Frequently asked questions

Yes, we cover England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Remote and island locations, including the Highlands and Islands, the Argyll and Bute islands, Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles, the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly, are covered by arrangement, with any travel costs shown in the quote. We survey, quote and manage every job, and the work is carried out by specialist engineers working under our management.

Yes, the site survey and written quote are free and without obligation for new installations, replacements, upgrades, conversions and complete bays. Repairs and servicing are different: a repair or service visit is chargeable, and we agree the price with you before anyone attends. If a repair visit shows that replacement makes more sense, we will tell you and quote for the replacement separately.

To quote accurately we need photos of each bay, the opening sizes, your site postcode, the types of vehicle you load and the number of bays involved. It also helps to know the dock height, whether there is an existing leveller pit, the power supply, your working hours and any access restrictions. Drawings are useful for new buildings. You can send these through our quote form.

We can usually give a guide budget from photos, measurements and drawings, but the fixed price follows a site survey. Photos rarely show the condition of a pit, the dock structure, the power supply or how vehicles approach the bay, and those details can change the price. Guide ranges for every service are on our prices page, all excluding VAT.

During a survey we measure each opening and the dock, check the condition of any existing doors, levellers, pits and shelters, and look at the vehicles you load and how they approach the bay. We also check power supplies, access for installation and whether any approvals may be needed. Afterwards you receive a written quote setting out the equipment, the work, the price and the terms.

Yes, we work with businesses only, such as warehouse and logistics operators, manufacturers, landlords, developers and main contractors. Because of that, all our prices are quoted in GBP excluding VAT, and VAT is added at the standard rate. Our guide prices are budget ranges for supply and fit; the fixed price is the one in your written quote after survey.

Prices are shown as ranges because no two loading bays are the same: door size, insulation, operator type, pit condition, groundworks, electrics, access and out-of-hours working all change the cost. The ranges are guide budgets for supply and fit, excluding VAT. Once we have surveyed the site, the written quote gives a fixed price for the scope it describes.

A complete loading bay, with door, leveller, shelter and safety equipment supplied and fitted as one package, typically costs £13,500 to £26,000 per bay, excluding VAT. The range assumes a sound existing pit and dock; new pits, concrete, groundworks and structural work are priced separately after survey. See complete loading bay installation for what is included.

The main things that move the price are the size of the opening, the level of insulation, the type of operator and controls, the condition of the pit, any groundworks or concrete, electrical work, access for installation and whether work must be done out of hours. Specialist requirements, such as cold store fittings or interlocks between equipment, also add cost. The written quote shows exactly what is included.

Payment terms are set out in writing in the quote, so you know what is due and when before you place an order. If your organisation needs a purchase order, a supplier set-up form or payment applications under a main contract, tell us at quote stage so the terms can reflect it. Prices are in GBP, and VAT is added at the standard rate.

For most docks an insulated sectional door is the best all-round choice, because it seals well and keeps heat in. High-speed doors suit openings used many times an hour, roller shutters suit security and less frequent use, and cold store doors suit chilled and frozen areas. The right answer depends on use, temperature and headroom. Our guide to loading bay door types compares them.

Yes, most manual sectional doors and roller shutters in sound condition can be fitted with an electric operator, controls and safety devices. Guide prices for loading bay door automation are £1,100 to £2,400 per door, excluding VAT. We check the door's balance, springs and condition first, because a worn door should be repaired before it is powered, and we fit safety edges and photocells to suit how the door will be used.

In England, Approved Document L (2021) Volume 2 sets a limiting U-value of 1.3 W/m²K for vehicle access and similar large doors in new and replacement work. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own energy rules, so we confirm the figure that applies to your nation and project. Cold store doors are normally specified to a much better level. See our guide on energy rules and loading bay doors.

A sectional loading bay door typically costs £2,400 to £5,200 per door supplied and fitted, excluding VAT. The price depends on size, panel thickness and insulation, vision panels, the track type needed for your headroom, and whether the door is manual or electric. Removing an old door, making good the opening and out-of-hours working are priced in the quote where needed.

A high-speed door is worth considering where an opening is used many times an hour, or where temperature, hygiene or draughts matter, because it opens and closes quickly between movements. Guide prices are £6,500 to £14,500 per door, excluding VAT. For openings used less often, an insulated sectional door is usually better value. We look at cycles per shift before recommending one.

Choose a swing-lip leveller for everyday rear loading of standard trailers, and a telescopic-lip leveller where you need to place the lip precisely, such as end loading, double-deck trailers or loads stacked tight to the trailer doors. A swing lip is typically about 400–500 mm long, while a telescopic lip commonly extends 500–1,000 mm. Our guide on choosing a dock leveller explains more.

You need a pit for a swing-lip or telescopic-lip leveller, but not for an edge-of-dock leveller, which fixes to the dock face. Our leveller prices assume an existing, sound pit. Forming a new pit, repairing a damaged one, and any concrete or groundworks are priced separately after survey, and structural alterations may need Building Regulations approval or the equivalent in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Dock levellers are work equipment under PUWER and should be inspected where deterioration could lead to danger; engineering insurers commonly inspect them at 12-month intervals. A leveller designed or used to lift people may fall under LOLER, with thorough examination every 6 months. Scissor lift tables are lifting equipment under LOLER, examined at least every 12 months, or 6 months if they lift people. It depends on the equipment and how it is used; your insurer or competent person will confirm.

Guide prices, excluding VAT, are £5,200 to £8,800 for a swing-lip leveller, £6,800 to £11,800 for a telescopic-lip leveller and £1,800 to £4,400 for an edge-of-dock leveller, each supplied and fitted. These assume an existing, sound pit where one is needed. Length, capacity, controls and any pit or groundworks affect the final price, which is fixed in the written quote after survey.

You need a leveller rated for the heaviest laden forklift or pallet truck that will cross it, allowing for the extra force of braking and turning on the platform. The weight of the goods alone is not enough to go on. We ask for your forklift model, its laden weight and how often it crosses, then recommend a rated capacity with a sensible margin at survey.

A dock shelter surrounds the trailer with curtains or inflatable cushions, while a dock seal uses foam pads that the trailer compresses as it reverses in. Shelters suit fleets with varying trailer sizes and leave the full trailer opening clear; seals give a tighter fit but work best with a consistent fleet. Our guide to dock shelters vs dock seals compares them.

A retractable dock shelter usually suits a mixed fleet best, because its sprung frame and fabric curtains wrap around trailers of different widths and heights. Where a closer seal is needed with varied vehicles, such as in chilled distribution, an inflatable shelter closes around each trailer once it is docked. A deeper top curtain helps where trailer heights vary widely.

Guide prices, excluding VAT, are £1,900 to £4,400 for a retractable dock shelter, £6,800 to £12,800 for an inflatable dock shelter and £1,100 to £2,600 for a set of dock seals, supplied and fitted. Size, projection, fabric and any framing needed to suit the building all affect the price. The fixed price is in the written quote after survey.

Yes, torn curtains, worn pads, damaged airbags and bent frames can usually be replaced without renewing the whole shelter or seal. Repairs typically cost £380 to £1,800, excluding VAT, depending on the parts and access. A repair visit is chargeable and the price is agreed before anyone attends. See dock shelter and seal repairs for more detail.

Yes, a well-fitted shelter or seal reduces the gaps around a docked trailer, and those gaps are where heated or chilled air escapes and outside air, rain and dust get in. How much difference it makes depends on how long doors stay open, the temperature inside and how well the shelter fits your vehicles. We do not quote energy-saving figures, because every site is different.

In Great Britain, regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires upward-opening doors to have a device to stop them falling back, and powered doors to have suitable and effective features to prevent trapping. Where needed for safety, powered doors must be operable by hand unless they open automatically on power failure. Doors are also work equipment under PUWER. Northern Ireland has equivalent regulations.

Use a clear safeguard such as dock traffic lights, a vehicle or trailer restraint, or a system where the person in charge keeps the keys or paperwork until loading is finished. HSE guidance, including HSG136, expects measures like these. Many sites combine restraints with lights and door interlocks so the sequence cannot be skipped. Our drive-away and trailer creep guide compares the options.

Yes, scissor lift tables used as dock lifts are lifting equipment under LOLER and need a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 12 months, or every 6 months if they lift people, unless a written scheme of examination sets different intervals. Northern Ireland has equivalent regulations. Your insurer or competent person will confirm the right regime for your equipment and how it is used.

Some loading bay work needs planning permission or building control approval and some does not, so we check at survey. External structures such as loading houses, canopies or new dock approaches can need planning permission. Structural alterations such as a new opening or dock pit may need Building Regulations approval in England and Wales, a building warrant in Scotland or building control approval in Northern Ireland.

The main standards are BS EN 13241 for industrial doors, BS EN 12453 for the safety in use of power-operated doors, BS EN 1398:2009 for dock levellers and BS EN 1570-1:2024 for lifting tables. In Great Britain, powered doors and dock equipment may carry the UKCA or the CE mark; in Northern Ireland the CE mark, or CE with UKNI, applies. Our glossary explains each term.

We do not advertise round-the-clock or emergency cover. If a door or leveller has failed, tell us how urgent it is and what has happened, and we will agree the timing and the price with you before anyone attends. If the fault is a safety risk, take the equipment out of use and keep people clear until it has been repaired.

Yes, repair visits are chargeable, and we agree the price with you before anyone attends. Guide prices are £180 to £1,400 for door repairs, £220 to £2,600 for dock leveller repairs and £380 to £1,800 for shelter and seal repairs, all excluding VAT. The final cost depends on the fault, the parts needed and access, and larger repairs are quoted in writing first.

We recommend servicing loading bay equipment at least once a year, and more often on busy docks, with the interval set by how hard each item works. A door that opens many times an hour wears far faster than one opened a few times a week. We set intervals around door cycles, shift patterns and your insurer's inspection dates. See our maintenance guide.

Yes, we repair and service all common types of loading bay door, dock leveller, shelter and seal, whoever installed them. For older or less common equipment we check parts availability before quoting, and if parts are no longer made we explain the options, including replacement. A repair visit is chargeable, with the price agreed before anyone attends.

A loading bay service covers checking, adjusting and lubricating doors, levellers, shelters and safety equipment, testing safety devices such as safety edges, photocells and restraints, and recording any defects. You receive a written report with recommended repairs and prices, so nothing extra is done without your agreement. Servicing costs £85 to £180 per item per visit, excluding VAT. See loading bay servicing.

We survey, quote and manage every job, and the installation and repair work is carried out by specialist installation and service engineers working under our management. We remain your point of contact from survey to handover, and the scope, programme and terms are set out in the written quote, so you know who is responsible for each part of the work.

Yes, out-of-hours and weekend working can be arranged so installation or repairs fit around your operation. It is priced in advance and shown in the quote, so you can compare it with working during normal hours. Phasing the work one bay at a time is another way to keep the site running while equipment is replaced or upgraded.

Yes, we can work alongside your main contractor on a new warehouse or fit-out, supplying and installing the dock package to the agreed programme. The quote sets out what we provide and what we need from others, such as pits, power supplies and builder's work. Early involvement helps pits, openings and dock heights match the equipment. See our guide to specifying docks for a new warehouse.

New equipment comes with the manufacturer's warranty, and our workmanship terms are set out in writing in the quote, so you can see what is covered before you accept. Keeping the equipment serviced and recording repairs helps if a warranty question arises, and some manufacturer's warranties may depend on regular maintenance, which we point out where it applies.

Yes, most upgrades can be phased one bay at a time so the rest of the dock keeps working. We agree the order of work, any out-of-hours shifts and how each bay is handed back before we start, and this is set out in the written quote. Our guide to upgrading bays without stopping the operation explains the approach.