- Location
- Gravesend, Kent
- Main postcode district
- DA12
- Nearby (straight line)
- Tilbury (2 miles), Grays (3 miles) and Strood (6 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A roller shutter loading bay door is a door made from interlocking horizontal slats, called laths, that coil around a barrel in a box above the opening. Because it rolls up into a compact space, a shutter needs little headroom and no ceiling tracks, which suits older units, low-headroom openings and buildings with cranes, pipes or racking close above the door.
Where does this fit at a dock in Gravesend?
Docks that face an open yard in Gravesend can catch strong gusts, so we check orientation and specify end locks and heavier laths where exposure calls for it. Unheated stores and trade counters in Gravesend can suit a single-skin steel shutter, giving a secure dock door at a lower cost than an insulated sectional door.
Landlords refurbishing a vacant unit in Gravesend may choose an insulated shutter where headroom is tight but a future tenant is likely to heat the building.
Here is what happens after you contact us about a site in Gravesend. We arrange a free survey, measure up and send a fixed written quote. If you go ahead, we manage the whole job, including ordering, delivery and coordination with your site team. Specialist installation engineers working under our management do the fitting, at times built around your loading schedule, with out-of-hours work by arrangement. Testing and handover documents close the job.
How much does a roller shutter loading bay door cost?
A roller shutter loading bay door typically costs £1,600 to £4,800 per door, excluding VAT, supply and fit. That usually makes it the most economical door for a dock opening, though the specification makes a big difference to where a door lands.
The price depends mainly on:
- Size: wider openings need a larger barrel, heavier laths and stronger brackets.
- Lath type: single-skin steel is the cheapest; foam-filled insulated laths and aluminium cost more.
- Operation: hand chain, or an electric motor with controls, safety edge and photocells.
- Wind resistance: end locks, deeper guides or heavier gauge laths for exposed openings.
- Finish: galvanised steel or a powder-coated colour, plus a hood box to protect the coil.
- Site work: stripping out an old shutter, repairing reveals, providing power and working out of hours.
The written quote that follows our free site survey fixes the price for the work described.
Can a roller shutter cope with high winds at an exposed dock?
Yes, if it is specified for the exposure. Wind pushes the curtain inwards or draws it outwards, and on a wide opening that load can pull laths out of their guides or bow the whole curtain.
For exposed docks we typically consider:
- End locks: clips on the ends of the laths that hold the curtain inside the guides under load.
- Deeper guides: give the end locks more to hold on to.
- Heavier gauge or profiled laths: stiffer across wide openings.
- Intermediate wind bars: horizontal reinforcement on very large shutters.
Openings that face open yards, sit at the end of a building or are funnelled between units tend to see the strongest gusts. We note orientation and surroundings at survey and choose a wind-resistant build where it is needed, rather than adding cost to every door on the site.
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
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
- Bumper position and wear or damage on the dock face
- Dock height and the mix of trailers you load
- Escape routes and pedestrian doors close to the bay
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
Options to discuss
Aluminium shutter
Lighter laths that resist corrosion, suited to coastal sites, washdown areas and large openings where a lighter curtain puts less strain on the motor.
Insulated lath shutter
Foam-filled twin-skin laths that improve thermal performance and reduce noise, for heated goods-in areas where headroom rules out a sectional door.
Which rules apply in England?
Sites in Gravesend fall under the rules for England. Structural changes such as forming a new opening or a dock leveller pit may need Building Regulations approval, and external structures such as loading houses, canopies or new dock approaches can need planning permission from the local planning authority. We check what applies at survey and build any approvals into the plan.
Questions about roller shutter loading bay doors in Gravesend
Do you remove and dispose of the old equipment?
Yes, where it is part of the scope. When we replace doors, levellers, shelters or seals at a site in Gravesend, removal and disposal of the old equipment can be included and is itemised in the quote, so it is clear what is covered. If anything should be kept, such as a frame or motor that is still serviceable, we agree that at survey.
Do you cover Gravesend for roller shutter loading bay doors?
Yes. We take on roller shutter loading bay doors for businesses in Gravesend and across Kent. 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 roller shutter loading bay doors?
No. Our customers are businesses, so guide prices exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. The same guide range applies in Kent as everywhere else: for roller shutter loading bay doors, it is £1,600 to £4,800 per door, 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.
Do roller shutters work on cold store docks?
Roller shutters are rarely used as the main door on a cold store dock, because even insulated laths do not hold temperature as well as a purpose-made cold store door. They can work as an outer security door in front of an insulated door, or at ambient bays on the same site.
Are roller shutters noisy at a loading bay?
A roller shutter is generally noisier than a sectional door because the laths move against each other as they coil, though insulated laths and well-adjusted guides reduce this. Noise matters most where the dock is close to offices or neighbours. Keeping the barrel and guides clean and lubricated keeps running noise down.
Roller shutter loading bay doors near Gravesend
Distances are measured from Gravesend. Nearby towns we cover include Tilbury (2 miles), Grays (3 miles) and Strood (6 miles), and other towns in the area are covered too.
Other loading bay services in Gravesend
Full guide to roller shutter loading bay doors · Everything we do in Gravesend
Tell us what is happening at your Gravesend dock, what equipment is there and when it is used, and we will suggest the right next step.