openings.
Step three: colours for the curtain, top box and guides
The builder offers 16 curtain colours: white, black, anthracite, slate grey, ivory, Bordeaux, dark blue, moss green, fir green, agate grey, light brown, dark brown, cream, silver, golden oak and Chartwell green. White and dark brown carry no extra charge, and the others add a small amount that the builder shows as you choose. The top box and guide runners come in white or dark brown at no extra cost, or in black or anthracite grey.
Our colour comparison table shows the finishes side by side, and the builder's visualiser puts each colour on real house styles. If you are torn, our post on choosing a garage door colour helps you match the door to your windows, front door and brickwork.
Step four: how the door sits in your opening
Two choices decide where the door goes. The first is the door position. In a behind fit, also called a face fix, the guide runners are fixed to the inside face of the wall behind the opening. In a between fit, or reveal fix, the guides sit inside the reveals of the opening itself. A combination fit mixes the two.
The second is the top box position: behind the lintel, inside the garage, or beneath the lintel, within the opening. Your sixth measurement, the top box clearance, tells you whether the box can sit behind the lintel. Last of all, you choose which side the motor sits on, left or right, as seen from inside. If you are unsure which fit suits your garage, call us on 01603 737183 with your six figures and a photo of the opening, and we will talk it through.
Step five: controls, safety edge and extras
Every TWF roller door is electric and comes with key switch controls as standard. Add a safety edge kit and the door can run fully automatically on remote control, because the safety edge detects anything in the way as the door closes and reverses it. The hard wired kit, £135 inc VAT, comes with a receiver box with up and down buttons, two remote controls and the safety edge. The wireless kit, £180 inc VAT, uses a Teleco receiver box with a courtesy light. Extra remotes are £20 each in the builder.
If the roller door will be the only way into your garage, add the external manual override kit so you can still open it from outside in a power cut.
Delivery to mainland England and Wales is £65, or you can collect free from our Great Yarmouth unit between 8:30am and 2:30pm, Monday to Friday.
What happens after you place your order
Your door goes into manufacture as you specified it. If a width or headroom figure looks unusual, we check it with you before the door is made, which is the one thing that can pause the clock. Orders are usually delivered within 4 weeks, and because each door is made individually, slight variations can occur either way.
The kit arrives with the roller curtain, guide runners and end plates, the top box and motor assembly, your controls, the fixings and installation guidance. Our post on how long a new roller garage door takes walks through every stage from measuring to the first time you press the button, and our DIY roller garage doors page shows the kit laid out.
Ordering in time for Christmas
This year there is a date to work to: order your door before Friday 13 November 2026 for pre-Christmas delivery. The date that counts is when your order goes in, not when you first start looking. If a new door before Christmas matters to you, measure this weekend, price your door, and order in the week.
If you would rather we measured and fitted it
In Norfolk and Suffolk, we do the whole job ourselves. A free survey comes first, where we measure the opening and recommend the right door, then a fixed written quote. On the day, our own engineers remove the old door, fit the new one, check the alignment and safety edge, and show you how everything works. Fitted roller doors start from £949 inc VAT, including remote controls, a safety edge and fitting, and every door we install carries a 5-year parts and labour warranty. Our garage doors in Norfolk page lists the towns we cover, or you can book a free survey now.
FAQs
Are TWF roller garage doors made to measure for every single order?
Yes. Every TWF roller door is built after you order, to the measurements you enter in the Garage Door Builder. The curtain is cut to your width and the guide runners and end plates are sized to your opening, so nothing is trimmed to fit on the day.
What measurements do I need to order a made to measure roller door?
Six, all in millimetres and taken from inside the garage looking out: 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 for each one.
Which TWF roller door range should I choose for a wide garage opening?
Classic 77. It uses a 77mm slat with an 18mm profile and comes in three width bands from 1,500mm up to 4,950mm including the guide runners, so it covers double garages and extra wide openings. It usually needs a little more headroom than the 55mm ranges.
Can a made to measure roller door be altered after it has been made?
A roller door cannot be made larger once it has been manufactured, which is why we ask you to check all six measurements twice before ordering. If you spot a mistake after you have ordered, call us on 01603 737183 straight away, before the door goes into manufacture.
How long does a made to measure roller garage door take to arrive?
Orders are usually delivered within 4 weeks of ordering. Each door is made individually, so slight variations can occur either way. This year, order before Friday 13 November 2026 for pre-Christmas delivery.
Can I order a made to measure roller door in a custom colour?
The builder offers 16 curtain colours, from white and dark brown at no extra cost to golden oak and Chartwell green, plus four colours for the top box and guide runners. If the colour you want is not among them, call us before you order and we will tell you what is possible.
Key takeaways
- A made to measure roller door is built after you order, to six measurements in millimetres taken from inside the garage.
- Standard 55 suits most single garages, Premium 55 adds insulation, and Classic 77 covers wide openings up to 4,950mm.
- Colour, fit position, top box position, motor side and controls are all chosen in the builder, with the price shown as you go.
- Orders are usually delivered within 4 weeks; order before Friday 13 November 2026 for pre-Christmas delivery.
Conclusion
A door that fits starts with careful measuring and a few clear choices: the range, the colour, how the door sits in the opening and how you want to control it. Everything else is our job. Start with the six measurements, then build and price your door in the Garage Door Builder, and if you want it before Christmas, order 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: 6 November 2026.
