- A loading house moves the leveller, shelter and bumpers outside the building, so the internal floor stays clear and the main door closes on the building line.
- They suit buildings with no room for internal docks, slabs that cannot be cut, cold stores that need the insulated envelope intact, and sites adding docks to existing walls.
- Straight houses are the simplest layout; angled houses let trailers reverse in on a diagonal, which can help where yard depth is limited but uses more wall length.
- Guide prices are £14,500 to £32,000 per house excluding VAT; planning permission and building approvals may apply, and we check both at survey.
What is a loading house?
A loading house is a self-contained, insulated structure fixed to the outside of a building at a door opening, containing a dock leveller, a dock shelter or seal, bumpers and often lights and wheel guides. The trailer reverses up to the house rather than to the building wall, and goods pass through the house and the building door.
You may also hear them called dock houses, dock pods or loading pods. They are typically built from a steel frame clad in insulated sandwich panels, with a floor that lines up with the building's floor, often at a dock height of around 1,200 mm above yard level, supported on legs or a substructure.
Because everything sits outside, the building's main door can be closed when no trailer is present, and the internal floor at the door stays flat and clear. Houses are usually made to measure for each opening, which is why they are quoted after a survey. See our loading houses service page for what we supply and fit.
When should you use a loading house instead of an internal dock?
Use a loading house when an internal dock is impractical or would cost you something you need to keep, such as floor space, the integrity of an insulated floor or the ability to close the building off. Typical situations include:
- No internal space: racking, production lines or a tight floor plan leave no room for a leveller and its approach inside the door.
- A slab that cannot be cut: structural slabs, buried services or a landlord who will not allow a pit.
- Keeping doors closed off: the building door shuts on the building line, so security and weather protection do not depend on the shelter.
- Cold chain: in chilled and frozen stores the leveller sits outside the insulated envelope, so there is no pit through the cold floor.
- Adding docks: extra bays on an existing wall, often alongside a door conversion.
A loading house is not always the best answer. If there is plenty of internal space, the slab can be cut and the building is ambient, an internal pit leveller is usually simpler and often costs less per bay. For temperature-controlled sites, our cold store loading bays guide explains how loading houses fit into a cold chain design.
What is the difference between angled and straight loading houses?
A straight loading house sits square to the building so the trailer reverses in at right angles to the wall, while an angled loading house is set at an angle so trailers reverse in on a diagonal. The choice mainly comes down to yard depth, how vehicles approach and how many bays you need along the wall.
- Straight: the simplest layout and the most compact along the wall, but trucks need enough yard depth to swing round and reverse in square.
- Angled: trailers turn through a smaller angle, which can help where yard depth is limited, but each bay takes up more wall length and the house shape is more complex.
Angled houses are sometimes called saw-tooth docks because of the pattern they form along a wall. Mixed layouts are possible too, with straight houses on part of a wall and angled houses where the yard narrows. We check vehicle paths and yard space at survey before recommending either layout, because a house that looks right on a plan still has to work for the drivers using it every day.
How are loading houses built and insulated?
Most loading houses use a structural steel frame with insulated sandwich panels for the roof and walls, an internal platform for the leveller and an opening on the yard side for the shelter or seal. The panels keep the weather out and, for cold stores, reduce heat transfer through the house.
Specification points to agree:
- Panel type and thickness: thicker insulated panels for temperature-controlled sites.
- Leveller type: swing-lip or telescopic-lip, sized to your trailers and loads.
- Shelter or seal: retractable, inflatable or foam seal, depending on fleet and temperature.
- Roof drainage: gutters and downpipes so rainwater is taken away from the dock.
- Lighting and power: dock lights, controls and the electrical supply to the leveller and shelter.
- Finish and colour: to match the building where planning or the landlord requires it.
What equipment goes inside a loading house?
A loading house normally contains a complete dock: a leveller on the house platform, a shelter or seal on the yard face, bumpers at the front and usually a dock light, with restraints, traffic lights and wheel guides on the approach. Because the house is supplied as a package, these items can be designed to work together from the start.
- Leveller: swing-lip for general loading, or telescopic-lip where the trailer needs a longer reach or more precise placement.
- Shelter or seal: chosen for your fleet and, for cold stores, for a close seal around the trailer.
- Bumpers: fixed to the front of the house so trailers stop before reaching the leveller.
- Lighting: a swing-arm dock light and lighting inside the house.
- Safety controls: traffic lights, vehicle restraints and interlocks, so the door and leveller are only used when the trailer is in place and secured.
- Controls: a control panel within reach of the loading position.
The building door behind the house remains your main barrier for security and weather, so its condition and seals matter just as much as the house itself.
What foundations does a loading house need?
A loading house needs foundations that can carry its own weight, the leveller and the loads crossing it, usually pad foundations or a concrete base under its legs or columns. The exact design depends on the house, the loads and the ground, so it is confirmed after survey and, where needed, by a structural engineer.
Some designs stand on adjustable steel legs on pad foundations, leaving most of the yard surface underneath undisturbed. On a sloping yard, adjustable legs also help set the house level with the building floor. Others sit on a substructure or plinth. The house is also tied back to the building at the opening, so the condition of the wall and the opening matters.
Groundworks, drainage around the legs and any approach works are priced separately after survey. Underground services in the yard need to be located before any digging, which is part of the survey process.
Do you need planning permission for a loading house?
A loading house is an external structure, so planning permission may well be needed, and you should not assume it is not. Whether it applies depends on the site, its planning history, any conditions on the existing permission and the local planning authority's view.
Building Regulations approval in England and Wales, a building warrant in Scotland or building control approval in Northern Ireland may also be needed for the structural work, such as forming or altering the opening. We check both at survey, tell you what is likely to apply and allow for the time it takes in the programme.
If you lease the unit, your lease is also likely to require the landlord's consent for external alterations, so raise it early.
How much does a loading house cost?
As a guide, a loading house costs £14,500 to £32,000 per house, excluding VAT, supplied and fitted with its leveller and shelter. Groundworks, approach works and any structural alterations to the opening are priced after survey.
The main things that move the price are:
- size, and whether the house is straight or angled;
- panel insulation, especially for cold stores;
- the leveller and shelter specified inside it;
- foundations, drainage and ground conditions;
- electrics, access and any out-of-hours working.
If the house is part of turning a ground-level door into a dock, see our guide to converting a ground-level door into a dock. The written quote after survey is the fixed price, and the survey and quote are free and without obligation. Compare other guide figures on our prices page.
What maintenance and safety checks does a loading house need?
A loading house needs the same inspection and maintenance as any other dock, because the leveller, shelter and controls inside it are work equipment. Under PUWER, work equipment must be maintained in a safe condition and inspected where deterioration could lead to danger, and engineering insurers commonly inspect dock levellers at 12-month intervals.
Add the house itself to your checks: panel joints and seals, roof drainage, the fixing to the building and the condition of the legs or base. Repair panel damage from vehicle impacts promptly, because a split panel lets water into the insulation and the frame.
Safety measures at the dock still apply, including safeguards against drivers pulling away too early, such as vehicle restraints or traffic lights. Our loading bay servicing can cover the leveller, shelter and door in one visit.
Questions
What is the difference between a loading house and a dock shelter?
A dock shelter is the curtain or air-bag enclosure that seals around the back of a trailer at the door. A loading house is a whole insulated structure built outside the building that contains a leveller and a shelter or seal, plus bumpers and lights. The house moves the dock outside, while a shelter on its own is fitted to a dock that is already part of the building.
Can a loading house be added to an existing building?
Yes, loading houses are often added to existing buildings, either at an existing door or at a new opening formed in the wall. The wall, the opening and the yard all need to suit, including space for vehicles to manoeuvre and room for foundations. Structural work may need approval and the house may need planning permission, which we check at survey before you commit.
Is a loading house a good option for a cold store?
It is often a strong option, because it keeps the leveller pit out of the insulated floor and lets the cold store door close on the building line when no trailer is present. Insulated panels, a close-fitting shelter or seal and heated details at the door complete the design. The right specification depends on the store temperature and how often the door is used.
How long does it take to install a loading house?
It depends on the size of the house, the foundations and any work to the opening, and on approvals that must be in place first. Made-to-measure houses have a manufacturing lead time, and groundworks may need to be done in advance. We set out a proposed programme in the quote, including how long the door is out of use and how other bays keep working.