- Location
- Truro, Cornwall
- Main postcode district
- TR1
- Nearby (straight line)
- Falmouth (8 miles), Redruth (8 miles) and Newquay (10 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A cold store dock door is an insulated loading bay door built for chilled or frozen buildings, usually a sectional door with thick insulated panels or a high-speed door with an insulated curtain. It differs from a standard dock door in its thermal breaks, extra seals and, on freezer docks, heating in the frame or seals so that ice cannot lock the door shut or tear the seals.
Is this right for your site in Truro?
When an older cold store in Truro has a door that has been repaired many times, a planned replacement can be timed for a quieter trading period. A chilled distribution centre in Truro opens its dock doors many times a shift, so the door specification matters far more than at an ambient bay.
Any cold store dock survey in Truro is carried out with the store running, so we can see ice, seals and traffic as they really are.
Keeping the dock running is usually the first concern, so we plan around it. After a free survey of your Truro site and a written quote at a fixed price, we agree when each bay can be released and whether any work should happen out of hours. Specialist installation engineers working under our management then fit the equipment, and we test it and hand over the documentation before the bay goes back into use.
How much does a cold store dock door cost?
A cold store dock door typically costs £4,800 to £9,500 per door, excluding VAT, supply and fit. Chilled docks usually sit lower in that range than freezer docks, because freezer doors need more insulation and frame heating.
Price is mainly driven by:
- Operating temperature: chilled, frozen, or a door between two temperature zones.
- Door type: insulated sectional, insulated high-speed, or both at one opening.
- Heating: heated frames, heated bottom seals or threshold heating to stop ice forming.
- Panel thickness and thermal breaks: thicker panels and better breaks reduce condensation and heat gain.
- Controls: faster operators, interlocks with shelters and levellers, and automatic closing.
- Working conditions: installing in a live cold store often means out-of-hours work and temporary screening.
We price each door after a free site survey, and the written quote fixes the cost.
How should a door be specified for a chilled dock compared with a freezer dock?
A chilled dock needs a well-insulated, well-sealed door, while a freezer dock also needs heating to stop ice forming in the frame and seals. The temperature difference across the door drives most specification choices.
- Chilled docks: an insulated sectional door at the thicker end of the common 40 to 80 mm panel range, good perimeter seals and a shelter or seal outside usually do the job.
- Freezer docks: thick panels, thermal breaks in the panel joints, heated side frames and a heated bottom seal, plus a fast operator to cut open time.
- Doors between zones: an insulated high-speed door often suits openings between a chilled marshalling area and a freezer, where traffic is constant.
- Vision panels: possible, but they reduce insulation and can mist, so many freezer docks leave them out.
A cold store door is only as good as the seal around the trailer, which is why we specify the door, shelter and leveller together.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
Survey checklist for your dock
- Headroom above the opening and which track type will suit it
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
- Drainage on recessed or sloping dock approaches
- Lighting inside trailers and at the dock face
Options to discuss
Heated frames and seals
Low-power heating in the side frames, bottom seal or threshold that keeps contact surfaces above freezing so the door does not ice up or tear its seals.
Insulated high-speed door
A fast door with an insulated curtain for busy openings between temperature zones, where cutting open time matters more than maximum insulation.
What do the rules in England mean for the work?
In England, Approved Document L (2021) sets a limiting U-value of 1.3 W/m²K for vehicle access and similar large doors in new and replacement work. That shapes door specification for sites in Truro, so we confirm the requirement for your project and check what applies at survey before recommending a door.
Questions about cold store dock doors in Truro
Is the site survey in Truro free?
Yes. For new installations, replacements, upgrades, conversions and complete bays, the site survey and written quote are free and come with no obligation. The survey lets us measure the openings, check the dock and structure, and understand how the bay is used, so the quote reflects your site. Repair and servicing visits are different: they are chargeable, with the price agreed before anyone attends.
What details do you need from us to quote for cold store dock doors?
To get started, send the site address in Truro, the number of bays or openings, approximate sizes, and photos of the dock from inside and outside. Tell us what vehicles you load, what goods you handle and any temperature requirements. Drawings help on new builds. We then arrange the free survey and confirm the details before the written quote is issued.
How long does installation take at a site in Truro?
It depends on the equipment, the number of bays, the condition of the dock and whether any building or electrical work is needed. We agree a programme with you after the survey, setting out which bays are out of use and when. Larger jobs are usually phased so that part of the dock stays open, and out-of-hours working can be arranged.
Can a cold store door be paired with a high-speed door?
Yes, cold store docks often pair an insulated sectional door on the outside with a fast door just inside it, or use an insulated high-speed door as the only door between zones. The right arrangement depends on traffic, security and how much space there is around the opening.
Do heated door frames use a lot of power?
Frame and seal heaters are low-power elements designed to keep surfaces just above freezing rather than to heat the dock. Many can be controlled by a thermostat so they only run when needed. We set out the supply required in the written quote so it can be planned before installation.
Cold store dock doors near Truro
Sites close to Truro get the same service, including those in Falmouth (8 miles), Redruth (8 miles) and Newquay (10 miles), with every job run the same way.
Other loading bay services in Truro
Full guide to cold store dock doors · Everything we do in Truro
Whether it is a new bay or a fault on an existing one, call us or request a quote for your site in Truro.