Access, parking and two-person lifts

Large or heavy glass needs at least two people at your end to carry it safely. Where your order includes a glass panel over 2 metres on any side, or the glass on the order weighs over 30 kg, checkout tells you before you pay. Tell us about parking, steps, narrow entrances or site rules when you order, not on the day, so we can plan a delivery that works.

When do I need two people?

Checkout shows a kerbside notice when your order includes large or heavy glass: a panel over 2 metres on any side, or more than 30 kg of glass on the order. It says delivery is to the kerbside and that you need enough people to carry it safely: two minimum for panels over 30 kg or 2 m. If you want to pay with a phone wallet such as Apple Pay or Google Pay on that order, you tick to confirm you have read the notice first.

Weight goes with total thickness, so a laminated panel weighs about the same as toughened glass of the same total thickness. If nobody is there to help, our driver cannot carry a large panel alone and the delivery cannot be completed.

How heavy is my glass?

Glass weighs 2.5 kg per square metre for every millimetre of thickness. So a square metre of 10 mm glass weighs 25 kg, and the same piece in 12 mm weighs 30 kg. Work out your piece with the glass weight calculator, which also tells you whether it is a one-person lift, a two-person lift or a job for lifting equipment.

The calculator is guidance for planning, not a manual handling assessment. Whoever moves the glass should assess the task, the load, the route and the people doing it. The HSE explains how in its manual handling guidance.

What should I tell you about access?

1. 1

   Step 1: Walk the route

   Walk from where a van can legally stop to where the glass is going. Note every step, gate, turn and doorway.

2. 2

   Step 2: Check parking

   Note permit bays, red routes, loading restrictions by time of day, and any height or weight limit on the approach.

3. 3

   Step 3: Note building or site rules

   A gated estate, a concierge, a delivery window, a site induction or someone who has to sign us in all need to be known in advance.

4. 4

   Step 4: Add it to your order

   Put everything in the delivery notes at checkout, or ring us before delivery day.

We will tell you honestly whether the order can be delivered as planned, whether it needs a different vehicle or day, or whether collection would be easier. Where an order goes straight from our supplier to your address, this information matters even more, because the delivery cannot be re-planned on the morning.

What are the common problems?

These are the things that most often stop a delivery, and almost all are known in advance:

• a narrow or shared entrance, or no way through to the back
• no parking, a permit bay, a red route or a loading restriction
• a height barrier or weight limit on the approach
• steps, a steep drive, or a long carry from where a van can stop
• nobody available to help carry a large panel

Where to go next

• Weigh your panel: glass weight calculator
• Delivery day: what to expect
• Glass weight and handling
• Collecting from a branch

Questions we get asked