- Location
- Gorseinon, West Glamorgan
- Main postcode district
- SA4
- Nearby (straight line)
- Llanelli (5 miles), Swansea (5 miles) and Ammanford (9 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.
How does this suit sites in Gorseinon?
Chilled stores near Gorseinon sometimes favour loading houses because the building door closes at the wall line, keeping the cold envelope sealed when no trailer is docked. Manufacturing businesses around Gorseinon adding a dock to an existing building often find a loading house less disruptive than breaking out the slab inside.
Any loading house proposed in Gorseinon 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 Gorseinon 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.
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.
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.
The same published guide range applies across Wales; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What do we check at the survey?
- Lighting inside trailers and at the dock face
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
- Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
Options to discuss
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.
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.
Which rules apply in Wales?
HSE regulates workplace safety in Wales. Loading bays in Gorseinon need doors that meet regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, work equipment maintained under PUWER, and safeguards that stop vehicles leaving the dock too early. We check what applies at survey and build those measures into the design.
Questions about loading houses in Gorseinon
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 Gorseinon 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.
How long does installation take at a site in Gorseinon?
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 you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Gorseinon?
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.
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 Gorseinon
If your site is not in Gorseinon itself, it may be near one of these: Llanelli (5 miles), Swansea (5 miles) and Ammanford (9 miles). Pick the closest.
Other loading bay services in Gorseinon
Full guide to loading houses · Everything we do in Gorseinon
Use the quote tool to tell us about the doors, levellers or shelters at your Gorseinon site, and we will be in touch to arrange the next step.