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Lifts and loading houses · Blackpool

Loading houses in Blackpool

Need loading houses for a warehouse, factory or distribution site in Blackpool? Below you will find how we approach the work, what we check on site and the details that help us give you an accurate answer.

Guide £14,500–£32,000 per house ex VATFree site surveyFY1
Book a free survey0800 088 6248
Location
Blackpool, Lancashire
Main postcode district
FY1
Nearby (straight line)
Poulton-le-Fylde (3 miles), Thornton-Cleveleys (4 miles) and Lytham St Annes (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.

Why do sites in Blackpool choose this?

Any loading house proposed in Blackpool needs its planning and building control position checked, which we look at during the site survey before quoting. Racked warehouses around Blackpool that cannot spare internal floor space for a dock can move the leveller outside the wall into a loading house instead.

Manufacturing businesses around Blackpool adding a dock to an existing building often find a loading house less disruptive than breaking out the slab inside.

For loading houses in Blackpool, we begin with a free site survey and a fixed written quote, so you know the scope and cost before committing. We take responsibility for managing the job, and specialist installation engineers carry it out under our supervision. Bays are taken out of use in a planned sequence so the rest of the dock keeps working, and evening or weekend work can be arranged. Each item is tested at handover and the documentation is left with you.

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.

How much does a loading house cost?

A loading house typically costs £14,500 to £32,000 per house, supplied and installed, excluding VAT. That covers the insulated structure with its leveller and shelter or seal; the figure for your site depends on size, layout and what has to happen to the building and yard.

What moves the price:

  • Size and layout: straight houses are simpler than angled ones, and larger houses use more steel and panel.
  • Leveller type: telescopic-lip levellers cost more than swing-lip.
  • Front sealing: inflatable shelters cost more than retractable shelters or foam seals.
  • Foundations: ground conditions and buried services decide the size of pads or footings.
  • Building works: forming or enlarging the wall opening, and a new insulated door if needed.
  • Electrics and access: supply to the leveller and lights, crane access and any out-of-hours working.

These are guide budgets. After a free site survey we send a written quote that is the fixed price. VAT is added at the standard rate.

Guide price, Blackpool
£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.

Survey checklist for your dock

  • Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
  • Asbestos register and any other site hazard information
  • Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
  • Escape routes and pedestrian doors close to the bay
  • Drainage on recessed or sloping dock approaches
  • Wall and steel structure for door, shelter and bumper fixings

Options to discuss

Angled loading house

Set at an angle to the wall so trailers approach on a diagonal, useful on narrow yards and sometimes allowing more bays to fit along a single elevation.

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.

Regulations and approvals in England

Lift tables and dock lifts in Blackpool may fall under LOLER, with thorough examination at least every 12 months, or every 6 months where people are lifted. It depends on the equipment and how it is used, and your insurer or competent person will confirm. Dock levellers are usually treated as work equipment under PUWER. We check what applies at survey.

Questions about loading houses in Blackpool

What details do you need from us to quote for loading houses?

To get started, send the site address in Blackpool, the number of bays or openings, approximate sizes, and photos of the dock from inside and outside. Tell us what vehicles you load, what goods you handle and any temperature requirements. Drawings help on new builds. We then arrange the free survey and confirm the details before the written quote is issued.

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 Blackpool 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.

Is the site survey in Blackpool 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.

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.

How long does a loading house take to install?

The programme depends mainly on foundation works and manufacturing lead times, and we set it out in writing with the quote. On site, foundations must cure before the frame goes up, and the rest of the work follows in sequence. We agree dates with you so other bays can keep working.

Loading houses near Blackpool

Close neighbours of Blackpool with their own pages here: Poulton-le-Fylde (3 miles), Thornton-Cleveleys (4 miles) and Lytham St Annes (6 miles). Choose one to see coverage details for that town.

Other loading bay services in Blackpool

Full guide to loading houses · Everything we do in Blackpool

Ready to talk about a loading bay in Blackpool? Call us, or send the details through the quote form.

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