Smart Locks and Video Doorbells for a London Self Build: Part Q and the Front Door

Smart locks and a video doorbell on a London self build have to work with the security rules for new homes, not around them: the front door must still be a secure doorset, and the main entrance still needs a way to see callers and a chain or limiter. Choose the lock with the door, bring power and a cable to the frame at first fix, and wire the doorbell back to the network, and you get keyless entry that passes building control and looks built in. This guide explains what to plan and when.

It is written for people building a new home in London, whether that is a house on a back land plot, a replacement dwelling on a suburban street or a mews house with the front door straight onto the pavement.

Part Q: what the front door must do

New homes in England have to meet Part Q of the Building Regulations, which asks for reasonable provision to resist unauthorised access. The government's Approved Document Q sets out how. Easily accessible doorsets, which includes any door within 2 metres vertically of the ground or another level surface, should be secure doorsets, for example made to a design tested to PAS 24, and that includes a garage door with an interconnecting door into the house.

Two further points matter for a smart front door. The main entrance door should have a door viewer unless there is another way to see callers, and the guidance names electronic audio visual door entry systems as one such way. The same door should also have a door chain or a door limiter. Letter plates, where fitted, have a maximum opening of 260 mm by 40 mm and should stop anyone reaching in to a key or a handle.

In practice that means the smart lock should be part of a tested doorset, or added in a way the door maker confirms does not affect its certification, and the video doorbell can do the job of a door viewer if your building control body agrees.

Which smart locks suit a new build

For the main door we usually recommend a motorised lock built into a doorset ordered with it, so the bolts, the cable route and the power are designed in rather than bolted on. Keep a key cylinder as a backup, and make sure the door always opens from the inside with the handle or a thumb turn.

Wire the video doorbell, do not rely on Wi-Fi

A battery doorbell on Wi-Fi is fine for an existing flat. In a new London house the front door often sits behind a steel frame, a brick skin and a basement lightwell, and the signal from a router at the back can be weak. Run a Cat6 cable from the comms cabinet to the door station position at first fix; many door stations take power and data over that one cable. Run more Cat6 to wherever you want to answer the door inside, such as the kitchen or the top floor landing in a tall narrow house.

Then the door station can release the smart lock, so you see who is there and let them in from one screen or from your phone. If there is a gate onto the street, plan its intercom at the same time; our gate and intercom guide for London self builds covers the ducts and cables.

Choose connected devices that are secure

A video doorbell is a camera on the street side of your home and a smart lock decides who comes in, so the product itself must be secure. The National Cyber Security Centre's guide Smart devices: new law helps citizens to choose secure products explains the product security law in force since 29 April 2024: manufacturers must not supply devices with default passwords, must give a point of contact for reporting security issues, and must state the minimum time the device will receive security updates. It names smart doorbells and security cameras among the products covered.

Check that support period before you buy, change any login during setup, and put the doorbell, locks and cameras on their own part of the network. On a terraced street, point the doorbell camera at your own step and path where you can, because it will also see the pavement.

What to agree at first fix

• The doorset maker, the lock model and the cable transfer position for each motorised door, before the doors are ordered.
• Power and a control cable to each motorised door frame, and Cat6 to each door station and answering screen.
• A battery backup for the lock supply and the network, so the doors keep working through a short power cut.
• An alarm contact on each external door; our security wiring guide for London self builds covers the rest of the alarm.
• Where the door station sits in the brick or render, so the builder leaves the right opening.

Our founder, Kieran McGuire, is an electrician. We design, supply, install and programme the system, and give your electrician the drawings and cable schedule through our survey and design service. With a control system, unlocking the door after dark can light the hall, a doorbell call can appear on the TV, and one button can lock up and set the alarm; our home automation page for London shows what we install. Our first fix wiring guide explains what else to run while the walls are open.

A design consultation costs 360 pounds plus VAT, with extra time at 90 pounds an hour plus VAT, as shown on our booking page.

Questions we are often asked

Can smart locks be fitted to a PAS 24 door?

Yes, if the door maker supplies or approves the lock for that doorset. Fitting a lock the door was not tested with can affect its certification, so order the lock with the door.

Does a video doorbell replace the door viewer?

Approved Document Q says a viewer is not needed where other means exist to see callers, and it names electronic audio visual door entry. Confirm it with your building control body.

Do I still need a door chain or limiter?

The guidance says the main entrance door should have one. Ask the door maker for a limiter that suits the lock you choose.

What happens to smart locks in a power cut?

With a battery backup the lock keeps working through a short cut, and a key cylinder covers anything longer. Every door should still open from inside by hand.

Are battery smart locks worth it on a new build?

For outbuildings and garden rooms, yes. For the main door, a wired lock built into the doorset is more reliable and nothing needs charging.

Book a consultation or call our head office on 01344 937999 (London office 0208 064 0196).