- Location
- Corby, Northamptonshire
- Main postcode district
- NN17
- Nearby (straight line)
- Uppingham (6 miles), Kettering (7 miles) and Market Harborough (10 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A retractable dock shelter is a fabric shelter fixed to the building around a loading bay door, with flexible top and side curtains carried on a sprung or pantograph steel frame. When a trailer reverses in, the frame retracts and the curtains drape against the trailer's sides and roof, closing most of the gap while leaving the full width of the trailer opening clear for loading.
Is this right for your site in Corby?
If a shelter on an older unit in Corby has a sound frame but torn, faded curtains, replacing just the curtains can be the economical choice. Industrial landlords in Corby refreshing a multi-let estate can fit shelters that suit a range of future tenants and the trailers they may use.
Retail and e-commerce distribution centres in Corby with high trailer turnover need tough sprung-frame shelters that recover quickly after each departure.
It starts with a free site survey in Corby, where we measure the openings, check the dock and talk through how the bay is used. You then receive a fixed written quote. Once you accept, we manage the job: specialist installation engineers carry out the work under our management, planned around your deliveries, and out-of-hours working can be arranged. At handover we test everything with you and leave the documentation.
Freight infrastructure is part of the background for sites near Corby. In particular, Northamptonshire's distribution cluster runs along the A43 and A14 corridors. A bay matched to its vehicles keeps goods moving and people safe.
How much does a retractable dock shelter cost?
A retractable dock shelter typically costs £1,900 to £4,400 per shelter, excluding VAT, supply and fit. Most of the variation comes from size, projection and the curtain specification.
- Size: width and height, set by your door and the largest trailers you receive.
- Projection: deeper shelters cost more but leave room for opened trailer doors and the leveller lip.
- Curtains: heavier-grade fabrics, slit side curtains, adjustable top curtains and guide stripes.
- Frame: sprung, pantograph or rigid, in a galvanised or painted finish.
- Fixings: fixing to cladding usually needs a steel subframe or spreader plates.
- Access and removal: powered access equipment in the yard, and taking down an old shelter.
On an older shelter with a sound frame, new curtains may be all that is needed, and we will say so if that is the case. Every price is fixed in the written quote after a free site survey.
How do I size a retractable shelter for my trailers?
Size a retractable shelter to the largest trailer you receive, with a projection deep enough for opened trailer doors and the leveller lip, and curtains that still reach the smallest vehicles. The trailer mix sets almost every dimension.
- Width: wider than the trailer, so the side curtains drape along its sides rather than across the opening.
- Height: high enough for the tallest trailers, with a top curtain deep enough to reach the roof of the lowest.
- Projection: deep enough for the rear doors, folded back along the trailer sides, to sit inside the curtains.
- Curtain cut-outs: vertical slits let the side curtains wrap around hinges and rear fittings without tearing.
- Guide stripes: contrasting stripes on the curtains help drivers centre the trailer.
If your fleet is uniform, a seal may give a tighter fit. Our guide to shelters and seals sets out the trade-offs.
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?
- Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
- Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
- Clear opening width and height for each door
- How often each door cycles during a typical shift
- Wall and steel structure for door, shelter and bumper fixings
- Forklift and pallet truck loads crossing the leveller platform
Options to discuss
Guide stripes
Contrasting high-visibility stripes on the curtains that give drivers a clear target to aim for when reversing onto the bay.
Sprung-frame shelter
Side frames on springs that fold back when a trailer pushes in and recover when it leaves, a robust choice for busy docks and mixed fleets.
What do the rules in England mean for the work?
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 Corby. 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 retractable dock shelters in Corby
Can you work outside our normal operating hours in Corby?
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.
Do you cover Corby for retractable dock shelters?
Yes. We take on retractable dock shelters for businesses in Corby and across Northamptonshire. We survey the site, provide a fixed written quote and manage the installation, with specialist installation engineers working under our management. Visits are arranged in advance at a time that suits your operation, and the same single contact stays with the job through to handover.
Is VAT included in your guide prices for retractable dock shelters?
No. Our customers are businesses, so guide prices exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. The same guide range applies in Northamptonshire as everywhere else: for retractable dock shelters, it is £1,900 to £4,400 per shelter, 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.
How do drivers know where to stop?
Bumpers set the stopping point, and many sites add dock lights, wheel guides and guide stripes on the shelter curtains to help drivers line up and reverse squarely. Traffic lights at the bay tell drivers when it is safe to reverse in and when they may leave.
Can I replace just the curtains on an old shelter?
Yes, if the frame and fixings are sound, new top and side curtains can be fitted to an existing shelter, which is often the most economical way to restore it. The frame and springs are checked first, because new curtains on a failing frame will not last. This is handled as a repair, with the visit price agreed beforehand.
Retractable dock shelters near Corby
Distances are measured from Corby. Nearby towns we cover include Uppingham (6 miles), Kettering (7 miles) and Market Harborough (10 miles), and other towns in the area are covered too.
Other loading bay services in Corby
Full guide to retractable dock shelters · Everything we do in Corby
For a written price on loading bay work in Corby, request a quote and include photos of the bay if you can.