A mezzanine floor is a free-standing steel platform built inside an existing building to create a second usable level, and it is the cheapest floor space most businesses will ever buy: you use the empty air above your current footprint instead of moving or extending. T C Rowan designs, fabricates and installs steel mezzanine floors across Oxfordshire, Banbury, Oxford and the surrounding counties, working as a single contractor from the structural design through to the final balustrade bolt.
What a steel mezzanine is used for
A mezzanine is a structural steel grid of columns and beams carrying a decked floor, accessed by a staircase, that sits independently of your building’s walls. Because it is self-supporting it can be designed around your operations, racking and doorways rather than dictated by them. Common uses include:
- Storage mezzanines: extra space for pallets, shelving and stock, often integrated with racking
- Office mezzanines: a partitioned office level built above a working warehouse or workshop
- Retail mezzanines: additional trading or display floor inside a shop or showroom
- Production and workshop mezzanines: platforms for plant, assembly lines or parts storage
For warehouse, retail and office owners who have outgrown their unit, a mezzanine answers the same need as a move or an extension at a fraction of the disruption.
How we design and install a mezzanine
Every mezzanine we build is engineered for its real loading, not assembled from a generic kit. The process runs in clear stages:
- 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 is confirmed by a structural engineer’s calculation. The decking, beam sizes, column spacing and stair position all follow from that calc, never from a guess.
- Fabrication: the steelwork is cut, drilled and welded in our own Banbury workshop to BS EN 1090 execution standards.
- Installation: 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 can be sequenced around a working unit.
Doing the design, fabrication and installation under one roof removes the gaps where these projects usually slip: mismeasured spans, clashing columns and decking that arrives wrong for the load. For the wider service, see our structural steelwork and industrial steelwork pages.
Loading, decking, balustrade and stair options
A mezzanine is specified to its intended use, and the structural calculation drives every figure below:
- Floor loading: storage floors carry higher distributed and point loads (racking legs) than office or retail floors; the engineer sets the rating per square metre for your use.
- Decking: high-density chipboard for offices and general storage, steel plate or open mesh grating where dirt, drainage or heavier traffic demand it.
- Balustrade and edge protection: handrail, kick plate and infill to guard every exposed edge, fabricated by the same workshop that builds our staircases.
- Stairs and access: single or dual staircases, plus pallet gates or loading gates where stock is lifted up to the floor.
We confirm all of these against the calc at survey stage so the quote reflects what your operation actually needs.
Building Regulations and trust
Most mezzanine floors require Building Regulations approval, and in many cases that includes fire protection under Approved Document B (Part B), such as fire-rated column casing and a protected staircase, plus column fire ratings tied to the floor area and use. The exact requirements depend on the building, the floor size and how the space is used, so we do not assume them: the structural and fire-protection specification is confirmed by the calculation and Building Control for your specific job. We will flag what your scheme is likely to need at survey and build to the approved design.
As a CE approved fabricator working to BS EN 1090 execution standards, with material traceability available on request, we supply mezzanine steelwork that arrives correct and ready to erect. We are family-run, fully insured, and use qualified, coded welders. Browse recent projects for examples across the region, or read our mezzanine floor cost guide before you enquire.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a mezzanine floor?
A mezzanine inside an existing building is usually an internal alteration rather than a planning matter, but it almost always needs Building Regulations approval, and a change of use of the space can bring planning into play. We will tell you what your scheme is likely to need at the survey stage and defer the detail to Building Control.
How much weight can a mezzanine floor hold?
As much as it is designed to. The floor is engineered to a specified loading per square metre, set by a structural engineer’s calculation for your use, whether that is light office occupancy or heavy pallet storage. We confirm the rating before fabrication so the floor matches the job.
How long does it take to install a mezzanine floor?
Fabrication happens off site in our 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 or shop 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, plus Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, with larger projects taken on UK-wide. Get in touch for a site assessment and a fixed quote.