- Location
- Carmarthen, Dyfed
- Main postcode district
- SA31
- Nearby (straight line)
- Llanelli (13 miles), Ammanford (14 miles) and Gorseinon (17 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
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.
Where does this fit at a dock in Carmarthen?
Units in Carmarthen with floors at dock height but no room for an internal leveller pit are typical candidates for an external loading house. For older buildings in Carmarthen with a raised floor and little internal space by the wall, an external house can provide a modern hydraulic dock without major alterations.
Any loading house proposed in Carmarthen needs its planning and building control position checked, which we look at during the site survey before quoting.
The survey is free, the quote is written and the price is fixed: that is how every installation in Carmarthen begins. We then manage the work from start to finish. Fitting is carried out by specialist installers under our management, phased so the operation keeps moving, and nights or weekends can be booked by arrangement. On the final day we test the equipment with you and hand over the operating and maintenance information.
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.
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.
- Foundations: concrete pads or footings are formed in the yard and left to cure.
- Erection: the steel frame is lifted into place, usually by crane, and fixed to the foundations and building.
- Cladding and equipment: panels, leveller, shelter or seal, bumpers and lights are fitted.
- Door and electrics: the building door is fitted or adapted and the leveller and lights connected.
- 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.
The same published guide range applies across Wales; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What does the free survey cover?
- Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
- Wall and steel structure for door, shelter and bumper fixings
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
- Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- Clear opening width and height for each door
Options to discuss
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.
Straight loading house
Set square to the building wall, the simplest layout where the yard has room for trailers to reverse straight in. Usually the most economical arrangement for one or more bays.
What do the rules in Wales mean for the work?
Scissor lift tables and dock lifts in Wales can fall under LOLER, with thorough examination at least every 12 months, or every 6 months where people are lifted, depending on the equipment and its use. For sites in Carmarthen, your insurer or competent person will confirm the regime, and we check what applies at survey.
Questions about loading houses in Carmarthen
What warranty comes with new loading bay equipment?
New equipment comes with the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by product. Our workmanship terms are set out in writing in the quote for your Carmarthen site, so you can see what is covered before you commit. Check the warranty terms for any servicing conditions, and we can quote for planned maintenance once the installation is complete.
Do you cover Carmarthen for loading houses?
Yes. We take on loading houses for businesses in Carmarthen and across Dyfed. We survey the site, provide a fixed written quote and manage the installation, with specialist installation engineers working under our management. Visits are arranged in advance at a time that suits your operation, and the same single contact stays with the job through to handover.
How long does installation take at a site in Carmarthen?
It depends on the equipment, the number of bays, the condition of the dock and whether any building or electrical work is needed. We agree a programme with you after the survey, setting out which bays are out of use and when. Larger jobs are usually phased so that part of the dock stays open, and out-of-hours working can be arranged.
Can a loading house be used for a cold store?
Yes. Loading houses suit chilled and frozen operations because the building door closes at the wall line, keeping the cold space sealed when no trailer is docked. The panels, door and shelter or seal are specified to suit the temperatures involved, which we confirm at survey.
What door is used with a loading house?
The building wall behind a loading house usually has an insulated sectional door, which closes the building at the wall line when no trailer is docked. An existing door can sometimes be kept if it is in good condition. In England, replacement doors need to meet the Approved Document L limiting U-value for large doors.
Loading houses near Carmarthen
Other towns within reach of Carmarthen on our coverage list include Llanelli (13 miles), Ammanford (14 miles) and Gorseinon (17 miles), all covered on the same terms.
Other loading bay services in Carmarthen
Full guide to loading houses · Everything we do in Carmarthen
Ready to talk about a loading bay in Carmarthen? Call us, or send the details through the quote form.