- Location
- Bicester, Oxfordshire
- Main postcode districts
- OX25, OX26 and OX27
- Nearby (straight line)
- Oxford (11 miles), Cowley (12 miles) and Banbury (14 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 Bicester?
For older buildings in Bicester with a raised floor and little internal space by the wall, an external house can provide a modern hydraulic dock without major alterations. Manufacturing businesses around Bicester adding a dock to an existing building often find a loading house less disruptive than breaking out the slab inside.
Developers bringing forward industrial units in Bicester can specify loading houses at design stage, keeping the internal slab clear for whichever tenant takes the unit.
Any project involving loading houses at a working site in Bicester takes planning. We survey free of charge, quote a fixed price in writing, and then agree a programme that keeps as much of the dock running as possible. Specialist installation engineers carry out the work under our management, out of hours if that suits you better. On completion we test each item, show your team how it operates and leave the documentation with you.
Does a loading house need planning permission or building approval?
A loading house can need planning permission, because it is a new external structure, so we check this at survey rather than assuming it is not needed. The answer depends on the site, the size of the house and any planning conditions already on the building.
Forming a new opening in the building wall is a structural alteration that may need approval. In England and Wales that means Building Regulations approval, in Scotland a building warrant, and in Northern Ireland building control approval.
Energy rules can also apply to the door in the building wall. In England, Approved Document L (2021) Volume 2 sets a limiting U-value of 1.3 W/m²K for vehicle access and similar large doors in new and replacement work. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own energy rules, and we confirm the figure that applies to your nation and project.
The leveller inside the house is specified to BS EN 1398:2009, the dock leveller safety standard. Our guide to loading houses explained goes through the approvals in more detail.
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 England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What do we check at the survey?
- Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
- Scope to convert ground-level doors into docks or add lift tables
- Lighting inside trailers and at the dock face
- Bumper position and wear or damage on the dock face
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
Options to discuss
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.
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.
Which rules apply 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 Bicester, so we confirm the requirement for your project and check what applies at survey before recommending a door.
Questions about loading houses in Bicester
What details do you need from us to quote for loading houses?
To get started, send the site address in Bicester, 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.
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Bicester?
Yes. For new warehouses and fit-outs, we can supply and install the dock package as part of a wider project, working to the main contractor's programme, site rules and permits. We will need drawings, dock levels and the programme, and we coordinate pit details, power supplies and door openings with the relevant trades before installation begins.
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 Bicester 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.
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.
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.
Loading houses near Bicester
Looking beyond Bicester? Our pages for Oxford (11 miles), Cowley (12 miles) and Banbury (14 miles) describe the same loading bay services and how to get in touch.
Other loading bay services in Bicester
Full guide to loading houses · Everything we do in Bicester
Ready to talk about a loading bay in Bicester? Call us, or send the details through the quote form.