- There are four main routes: a scissor lift table, an external loading house with a suitable approach, a recessed dock with a ramp, or an edge-of-dock leveller.
- The right option depends on internal space, yard depth, ground conditions, trailer types and how much structural work the building and the landlord will accept.
- Forming pits, ramps or new structures may need Building Regulations approval, a building warrant or building control, and external works can need planning, which we check at survey.
- Guide conversion budgets are £18,000 to £45,000 per bay excluding VAT; the survey and written quote are free and without obligation, and the quote is the fixed price.
What does converting a ground-level door into a dock involve?
Converting a ground-level door into a loading dock means creating a way for goods to move straight between the trailer bed and the warehouse floor, instead of being lifted down to yard level. Trailer bed heights vary, roughly 900 to 1,600 mm across rigid, curtain-sider, refrigerated, double-deck and container chassis, while a ground-level door sits at yard level, so something has to bridge that height difference.
There are four main ways to do it:
- raise the goods with a scissor lift table at the existing door;
- build an external loading house at the door, with the approach arranged so trailers meet it at the right height;
- lower the yard to form a recessed dock and ramp, so the trailer bed lines up with the warehouse floor;
- fit an edge-of-dock leveller where the floor-to-trailer height already suits.
Each one suits a different building and operation. Whichever route you choose, the new dock also needs the usual supporting equipment: bumpers, a shelter or seal, and safeguards against drivers pulling away too early, such as traffic lights or vehicle restraints. The sections below explain where each option fits and what it involves.
When is a scissor lift table the right choice?
A scissor lift table is usually the right choice when you cannot or do not want to change the yard levels, because it raises goods and pallet trucks from yard level to the trailer bed at the existing door. It handles a wide range of vehicle heights, including vans and low vehicles that a standard dock cannot serve.
Lift tables can be installed in two ways:
- Pit-mounted: the table sits in a shallow pit so its platform is flush with the yard or floor when lowered. Trucks roll straight on, but a pit means concrete work, drainage and possibly structural approval.
- Surface-mounted: the table stands on the existing slab with a short ramp up to the platform. Groundworks are lighter, but the ramp takes space and suits manual pallet trucks better than heavy powered trucks.
Specify the platform size to suit your pallet trucks and loads, the bridge plate that spans onto the trailer bed, and the guarding and controls needed for safe use at your door.
Lift tables are lifting equipment under LOLER, so they need a thorough examination at least every 12 months, or every 6 months if people travel on the platform, or to a written examination scheme drawn up by a competent person. Your insurer or competent person will confirm which applies. The current safety standard for lifting tables is BS EN 1570-1:2024. As a guide, scissor lift tables cost £9,500 to £28,000 per lift, excluding VAT.
How does an external loading house work for a ground-level door?
An external loading house is an insulated steel structure built outside the existing door that holds the dock leveller, shelter and bumpers, so the conversion happens outside the building rather than inside it. The house floor lines up with the warehouse floor, and the height difference to the trailer is taken up by lowering the yard approach so trailers stand lower, or by a lift within the house.
This route suits buildings where internal floor space is valuable, where the slab cannot be cut, or where the door needs to close on the building line when no trailer is present. It needs space in the yard for the house, the approach and room for vehicles to manoeuvre.
A loading house is a new external structure, so planning permission may be needed, and we check this at survey. Foundations, drainage and electrics are part of the design. As a guide, loading houses cost £14,500 to £32,000 per house, excluding VAT, before groundworks and approach works. Our guide to loading houses explained goes into more detail.
What is involved in forming a recessed dock and ramp?
Forming a recessed dock means lowering a section of the yard in front of the door, with a ramp down to it, so trailers stand lower and their beds line up with the warehouse floor. A dock leveller, usually in a new pit at the door, then bridges the remaining height difference between trailer types.
This gives a conventional dock without a lift or an external house, but it is the option with the most civils work:
- Excavation and retaining walls to form the recessed approach and the dock face.
- A new leveller pit and possibly changes to the structure at the opening.
- Drainage: a recessed approach collects rainwater, so it needs drainage at the low point sized for the area that drains into it, and sometimes a pumped outfall where a gravity connection is not possible. Drainage is one of the most important parts of the design.
- Ramp gradient and length to suit the vehicles using it and the yard space available.
Underground services, ground conditions and the depth of foundations near the door all affect whether this is practical, which is why it needs a proper survey before anyone commits to it. A recessed dock also creates a drop at the dock face, so think about edge protection where people walk and lighting for the approach.
When does an edge-of-dock leveller work?
An edge-of-dock leveller works where the warehouse floor is already close to trailer bed height, so only a small height difference needs bridging and no pit is required. It fixes to the dock face and has a short lip that folds out onto the trailer bed.
That makes it a fit for buildings with a raised floor or a step at the door, rather than a true ground-level opening. If the floor is at yard level, an edge-of-dock leveller on its own will not solve the problem. As a guide, edge-of-dock levellers cost £1,800 to £4,400 per leveller, excluding VAT.
If you only need forklifts to load trailers at ground level, a mobile yard ramp is another alternative. It lets a forklift drive up from the yard into the trailer without changing the building, though it is a different way of working from a dock and does not seal the trailer to the building.
Do I need Building Regulations approval or planning permission?
Structural work to form a dock, such as cutting a pit, lowering the yard against the building or altering the opening, may need Building Regulations approval in England and Wales, a building warrant in Scotland or building control approval in Northern Ireland. External structures such as loading houses, canopies and new dock approaches can need planning permission.
We check what is likely to apply at survey and tell you before you commit. Where approvals are needed, they affect the programme, so allow time for them. If you lease the unit, your lease is likely to require the landlord's consent for structural alterations too, so raise it early. Where approvals are needed, we provide the equipment information the designer or approving body will ask for, such as dimensions, loads and fixing details.
Other checks we make at survey include underground services, drainage routes, the condition of the slab and walls around the opening, the power supply for new equipment and the space vehicles need to reverse safely.
How much does a loading bay conversion cost?
As a guide, a loading bay conversion costs £18,000 to £45,000 per bay, excluding VAT, supplied and fitted. The range is wide because the work varies from a lift table on an existing slab to a full recessed dock with retaining walls and drainage.
- Scissor lift tables: £9,500 to £28,000 per lift.
- Loading houses: £14,500 to £32,000 per house, before groundworks and approach works.
- Edge-of-dock levellers: £1,800 to £4,400 per leveller.
A conversion quote brings the parts together: the equipment, any groundworks and pits, drainage, electrics, the door and shelter at the new dock, and making good around the opening.
The main things that move the price are groundworks and pits, drainage, structural alterations, the door and shelter specification, electrics, access and any out-of-hours working. The written quote after survey is the fixed price. The survey and quote for a loading bay conversion are free and without obligation.
How do you choose the right conversion option?
Choose the conversion that fits your building, your yard and your vehicles, rather than starting from the equipment. A short list of questions usually narrows it down quickly:
- Which vehicles do you load, and how much do their bed heights vary?
- Is there internal floor space for equipment, or should it go outside?
- How much yard depth is there in front of the door for a house or ramp?
- Can the slab and walls be cut, and will the landlord allow it?
- Is the building temperature controlled?
- Can the door be out of use during the works, or must it keep working?
We bring the answers together at survey and set out the practical options side by side in the quote. If the conversion is part of a wider refit, see our guide to upgrading loading bays with minimal downtime.
Questions
Can any ground-level door be converted into a dock?
Most ground-level doors can be converted in some way, but not every option suits every building. A lift table can suit most openings with a sound slab and a power supply, while a recessed dock depends on yard space, ground conditions, drainage and underground services. A loading house needs room in the yard. We assess the opening, the yard and your vehicles at survey and recommend the options that are practical.
How long does a dock conversion take?
It depends on the option. A surface-mounted lift table involves far less work than a recessed dock with excavation, retaining walls, drainage and a new leveller pit. Approvals can add time before work starts, and made-to-measure equipment has its own lead time. We set out a proposed programme in the quote, including how long the door will be out of use and how the work can be phased around your operation.
Is a lift table a better option than a forklift and yard ramp?
Each method has its own risks and benefits, and your risk assessment should compare them for your site. A lift table brings pallet trucks to trailer height on a level platform at the door, while a yard ramp lets forklifts load from the yard without changing the building. Lift tables are lifting equipment under LOLER and need thorough examination. The right choice depends on your vehicles, volumes and layout.
Will a recessed dock flood?
A recessed approach collects surface water, so drainage has to be designed in from the start. That usually means drainage at the low point sized for the area that drains into it, and sometimes a pumped outfall where a gravity connection is not possible. Regular clearing of gullies and checks on any pumps are part of looking after the dock. We look at existing drainage and levels at survey before recommending this option.