- All figures are guide budget ranges for supply and fit in GBP excluding VAT; VAT is added at the standard rate and the written quote after survey is fixed.
- Size, insulation, operators, pit works, groundworks, electrics, access and out-of-hours working move prices within each range, so a survey matters before committing budget.
- A complete single bay with door, leveller, shelter and safety kit has a guide price of £13,500–£26,000, assuming an existing, sound leveller pit.
- Repair and servicing visits are chargeable with the price agreed before anyone attends, while surveys and quotes for new installations are free and without obligation.
How much does a loading bay cost?
A complete loading bay, with door, leveller, shelter and safety equipment supplied and fitted as one package, has a guide price of £13,500–£26,000 per bay, excluding VAT. Individual items range from a few hundred pounds for dock bumpers to tens of thousands for a loading house or lift table.
All prices in this guide are guide budget ranges in GBP for supply and fit, excluding VAT. Our customers are businesses, so VAT is added at the standard rate. Leveller prices assume an existing, sound pit; new pits, pit repairs, concrete and groundworks are priced separately after survey.
The figures help with early budgets and capital requests. The fixed price is the written quote we issue after surveying your site. Our prices page gives an overview of the same ranges.
Use the ranges to compare options, not as a substitute for a quote: the same item can sit at either end of its range depending on size, specification and site conditions.
What are the guide prices for each loading bay service?
Guide prices for each service, supply and fit and excluding VAT, are listed below.
- Sectional loading bay doors: £2,400–£5,200 per door, ex VAT
- High-speed dock doors: £6,500–£14,500 per door, ex VAT
- Roller shutter loading bay doors: £1,600–£4,800 per door, ex VAT
- Cold store dock doors: £4,800–£9,500 per door, ex VAT
- Loading bay door automation: £1,100–£2,400 per door, ex VAT
- PVC strip curtains: £180–£1,100 per opening, ex VAT
- Swing-lip dock levellers: £5,200–£8,800 per leveller, ex VAT
- Telescopic-lip dock levellers: £6,800–£11,800 per leveller, ex VAT
- Edge-of-dock levellers: £1,800–£4,400 per leveller, ex VAT
- Retractable dock shelters: £1,900–£4,400 per shelter, ex VAT
- Inflatable dock shelters: £6,800–£12,800 per shelter, ex VAT
- Dock seals: £1,100–£2,600 per set, ex VAT
- Dock bumpers: £120–£480 per bumper, ex VAT
- Vehicle restraints: £4,200–£9,800 per bay, ex VAT
- Dock traffic lights and interlocks: £650–£3,400 per bay, ex VAT
- Dock lights and wheel guides: £280–£950 per item, ex VAT
- Loading houses: £14,500–£32,000 per house, ex VAT
- Scissor lift tables: £9,500–£28,000 per lift, ex VAT
- Complete loading bay installation: £13,500–£26,000 per bay, ex VAT
- Loading bay conversions and upgrades: £18,000–£45,000 per bay, ex VAT
- Loading bay door repairs: £180–£1,400 per repair, ex VAT
- Dock leveller repairs: £220–£2,600 per repair, ex VAT
- Dock shelter and seal repairs: £380–£1,800 per repair, ex VAT
- Loading bay servicing: £85–£180 per item per visit, ex VAT
The first twenty lines cover new equipment and projects; the last four cover aftercare, which is priced differently, as explained below.
What makes loading bay prices go up or down?
Prices move within each range mainly because of size, specification and site conditions. Two docks with the same equipment list can cost quite different amounts once the survey shows what the building and yard need.
- Size: larger openings need bigger doors, shelters and levellers.
- Insulation: thicker panels, insulated laths and cold store specifications cost more.
- Operator and controls: manual doors cost less than powered ones, and interlocked controls add cost.
- Pit works: leveller prices assume an existing, sound pit; new or repaired pits are extra.
- Groundworks: concrete, drainage, yard repairs and restraint foundations are priced after survey.
- Electrics: new supplies, isolators and control wiring between equipment.
- Access: restricted access, working at height or lifting equipment needed for installation.
- Out-of-hours working: night or weekend work to keep your operation running.
- Location: remote and island sites are covered by arrangement, with travel costs shown in the quote.
Removing and disposing of old equipment is shown as a line in the quote where it applies.
What would a single complete loading bay cost?
An example single bay with an insulated sectional door, swing-lip leveller, retractable shelter and basic safety equipment comes to £15,660 ex VAT as a guide, inside the complete bay range of £13,500–£26,000. Here is how that example builds up, with each figure inside its own guide range:
- Insulated sectional door with electric operation: £3,800
- Swing-lip dock leveller into an existing, sound pit: £6,200
- Retractable dock shelter: £2,600
- Two dock bumpers at £240 each: £480
- Dock traffic lights interlocked with the door: £1,400
- Swing-arm dock light: £420
- Pair of wheel guides at £380 each: £760
Example total: £15,660 ex VAT. Adding a wheel-based vehicle restraint at around £5,500 would bring it to £21,160, still within the complete bay range.
This is an illustration, not a quote. It excludes pit works, groundworks, new electrical supplies and VAT. A telescopic-lip leveller, an inflatable shelter or a cold store door would push the total higher. See complete loading bay installation for what a package includes.
Why do cold store loading bays cost more?
Cold store and chilled bays cost more because each item needs a higher thermal specification. A cold store dock door is £4,800–£9,500 per door against £2,400–£5,200 for a standard sectional door, and an inflatable shelter is £6,800–£12,800 against £1,900–£4,400 for a retractable shelter.
Other cold store cost factors include:
- insulated leveller platforms and seals around the pit edges
- heated frames or seals on frozen-store doors
- a high-speed internal door to limit time open, at £6,500–£14,500 per door
- a loading house to keep the leveller outside the insulated envelope, at £14,500–£32,000 per house
Our guide to cold store loading bays covers the design side in more detail.
How should I budget for several bays?
For several bays, budget each bay from the guide ranges and then allow for shared items such as electrical supplies, groundworks and out-of-hours working, which are confirmed at survey. Bays of the same specification are simpler to plan, because the design and installation sequence can be repeated.
- group bays by specification, such as ambient, chilled or ground-level
- list the equipment for each group using the ranges above
- add a contingency for pit, groundworks and electrical items until the survey confirms them
- plan the order of work so the operation keeps enough bays open
One survey can cover every bay on a site, and the written quote can show each bay as a separate line so you can phase the work to suit your budget.
Why do I need a site survey before a fixed price?
A site survey turns a guide range into a fixed price, because most cost drivers can only be confirmed by measuring and inspecting the bay. For new installations, replacements, upgrades, conversions and complete bays, the site survey and written quote are free and without obligation.
At survey we check:
- opening sizes, headroom and side room
- pit size and condition for levellers
- dock height, yard levels and the vehicles you handle
- wall construction for shelters and seals
- power supply and routes for control wiring
- yard surface for restraints and wheel guides
- whether Building Regulations approval, a building warrant or planning permission may be needed
The written quote sets out the equipment, the work, any exclusions, the manufacturer's warranty and our workmanship terms in writing. That quote is the fixed price. Request a quote to arrange a survey.
How are repair visits priced?
Repair and servicing visits are chargeable, and the price is agreed with you before anyone attends. This applies to door, leveller, shelter and seal repairs as well as planned servicing.
How it works:
- You describe the fault, ideally with photos, the bay number and the equipment type.
- We agree a price for the visit or the repair before anyone attends.
- If the engineer finds further work is needed, it is quoted and agreed before it goes ahead.
- Attendance times are agreed per job.
Photos and a short video of the fault help us price the visit accurately and help the engineer arrive prepared. Within the repair ranges in the list above, the price depends on the parts needed, access, and whether work has to be done outside operating hours. Regular loading bay servicing, at £85–£180 per item per visit, ex VAT, helps catch wear before it becomes a larger repair.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace loading bay equipment?
Repair is usually cheaper in the short term, but replacement can make more sense when equipment is old, parts are hard to source or the same fault keeps coming back. The decision depends on condition, safety and how the bay is used.
Consider replacement when:
- repair quotes approach a large share of the replacement price
- an inspection report lists several serious defects at once
- an old door lets too much heat or cold through for your operation
- the leveller no longer suits your fleet or handling equipment
Replacement doors in England should meet the limiting U-value of 1.3 W/m²K for vehicle access doors under Approved Document L (2021) Volume 2. Other nations have their own rules, which we confirm per project. Where a bay needs several items replaced, a loading bay conversion or upgrade can be planned as one project, with a guide price of £18,000–£45,000 per bay, ex VAT.
Questions
Do your loading bay prices include VAT?
No. All our prices are guide budget ranges in GBP for supply and fit, excluding VAT. Our customers are businesses, so VAT is added at the standard rate on the quote and invoice. The guide ranges are for budgeting only; the fixed price is the written quote we issue after surveying your site.
Do dock leveller prices include the pit?
No. Leveller guide prices assume an existing, sound pit. Forming a new pit, repairing a damaged one, concrete work and other groundworks are priced separately after survey. If forming a pit is not practical, an edge-of-dock leveller, a loading house with a built-in leveller or a scissor lift table can avoid breaking into the floor.
Is the site survey free?
For new installations, replacements, upgrades, conversions and complete bays, yes: the site survey and written quote are free and without obligation. Repair and servicing visits are different. They are chargeable, and the price is agreed with you before anyone attends. Remote and island locations are covered by arrangement, with any travel costs shown in the quote.
Why is there such a wide price range for each item?
Each range covers small and large openings, basic and higher specifications, and straightforward and difficult sites. Size, insulation, operators, controls, pit works, groundworks, electrics, access and out-of-hours working all move the price. A survey pins these down, which is why the written quote after survey, rather than the guide range, is the fixed price for your project.