A steel mezzanine floor is a self-supporting platform built inside your existing building to create a new level for storage, office, retail or production space, engineered to a load that a structural engineer confirms in writing. T C Rowan designs, fabricates and installs mezzanine floors across Oxfordshire from our own workshop in Banbury, running the whole project as one contract from the first sketch to the final bolt. Below is what we build, how we get the loading and fire specification right, and what a project looks like from survey to sign-off.
What we build
Every mezzanine we build is sized and laid out for the operation using it, not assembled from a fixed kit of parts. The most common types are:
- Storage mezzanines: extra floor space for pallets, shelving and stock, often built to interface directly with racking and pallet gates
- Office mezzanines: a partitioned office level built above a working warehouse or workshop, keeping management and admin on site without losing floor space below
- Retail mezzanines: additional trading or display floor inside a shop or showroom
- Production and multi-tier mezzanines: platforms for plant, assembly lines, parts storage, or a genuine two- or three-tier structure where floor space is at a premium
Staircases, pallet gates and loading gates are part of the design from the outset rather than bolted on afterwards. If you are weighing up which type fits your operation, our guide comparing warehouse, office and retail mezzanines sets them out side by side. For general industrial steelwork alongside the mezzanine itself, see our industrial steelwork page.
Design loads and use
The single biggest factor in a mezzanine’s design, cost and detailing is the load it has to carry, and that comes from how the floor will actually be used. As a guide:
| Use | Commonly specified load | Approx. equivalent | Typical deck | Fire and guarding notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office space | 2.5-3.5 kN/m2 | ~255-355 kg/m2 | 38mm P5 chipboard | Occupied floors more often need fire-rated construction |
| General storage | 4.8 kN/m2 | ~490 kg/m2 | 38mm P5 chipboard or steel plate | Storage-only floors are often left unprotected |
| Heavy or palletised storage | 7.2-9.6 kN/m2 | ~735-980 kg/m2 | Steel plate, durbar or mesh where drainage is needed | Racking-leg point loads checked separately; guarding to Approved Document K |
These figures are a starting point, not a spec. The beam sizes, column spacing, decking and stair position all follow from a structural engineer’s calculation to BS EN 1991-1-1 (with the UK National Annex) for your actual use, not from a generic chart. For a deeper look at how loading is worked out, read our guide on mezzanine floor load capacity.
Fire protection and Building Regulations
Most mezzanine floors need Building Regulations approval, and fire protection is usually part of that. Storage-only mezzanines are often left unprotected, but an occupied mezzanine, or one that covers a large enough area, commonly needs 60-minute fire-resisting construction under Approved Document B of the Building Regulations, plus a protected escape route and edge and stair guarding to Approved Document K. Exactly what applies depends on the building, the floor area and how the space is used, so we do not assume it: the fire and structural specification is confirmed by the calculation and by Building Control for your specific job, and we build to whatever is approved.
We cover this in more depth in our guide to mezzanine floor fire regulations, and the wider approval process in our Building Regulations guide. If planning rather than Building Control is the question, see our guide on mezzanine floor planning permission. The government’s own guidance on fire safety design is set out in Approved Document B.
How a project runs
Every mezzanine we build follows the same sequence, whatever the use:
- Site survey and brief: we measure the building, note column-free zones, doorways, eaves height and your intended use.
- Structural design and calculation: the steel grid is designed and the floor loading confirmed by a structural engineer’s calculation to BS EN 1991-1-1, so the beam sizes, column spacing, decking and stair position all follow from that figure.
- Building Control: where approval is needed, we prepare the application and drawings so the scheme is signed off before and after the work, not left as a loose end.
- Fabrication: the steelwork is cut, drilled and welded in our own Banbury workshop to BS EN 1090 execution standards, with material traceability available on request.
- Installation and sign-off: our own erection team bolts the floor together on site with minimal hot work, so most mezzanines go in over days rather than weeks, and we hand over a completed floor ready for Building Control’s final inspection.
For the mechanics of how the steel goes together, read our guide on how to build a mezzanine floor, or see our structural steelwork page for the wider engineering service behind every project.
Decking, staircases, guarding and finishes
The loading table above sets the deck and finish, not the other way round. 38mm P5 chipboard is the standard deck for offices and general storage, with steel plate, durbar plate or open mesh grating used where drainage, dirt or heavier wheeled traffic demand it. Every open edge and stair gets handrail, kick plate and infill guarding to Approved Document K, fabricated in the same workshop that builds our internal steel staircases. Access is designed in from the start: single or dual staircases, plus pallet gates or loading gates where stock is lifted up to the floor, sit within our wider industrial access steelwork. We confirm all of this against the calculation at survey stage, so the quote reflects what your operation actually needs rather than a standard fit-out.
Areas we cover
We are based in Banbury and install mezzanine floors across Oxfordshire, including Oxford and Bicester, plus Witney, Brackley, Buckingham and Milton Keynes. Our wider service area covers Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, with larger projects taken on UK-wide.
Why a fabricator rather than a storage-equipment reseller
Most companies quoting mezzanine floors in Oxfordshire are storage-equipment resellers: they design the layout, then sub-contract the steelwork to a fabricator they do not control. T C Rowan is the fabricator. We design, fabricate and erect every mezzanine ourselves from our own Banbury workshop, working to BS EN 1090 execution standards with material traceability available on request. One contract covers design, fabrication and erection, so there is no handover between a sales team and a subcontracted steelwork firm where measurements, loading assumptions or timescales can drift. It is the same approach behind our wider design and build steelwork service, and you can see it applied on real jobs in our recent projects. Our mezzanine floor cost guide explains what drives the price before you enquire.
In short
- Load: mezzanines are typically engineered to 2.5-9.6 kN/m2 depending on office, storage or palletised use, confirmed by a structural engineer’s calculation.
- Fire: storage-only floors are often unprotected; occupied or larger mezzanines commonly need 60-minute fire-resisting construction, confirmed by Building Control.
- Planning: an internal mezzanine usually does not need planning permission on its own, but a retail floor addition of 200 square metres or more in England can bring it into play.
Frequently asked questions
How much weight can a mezzanine floor hold in Oxfordshire?
It depends on the use. As a guide, office mezzanines are typically specified around 2.5 to 3.5 kN per square metre (roughly 255 to 355 kg/m2), general storage floors around 4.8 kN/m2 (about 490 kg/m2), and heavy or palletised storage floors 7.2 to 9.6 kN/m2 (about 735 to 980 kg/m2). The final figure always comes from a structural engineer’s calculation for your specific load, not a generic table.
Do I need planning permission for a mezzanine floor?
A mezzanine built inside an existing building is normally treated as an internal alteration and does not usually need planning permission on its own, though it will need Building Regulations approval. One specific exception in England: adding 200 square metres or more of retail floor space with a mezzanine can bring planning permission into play. We will flag anything unusual at survey, and you can also check with your local planning authority.
Does a mezzanine floor need fire protection?
It depends on how the mezzanine is used and how big it is. Storage-only mezzanines are often left unprotected, but occupied or larger mezzanines commonly need 60-minute fire-resisting construction under Approved Document B, plus guarding to Approved Document K on every open edge and stair. Building Control makes the final call for your specific building and use, and we build to whatever specification is approved.
How long does it take to install a mezzanine floor?
Fabrication happens off site in our own Banbury workshop, then installation on site typically takes days rather than weeks because the steel bolts together with minimal hot work. We can sequence the work around a live warehouse, shop or office so trading continues.
Do you cover Oxford and the rest of Oxfordshire?
Yes. We are based in Banbury and install mezzanine floors across Oxfordshire, including Oxford, Bicester and Witney, plus Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, with larger projects taken on UK-wide. Get in touch for a site survey and a fixed quote.
Do you design, fabricate and install the mezzanine yourselves?
Yes. We design, fabricate and install the complete mezzanine ourselves, using our own Banbury workshop and our own erection team, working to BS EN 1090 execution standards. Everything runs through one firm from the structural drawing to the final bolt, so there are no gaps between design, fabrication and installation that usually cause delays, clashes and rework.