Loading bay doors and dock equipment, UK-wideFree site survey for new docks and upgradesRepair visits priced before we attend
Call free 0800 088 6248
Lifts and loading houses · Slough

Loading houses in Slough

Businesses in Slough and the rest of Berkshire can come to us for loading houses, with one point of contact who stays with the job from first enquiry to sign-off.

Guide £14,500–£32,000 per house ex VATFree site surveySL1
Book a free survey0800 088 6248
Location
Slough, Berkshire
Main postcode district
SL1
Nearby (straight line)
Windsor (2 miles), Maidenhead (5 miles) and Gerrards Cross (6 miles)
Survey and quote
Free, with a fixed written quote
Loading houses, in short

A loading house is an insulated steel structure built against the outside wall of a building, containing a dock leveller and usually a shelter or seal at its front. The building door closes at the wall line, while trailers dock against the house. Loading houses suit buildings whose floor is at dock height but which have no room inside for a leveller pit.

What should sites in Slough consider?

Any loading house proposed in Slough needs its planning and building control position checked, which we look at during the site survey before quoting. Where a yard in Slough is narrow, an angled loading house lets trailers approach on a diagonal and can sometimes fit more bays along one wall.

Developers bringing forward industrial units in Slough can specify loading houses at design stage, keeping the internal slab clear for whichever tenant takes the unit.

We keep the process simple for sites in Slough. A free survey tells us what the dock needs; a fixed written quote tells you what it will cost and what is included. We then organise the installation, with specialist engineers under our management and a programme agreed around your shifts. Night and weekend work is available by arrangement. Before we leave, the new equipment is tested, demonstrated and handed over with its documentation.

What happens on site when a loading house is installed?

Installing a loading house takes the bay out of use from the foundation works to commissioning, but the building can stay secure because the existing wall and door remain until late in the job.

  1. Foundations: concrete pads or footings are formed in the yard and left to cure.
  2. Erection: the steel frame is lifted into place, usually by crane, and fixed to the foundations and building.
  3. Cladding and equipment: panels, leveller, shelter or seal, bumpers and lights are fitted.
  4. Door and electrics: the building door is fitted or adapted and the leveller and lights connected.
  5. Commissioning: everything is tested with a trailer before handover.

We ask you to provide yard space for the crane and deliveries, any drawings of drains or buried services, a power supply, and clear arrangements for keeping vehicles and people away from the lifting zone. Neighbouring bays may need to close briefly while the crane is working.

What is a loading house made of?

A loading house is a steel frame clad in insulated composite panels, with a dock leveller built into its floor and a shelter or seal across its front. It is made to suit your building, trailers and yard rather than bought off the shelf.

  • Frame: galvanised or painted steel, supported on legs or a sub-frame that sits on concrete foundations.
  • Walls and roof: insulated composite panels, usually colour-matched to the building cladding, with guttering to carry rainwater away.
  • Floor and leveller: a steel deck with a hydraulic swing-lip or telescopic-lip leveller set into it.
  • Front: a retractable or inflatable shelter or a foam seal, with bumpers below to take trailer impact.
  • Building door: an insulated sectional door in the original wall opening, closing the building when no trailer is docked.
  • Extras: internal lighting, dock lights and traffic lights as required.

The insulated envelope reduces the heat or chill lost around the trailer compared with an open dock.

Guide price, Slough
£14,500–£32,000 per house, ex VAT

The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.

What we look at on site

  • Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
  • Dock height and the mix of trailers you load
  • Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
  • Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
  • How often each door cycles during a typical shift
  • Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes

Options to discuss

Shelter or seal front

A retractable or inflatable shelter, or a foam dock seal, across the front of the house, chosen to suit your trailers and how tightly the bay needs to seal.

Leveller choice

A hydraulic swing-lip leveller for general trailer loading, or a telescopic-lip leveller for precise placement, end-loading and trailers that cannot be reversed tight to the dock.

Regulations and approvals in England

In England, Approved Document L (2021) sets a limiting U-value of 1.3 W/m²K for vehicle access and similar large doors in new and replacement work. That shapes door specification for sites in Slough, so we confirm the requirement for your project and check what applies at survey before recommending a door.

Questions about loading houses in Slough

Can you work outside our normal operating hours in Slough?

Yes, by arrangement. Evening, night and weekend working can be planned so the installation causes as little disruption as possible to your loading schedule. Out-of-hours work can affect the price, so mention it at the survey and we will include it in the written quote. The agreed times are confirmed in the programme before the job starts.

Is the site survey in Slough free?

Yes. For new installations, replacements, upgrades, conversions and complete bays, the site survey and written quote are free and come with no obligation. The survey lets us measure the openings, check the dock and structure, and understand how the bay is used, so the quote reflects your site. Repair and servicing visits are different: they are chargeable, with the price agreed before anyone attends.

Will you deal with building control and planning for a project in Slough?

We check at survey whether the work is likely to need approval. Forming a new opening or dock pit may need Building Regulations approval, a building warrant or building control approval, depending on the nation, and external structures such as loading houses can need planning permission. Where approval is needed, we explain what is involved, work with your designer or agent, and build it into the programme.

Is a loading house cheaper than forming an internal pit?

Not always. A loading house includes a whole steel structure, so the equipment cost is higher, but it avoids breaking out the slab and losing internal floor space. The best comparison is made at survey, taking account of racking, services under the floor and how the building will be used.

Can a loading house be moved later?

Loading houses are bolted steel structures rather than masonry, so in principle they can be dismantled and moved if your needs change. In practice, relocation needs new foundations and an opening at the new position, so it is usually considered only where a house is fairly new and the new position suits it.

Loading houses near Slough

Businesses outside Slough may find their nearest town in this list: Windsor (2 miles), Maidenhead (5 miles) and Gerrards Cross (6 miles). Each page covers doors, docks, repairs and servicing.

Other loading bay services in Slough

Full guide to loading houses · Everything we do in Slough

Call us or request a quote online to talk through loading bay work at your site in Slough.

Call freeGet a quote