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Greater Manchester · North West
Alcove Units & Shelving in Greater Manchester
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
Greater Manchester is a county of dense Victorian terraces, mill conversions and large interwar council-built estates. 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
Every run of alcove units we make starts with a site survey and a set of setting-out drawings, not a catalogue page. We measure the opening in Greater Manchester, check the walls for wind and the floor for fall, then cut a carcass that fits the room you actually have.
How we build it
Carcass work is birch ply or MR MDF depending on span and load. Face frames and doors are solid hardwood. Everything is machined on the same setting so stiles, rails and reveals line through, and shadow gaps stay parallel from one end of the run to the other.
Finish and materials
You can have it primed for your own decorator, sprayed in any RAL or heritage colour, or left in oiled timber. Oiled finishes can be refreshed at home; sprayed finishes are harder wearing and are what we recommend for kitchens and anything at knee height.
| Guide price | from £550 per linear metre, fitted |
|---|---|
| Lead time | 4–5 weeks from signed drawings |
| Construction | MDF, hand-painted |
| Survey area | All of Greater Manchester, including Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport |
Want a number now? The indicative price tool gives a range in about a minute. A free survey in Greater Manchester turns it into a fixed written quote.
Towns we cover
Other joinery for Greater Manchester
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 Greater Manchester — common questions
Are the two alcoves either side of a chimney the same size?
Almost never. In a Victorian or Edwardian house they routinely differ by 20 to 40mm, and the walls lean. That is precisely why alcove units are made individually rather than bought as a pair.
Cupboards below and shelves above?
It is the classic arrangement for a reason: closed storage where it is at eye level when you sit down, open display above. Typical split is cupboards to 900mm with four to five shelves over.
Can the shelves be adjustable?
Yes, on shelf pins into drilled rows, or on a routed housing if you want the look of fixed shelving. Adjustable is more practical; fixed housings look better and are stronger.
Can you get a TV and media kit into an alcove unit?
Yes, with a ventilated back panel and a brush plate for cables. Equipment needs air — a sealed cupboard full of amplifiers will overheat and shorten the kit's life.
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 Greater Manchester — 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.