- Location
- Folkestone, Kent
- Main postcode district
- CT19
- Nearby (straight line)
- Dover (7 miles), Ashford (13 miles) and Deal (14 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A scissor lift table, often called a dock lift, is a powered platform raised and lowered by a hydraulic scissor mechanism to move goods between two levels. At a loading bay it lifts pallets and pallet trucks from ground level to the height of a trailer bed, making it a practical alternative to a raised dock where forming one is not possible.
What matters for scissor lift tables in Folkestone?
Where ground conditions in Folkestone make a deep recessed dock costly, a pit-mounted or surface-mounted lift table can be the more practical option. Food, drink and pharmaceutical sites around Folkestone that need clean, controlled loading points may prefer a lift table with bellows enclosing the scissor mechanism.
Town-centre and retail sites around Folkestone with little yard space often choose a dock lift because a recessed approach ramp would take up too much room.
We keep the process simple for sites in Folkestone. A free survey tells us what the dock needs; a fixed written quote tells you what it will cost and what is included. We then organise the installation, with specialist engineers under our management and a programme agreed around your shifts. Night and weekend work is available by arrangement. Before we leave, the new equipment is tested, demonstrated and handed over with its documentation.
What happens on site when a dock lift is installed?
Installing a dock lift takes the doorway out of use while any pit is formed and the lift fitted, so an alternative loading point should be planned for that period.
- Pit works: where a pit is needed, the yard is broken out, the pit formed and drained, and the concrete left to cure.
- Delivery and positioning: the lift is offloaded and set in place by forklift or crane, then levelled and fixed.
- Power and controls: the power pack and control station are connected to the supply confirmed at survey.
- Testing: the lift is run through its full travel, safety devices are checked and it is tested under load.
- Handover: operators are shown how to use it, and the documents and examination regime are explained.
We ask you to provide a delivery route, a cleared working area, the electrical supply, any drawings of buried services and a contact on site.
How much does a scissor lift table cost?
A scissor lift table for a loading bay typically costs £9,500 to £28,000 per lift, supplied and installed, excluding VAT. Smaller surface-mounted lifts sit towards the lower end; large, high-capacity pit lifts with gates and bridge plates sit towards the top.
What moves the price:
- Capacity: dock lifts are typically rated somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 kg, and heavier ratings need a stronger mechanism.
- Platform size and travel: larger platforms and greater lift heights cost more.
- Mounting: pit-mounted or surface-mounted with a ramp.
- Safety equipment: bellows or skirts, toe guards, rails, gates and bridge plates.
- Electrics and access: supply to the power pack, delivery access and out-of-hours working.
Forming a pit, drainage and other groundworks are priced separately after survey. Following a free site survey, the written quote is the fixed price. VAT is added at the standard rate.
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?
- Clear opening width and height for each door
- Forklift and pallet truck loads crossing the leveller platform
- Dock height and the mix of trailers you load
- Scope to convert ground-level doors into docks or add lift tables
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
Options to discuss
Guard rails and gates
Fixed rails and gated sides around the platform, arranged to suit the goods and how operators and pallet trucks move on and off the lift.
Surface-mounted lift table
Stands on the existing floor with a short ramp on to the platform at its lowest height. No excavation, a quicker install and easier to relocate later.
Planning, building control and safety law in England
Sites in Folkestone 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 scissor lift tables in Folkestone
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 Folkestone 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 Folkestone?
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.
Do you cover Folkestone for scissor lift tables?
Yes. We take on scissor lift tables for businesses in Folkestone 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.
Can a scissor lift table be installed outdoors?
Yes, scissor lift tables are often installed outdoors at the loading door. Outdoor lifts need a drained pit or a suitable base, weather-resistant finishes and controls, and sometimes a canopy over the loading area. A canopy is an external structure that may need planning permission, which we check at survey.
Can a forklift drive on to a scissor lift table?
Only if the lift has been designed and rated for forklift traffic. Most loading bay lift tables are built for pallet trucks, and a forklift's weight and wheel loads need a much heavier platform and mechanism. Tell us how you load at survey so the lift is specified correctly.
Scissor lift tables near Folkestone
Looking beyond Folkestone? Our pages for Dover (7 miles), Ashford (13 miles) and Deal (14 miles) describe the same loading bay services and how to get in touch.
Other loading bay services in Folkestone
Full guide to scissor lift tables · Everything we do in Folkestone
Send a few photos of the dock and a short description of the problem, and we will come back to you about your Folkestone site.