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Lifts and loading houses · Hinckley

Loading houses in Hinckley

Need loading houses for a warehouse, factory or distribution site in Hinckley? 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 surveyLE10
Book a free survey0800 088 6248
Location
Hinckley, Leicestershire
Main postcode district
LE10
Nearby (straight line)
Earl Shilton (4 miles), Nuneaton (4 miles) and Bedworth (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 Hinckley choose this?

Units in Hinckley with floors at dock height but no room for an internal leveller pit are typical candidates for an external loading house. Chilled stores near Hinckley sometimes favour loading houses because the building door closes at the wall line, keeping the cold envelope sealed when no trailer is docked.

Any loading house proposed in Hinckley 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 Hinckley 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.

Can a loading house be added to an existing building?

Yes, loading houses are often added to existing buildings, provided the floor is at or near dock height and the wall can take a suitable opening. Adding docks without breaking out the floor is one of the main reasons operators choose them.

At survey we check:

  • the floor height inside against the yard level outside;
  • whether an existing door opening can be used, or a new one formed in the cladding or masonry;
  • drains, ducts and other buried services where foundations will go;
  • the space trailers need to manoeuvre, and whether an angled house would work better;
  • any planning or building control approval the project may need.

Where the existing door is in good condition and suits the new layout, it can sometimes be kept. If your building has floors at yard level, a wider loading bay conversion may be the better route.

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, Hinckley
£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 does the free survey cover?

  • Bumper position and wear or damage on the dock face
  • Escape routes and pedestrian doors close to the bay
  • Clear opening width and height for each door
  • Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
  • Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
  • Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles

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.

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

Lift tables and dock lifts in Hinckley 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 Hinckley

Is VAT included in your guide prices for loading houses?

No. Our customers are businesses, so guide prices exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. The same guide range applies in Leicestershire as everywhere else: for loading houses, it is £14,500 to £32,000 per house, excluding VAT. It covers supply and fit for a typical installation. Your fixed written quote after the free survey shows the net price, the VAT and exactly what is included.

Is the site survey in Hinckley 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 Hinckley?

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.

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.

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 Hinckley

The same survey, quote and repair service is available in towns around Hinckley, such as Earl Shilton (4 miles), Nuneaton (4 miles) and Bedworth (6 miles).

Other loading bay services in Hinckley

Full guide to loading houses · Everything we do in Hinckley

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