Manhole Covers

Manhole Covers provide access to our drains, sitting on top of either plastic inspection chambers or old brick manholes. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, weights and materials, including polypropylene, steel and ductile iron.

We receive more questions about manhole covers than on any other subject, so we have produced an infographic fact sheet packed with do's and dont's and questions and answers - click here to take a look.

MANHOLE COVERS FEATURES

Historically, manhole covers were square or rectangular castings that had to be surrounded with a bed of concrete or tarmac, limiting the amount of choice for new installations. These days there is a wide range available, including covers that can be fitted discreetly into block paving or patios, or even inside the house! Circular manhole covers are also now commonplace, brought about by the introduction of circular plastic inspection chambers.

In terms of materials, you can choose from galvanised steel, ductile iron or polypropylene. Steel and polypropylene are the lightest materials and are very strong and hardwearing. Cast or Ductile Iron look particularly good in period properties, or in tarmac drives. As always you should ensure that the loading capacity of the cover that you choose is fit for the location where it is to be installed.

Our covers are made by recognised market leaders such as ClarkDrain and Floplast.

MANHOLE COVERS LOADING CAPACITY

If the manhole cover is in a garden or other pedestrian area, it only needs to be an A Class cover, rated to 2.5 tonnes. In a driveway we recommend B class, which is rated to 5 tonnes and will support a slow moving wheel load of 1.25 tonnes – perfect unless your everyday drive is a tank!

If you bring a van or small truck onto your drive we recommend a C class cover with a 10 Tonne load capacity. For more commercial applications, please refer to the table below.

Load Rating	Wheel Load Supported	Recommended For
2.5 Tonne	N/A	Pedestrian Use Only
5 Tonne	1.25 Tonne	Domestic Driveways
10 Tonne	2.5 Tonne	Service Areas / Restricted Access
17 Tonne	4.25 Tonne	As above but will support small commercial vehicles
25 Tonne	6.25 Tonne	Pedestrian Precincts and Commercial Delivery areas
38 Tonne	9.5 Tonne	Petrol Forecourts - special order, please contact us
40 Tonne	10 Tonne	Forklift traffic - special order, please contact us

MANHOLE COVERS COMPATIBILITY

Please note that most modern covers will not fit into old frames – it is much easier and very much safer to remove the old frame entirely and fit the new cover and frame as a complete unit. For full details of loadings, please refer to the table above, there is also a lot of information available by clicking on the Guides and Tips tab below.

MANHOLE COVERS INSTALLATION & REPLACEMENT

Unfortunately, we are unable to supply covers without frames. All replacement covers must be fitted in their own frame, which means removing the old frame.

To ensure that you buy the correct sized cover and frame the key measurement to take is the clear opening size rather than that of the actual frame or cover. By measuring the clear opening this will ensure that your cover gives you the correct access required to your drainage system and is the correct size to sit comfortably on the surrounding material.

If your replacement cover is being fitted to a plastic inspection chamber then just measure the diameter of the chamber. Gutter Supplies supply a variety of lightweight and heavyweight manhole covers in Galvanised Steel, Ductile Iron and Plastic, in various shapes and sizes.

For further information on installation and replacing manhole covers, please visit our Guides and Tips section for manhole covers, we have also created an infographic that you can see here.

CHRISTMAS DELIVERY SCHEDULE

ORDERS OF STOCKED ITEMS

All orders made before the 12pm cutoff on 22nd December will be delivered 23rd December.

Orders between 12pm December 22nd and 12pm December 23rd will only be delivered on 24th December if ordered with special AM delivery, all other orders made after the 12pm cutoff on December 22nd will be delivered once normal service resumes.

Normal service will resume on January 3rd, with any orders placed up until this time to be delivered the following week commencing 6th January.

ORDERS OF DIRECT ITEMS

For orders of direct items, please see individual supplier pages below. If there is no specific information, please get in touch with us so we can contact suppliers for the most up-to-date Christmas delivery information.

DELIVERY CUT OFF TIMES

All orders are being dispatched as normal. Unless subject to exclusions, all orders received before 12pm will be delivered the next working day.

Please note, standard Cast Iron Gutter systems have a cut off time of 11am. Large or palletised orders have a cut off time of 12pm.

ORDER DAY	DELIVERY CUT OFF TIME	DELIVERY DAY*
Monday	12pm	Tuesday
Tuesday	12pm	Wednesday
Wednesday	12pm	Thursday
Thursday	12pm	Friday
Friday	12pm	Monday
Saturday	12pm	Tuesday
Sunday	12pm	Tuesday
Bank Holidays (except Bank Holiday Monday)	12pm	Next Working Day (Bank Holiday Monday orders will be delivered the following Wednesday)

*Delivery to non-Industrial Scotland, Northern Ireland, and CH, LL, and CA postcodes can sometimes take slightly longer, although this is dependent upon the exact location.

If we are unable to deliver your order within the above timeframe for any reason, we will contact you to arrange an alternative delivery day. We use overnight carriers, so we are unable to arrange or confirm an exact time of delivery.

Some special or non-stocked items on our website have extended lead-times, which are displayed on the product pages in question – see below for more details.

Whilst every reasonable effort shall be made to keep to a delivery date, we cannot be held liable for any losses, costs, damages, or expenses arising directly or indirectly out of any failure to meet any estimated delivery date.

In the unlikely event of a late delivery, we will be unable to compensate you for any consequential loss, so please do not organise any plant or labour before you have received your materials.

DELIVERY CHARGES AND EXTENDED LEAD TIMES

Orders over £250 excluding VAT will be delivered free of charge. Orders under this amount will incur a charge of £15.00 + VAT. This applies to most stocked items and some items that are supplied directly from manufacturers. Orders of stocked items are generally delivered in 1-3 working days.

Some stocked items will incur a bulky or pallet charge due to their extreme weights or lengths:

Bulky items - £45.00 + VAT charge placed on orders that contain one or more bulky products. These items will be marked as bulky during the checkout process.
Palletised items - £60.00 + VAT charge placed on orders that contain one or more items that need to be sent and delivered via a pallet. These items will be marked as palletised during the checkout process.

A full list of stocked items can be found here.

Certain items, usually those sent direct from manufacturers, incur additional delivery charges and an extended lead time regardless of the order value, due to the restrictions placed upon us by our carrier and the extreme weights/lengths. These charges are applied instead of the standard £15.00 + VAT charge if the order is valued under £250 excluding VAT.

The following product ranges have extended lead times or incur additional delivery charges. Please click on each individual range for specific details.

OUR COURIER PARTNERS

COURIER NAME	ORDER TRACKING	CONTACT INFORMATION	DELIVERY DAYS	NEXT DAY DELIVERY?
DX	Use online tracking portal	8am-6pm Mon-Fri (£35 charge for AM delivery - available for stocked items only) 8am-4pm Sat (£40 charge for Saturday delivery - available for stocked items only) Express: 0333 241 5700 Freight: 0333 241 1100	Mon-Sat	Yes
DHL	Use online tracking portal	7am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat 02476 937 770	Mon-Sat	Yes
DPD	Follow the information provided via SMS	8am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat, 9am-3pm Sun 0121 275 0500	Mon-Sat	Yes
Magnus/Pallex	Please contact us directly	N/A	Mon-Fri 8am-6pm	Yes
Own Transport	Please contact us directly	Email: [email protected] Phone: 01206 867500	Mon-Sat	Yes

OUR DELIVERY AREA

LOCATION	RESTRICTIONS	ADDITIONAL CHARGES	NOTES
Mainland UK	N/A	No additional charges for location, product specific delivery charges still apply	N/A
Ireland Jersey Guernsey	We are currently unable to deliver to these areas	N/A	N/A
Isle of Man Isle of Wight Scottish Highlands Northern Ireland		Additional delivery charge applies. Amount dependent on weight and length of product ordered. PBSL Group will contact you regarding this charge after we receive your order.	N/A
Scottish Isles	N/A	Additional delivery charge applies. Amount dependent on weight and length of product ordered. PBSL Group will contact you regarding this charge after we receive your order.	Many of our customers in the Scottish Isles choose to have their order redirected to a local haulier such as Woody's Express or Hebrides Haulage in Inverness.

Certain direct suppliers are able to ship outside of these areas depending on product quantity and availability. Please get in touch with us regarding any such queries.

SPLIT DELIVERIES

If you have ordered a mixture of goods that come both from us and direct from our manufacturing partners, you will be advised of this in your dispatch email. As the order is coming from two locations, you will receive two different deliveries. Delivery on direct items can have extended lead times and will need someone present to check and sign for the goods.

Occasionally, we don't have all items in stock at our main warehouse. If this is the case, we will endeavour to send the stock the same day from one of our other branches, in order to not delay delivery of the complete order. This may lead to a split delivery, dependant on the courier being used. We will contact you if there is going to be a delay due to this.

LABOUR AND MACHINERY

Please do not book machinery or labour until your goods have been received and checked over. Whilst every effort is made by our couriers to deliver your parcel within the stated timeframe, Professional Building Supplies cannot be held responsible for any additional costs incurred by delays outside of our control.

CHECKING AND SIGNING FOR ORDERS

SIGNED FOR POLICY – T&CS

All orders should be signed for. If you are unable to sign for your delivery, you can arrange with us for a neighbour to take delivery of your order. You can also advise us of a safe place where your order can be left, although we cannot take responsibility for any shortages or obvious damages.

Please ensure that you always check the number of packages that you are signing for. If there is an incorrect number of packages or any package appears damaged, you should note this on the signature panel and advise us so that we can rectify the issue as quickly as possible. Once goods have been signed for as being received ‘complete and in good condition’, any claims are not covered by the carrier’s insurance company.

Signing for goods as ‘unchecked’ makes any claims inadmissible, so please check the number of packages and look for any signs of any damage, noting any issues on the signature panel. Although the delivery drivers are busy, they are contractually obliged to wait whilst you check your delivery.

WHAT IF I CAN’T WAIT IN ALL DAY?

There is a ‘Notes’ section of the Basket review page where you can request for your goods to be left in a safe location – just tell us where to leave the order. Please not that we cannot take responsibility for any shortages or obvious damages if goods have not been signed for.

Please note that deliveries made by DHL (these are generally small orders with no pipe or bulky products) cannot be left in a safe location. You will be advised which carrier will be delivering your order by email at the point of dispatch.

REFUNDS, RESTOCKING AND RETURNS

RESTOCKING CHARGES

These are applicable to business customers and returns after 14 days.

Deductions may apply if the value of the goods is diminished by any amount as a result of handling of the goods by the consumer beyond what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.

PRODUCT	RESTOCKING FEE (% OF PRODUCT PRICE)	COLLECTION CHARGE
Copper and Zinc Gutters	20%	£70
Storm Building Products	15%	Yes – depending on order value
Guardian Building Products	15%	Yes – depending on order value, plus return carriage charge if required
Shower Wall Cladding	35%	N/A
Painted Aluminium products	MADE TO ORDER – CANNOT BE RETURNED	MADE TO ORDER – CANNOT BE RETURNED
Cast Iron: Premier Primed Standard Rainwater, Premier Primed Sand Cast Rainwater, Premier LCC Soil, Halifax Soil & Drain Systems Fittings Only	25%	N/A
Cast Iron: Premier Extra (Black) Standard Rainwater, Premier Extra (Black) Sand Cast Rainwater, Mech 416 Soil System Fittings Only, Traditional Express Soil System	35%	N/A
FH Brundle Steel Fencing	20%	N/A

For further information and clarification of the legislation surrounding the return of goods, and associated costs, please refer to regulation 35 of The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

RETURNS AND REFUNDS

Please read our Returns & Refunds policy for further details.