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Lifts and loading houses · Taunton

Loading houses in Taunton

For operators in Taunton thinking about loading houses, the starting point is a conversation about the site, the vehicles you load and how the bay is used day to day.

Guide £14,500–£32,000 per house ex VATFree site surveyTA1
Book a free survey0800 088 6248
Location
Taunton, Somerset
Main postcode district
TA1
Nearby (straight line)
Bridgwater (9 miles), Burnham-on-Sea (16 miles) and Tiverton (19 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 Taunton consider?

Any loading house proposed in Taunton needs its planning and building control position checked, which we look at during the site survey before quoting. Developers bringing forward industrial units in Taunton can specify loading houses at design stage, keeping the internal slab clear for whichever tenant takes the unit.

Chilled stores near Taunton sometimes favour loading houses because the building door closes at the wall line, keeping the cold envelope sealed when no trailer is docked.

Our part of the job in Taunton is to survey, quote and manage; the fitting itself is done by specialist installation engineers working under our management. The survey and the written quote are free. Once the fixed price is accepted, we agree dates that work around your deliveries and shifts, including out-of-hours working where needed. Every installation is tested before handover, and you receive the documentation for each item fitted.

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.

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, Taunton
£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

  • Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
  • Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
  • Dock height and the mix of trailers you load
  • Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
  • Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
  • Asbestos register and any other site hazard information

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

Powered doors and dock equipment installed in England may carry the UKCA or the CE mark, and doors are covered by the product standard BS EN 13241. We hand over the relevant documentation for each item fitted in Taunton. Planning and Building Regulations questions are never assumed either way: we check what applies at survey, so you know before work is booked.

Questions about loading houses in Taunton

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

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.

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 Taunton 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 you work outside our normal operating hours in Taunton?

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.

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 Taunton

The same survey, quote and repair service is available in towns around Taunton, such as Bridgwater (9 miles), Burnham-on-Sea (16 miles) and Tiverton (19 miles).

Other loading bay services in Taunton

Full guide to loading houses · Everything we do in Taunton

Whether it is a new bay or a fault on an existing one, call us or request a quote for your site in Taunton.

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