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Dorset · South West
Alcove Units & Shelving in Dorset
Chimney-breast alcoves filled properly, scribed to walls that are never square.
- Free measured survey
- Fixed written quote
- Workshop-made, site-fitted
- 10-year workmanship guarantee
- Fully insured
Dorset is a county of purbeck stone cottages, Victorian resort housing and a large retirement-build stock. That is exactly the kind of building stock a run of alcove units has to be drawn around, so we allow for it at survey stage rather than on fitting day — walls get checked for wind and plumb, floors for level, and the setting-out is taken from the worst reading, not the best.
How we approach it
A run of alcove units is a permanent part of the building, so it is worth setting out properly. We take the survey, agree the drawings, machine the parts in the workshop and fit in Dorset in one visit wherever the programme allows.
How we build it
Moisture matters more than most people expect. Timber is conditioned before machining, and anything going into a kitchen, utility or bathroom is specified in materials that will not swell at the bottom edge. That is why the base of a well-made unit still closes cleanly after five winters.
Finish and materials
Finishing happens in the workshop wherever possible. Sprayed paint gives an even film that brushwork cannot match, and the only work left on site is the final touch-in around scribes and fixings.
| Guide price | from £550 per linear metre, fitted |
|---|---|
| Lead time | 4–5 weeks from signed drawings |
| Construction | MDF, hand-painted |
| Survey area | All of Dorset, including Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Dorchester |
Want a number now? The indicative price tool gives a range in about a minute. A free survey in Dorset turns it into a fixed written quote.
Towns we cover
Other joinery for Dorset
What happens next
Four steps, no surprises
Survey
A joiner visits, measures the opening, checks for level and plumb, and talks through how you want to use the space.
Drawings & quote
You get a setting-out drawing and a fixed written price. Nothing is ordered until you have approved both.
Workshop
Parts are machined, assembled and finished under cover while the site carries on with other trades.
Fit & handover
We fit, scribe, adjust and touch in, then walk you through care and adjustment before we leave.
Straight answers
Alcove Units & Shelving in Dorset — common questions
Can you build around existing skirting?
Two options. We scribe the unit over the skirting, which is quick and reversible, or we cut the skirting back and run it into the unit for a flush finish. The second looks much better and is what we would normally recommend.
How far can a shelf span before it sags?
In 18mm MDF, about 800mm loaded with books. Beyond that we either thicken to 25mm, add a front lipping, or put a division in. A bowed shelf is the most common fault in self-built alcove work.
Will they be painted to match the walls?
Usually painted to match either the wall colour, so they recede, or the woodwork colour, so they read as part of the architecture. We spray them in the workshop in any colour you supply a reference for.
Do you need to remove the old units first?
We can strip out existing units and take them away. Make-good to the plaster behind is usually needed and we will tell you at survey whether it is minor filling or a plasterer's job.
Do you work with architects and builders?
Regularly. We can work to your drawings and specification, price from a schedule, and co-ordinate with the main contractor's programme. We are equally happy dealing directly with a homeowner from a rough sketch.
Start with a measurement
Tell us the space in Dorset — we’ll tell you what it costs
Every quote starts with a free measured survey, so the price you get is the price you pay. No deposit is taken until you have drawings you are happy with.