- Location
- Sevenoaks, Kent
- Main postcode district
- TN13
- Nearby (straight line)
- Tonbridge (6 miles), Royal Tunbridge Wells (10 miles) and Caterham (12 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.
How does this suit sites in Sevenoaks?
For a packhouse in Sevenoaks handling fresh produce, a well-sealed chilled dock door helps keep warm air out of the store once produce has been cooled. Any cold store dock survey in Sevenoaks is carried out with the store running, so we can see ice, seals and traffic as they really are.
A chilled distribution centre in Sevenoaks opens its dock doors many times a shift, so the door specification matters far more than at an ambient bay.
The survey is free, the quote is written and the price is fixed: that is how every installation in Sevenoaks begins. We then manage the work from start to finish. Fitting is carried out by specialist installers under our management, phased so the operation keeps moving, and nights or weekends can be booked by arrangement. On the final day we test the equipment with you and hand over the operating and maintenance information.
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 can a cold store door be replaced without losing temperature?
A cold store door can be replaced with very little temperature loss if the work is planned around the store, with the opening screened and the fitting done in one continuous visit.
On a live cold store we usually:
- schedule the work for the quietest period, often overnight or at a weekend,
- fit a temporary insulated screen or strip curtain while the opening is exposed,
- remove ice from the old frame and threshold before fixing the new door,
- pre-assemble as much as possible so the opening is exposed for the shortest time.
From your side we need product moved back from the opening, any site permits for working in cold areas, and power for the operator and frame heaters. Heated frames typically need their own supply, which we set out in the quote. Our cold store loading bays guide covers planning the work in more depth.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What do we check at the survey?
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Asbestos register and any other site hazard information
- Age and condition of the equipment already in place
- Drainage on recessed or sloping dock approaches
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
- Wall and steel structure for door, shelter and bumper fixings
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.
Dock interlocks
Controls that link the door to the shelter, leveller and restraint so the door only opens when a trailer is docked and sealed against the building.
What do the rules in England mean for the work?
Powered doors and dock equipment installed in England may carry the UKCA or the CE mark, and doors are covered by the product standard BS EN 13241. We hand over the relevant documentation for each item fitted in Sevenoaks. Planning and Building Regulations questions are never assumed either way: we check what applies at survey, so you know before work is booked.
Questions about cold store dock doors in Sevenoaks
How do you price cold store dock doors for a site in Sevenoaks?
Guide budgets for supply and fit are £4,800 to £9,500 per door, excluding VAT. The figure moves with size, insulation, the operator, electrics, access, any pit or groundworks and out-of-hours working. Where levellers are involved, the guide assumes an existing, sound pit. After the free survey you receive a fixed written quote, and that is the price for the agreed scope.
What warranty comes with new loading bay equipment?
New equipment comes with the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by product. Our workmanship terms are set out in writing in the quote for your Sevenoaks site, so you can see what is covered before you commit. Check the warranty terms for any servicing conditions, and we can quote for planned maintenance once the installation is complete.
Is VAT included in your guide prices for cold store dock doors?
No. Our customers are businesses, so guide prices exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. The same guide range applies in Kent as everywhere else: for cold store dock doors, it is £4,800 to £9,500 per door, excluding VAT. It covers supply and fit for a typical installation. Your fixed written quote after the free survey shows the net price, the VAT and exactly what is included.
Will a new door reduce our refrigeration load?
A better-sealed, better-insulated door that stays shut except when a trailer is docked reduces the warm air entering the store, which is a significant source of load at a cold store dock. We cannot promise a figure, because results depend on your store, traffic and the rest of the dock, but the mechanism is well understood.
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.
Cold store dock doors near Sevenoaks
Close neighbours of Sevenoaks with their own pages here: Tonbridge (6 miles), Royal Tunbridge Wells (10 miles) and Caterham (12 miles). Choose one to see coverage details for that town.
Other loading bay services in Sevenoaks
Full guide to cold store dock doors · Everything we do in Sevenoaks
For a written price on loading bay work in Sevenoaks, request a quote and include photos of the bay if you can.