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Hardwood & shopfront joinery
Hardwood Bar Fronts
Counter fronts, back-fits and footrails for pubs and cafes.
- Free measured survey
- Fixed written quote
- Workshop-made, site-fitted
- 10-year workmanship guarantee
- Fully insured
Walls in your home are rarely square and floors are rarely level. A hardwood bar front that is built in a workshop to a nominal size will show every millimetre of that. We survey first, scribe on site, and finish so the joint line disappears.
How we build it
Hardware is specified to the weight it is carrying, not to a price point. Soft-close runners are rated for the drawer load, hinges are adjustable in three planes, and sliding gear is sized so a full-height door still moves with one finger a decade later.
Finish and materials
Every finished job gets a short handover: what the surface is, how to clean it, and how to adjust a hinge if a door drops after the heating has been on for a season. Adjustment is normal in timber and takes about two minutes once you know which screw to turn.
| Typical guide price | from £1,350 per linear metre, fitted |
|---|---|
| Typical lead time | 6-9 weeks from signed drawings |
| Typical construction | Iroko or oak, lacquered |
| Guarantee | 10 years on workmanship |
Guide prices are indicative. Real cost depends on the run length, ceiling height, finish and what goes inside. The indicative price tool gives you a range in about a minute, and a free survey turns it into a fixed written quote.
Where we fit hardwood bar fronts
We survey and fit across 76 counties. Pick your area for local detail:
Often specified alongside
Hardwood Shopfronts
Traditional timber shopfronts built to the elevation, not to a standard module.
See detailShopfront Pilasters
The framing columns either side of the window, with plinth, shaft and capital.
See detailFascias & Signboards
Signboard, cornice and blocking, sized to carry the signwriting properly.
See detailStallrisers
The panelled base below the display glass, where the knocks actually land.
See detailStraight answers
Hardwood Bar Fronts — common questions
What makes a bar front different from domestic joinery?
It gets kicked, spilled on and cleaned with things you would never use at home, then repeated every night. The build has to assume abuse — thicker sections, replaceable panels, and a footrail that takes real weight.
Which timber?
Iroko or oak. Both take a beating and can be sanded back and refinished in situ rather than replaced, which matters when you cannot close for a week.
How is it finished?
Lacquered for cleanability rather than oiled — a bar front sees chemical cleaners nightly and needs a surface film. The top gets a harder-wearing spec than the front.
Can you include a footrail?
Yes, brass or stainless on brackets set to take standing weight. It also protects the bottom of the front, which is where the damage concentrates.
Do you build the back-fit as well?
Yes — shelving, bottle steps and under-counter housings, sized around the equipment schedule. Building the back-fit before the equipment is confirmed is how you end up cutting finished joinery on site.
How long does a bar take?
Six to nine weeks. The critical path is usually the equipment and services layout rather than the joinery, so the earlier that is fixed, the better.
Can panels be replaced individually?
That is how we build them. The framing stays and the panels come out, so a damaged section is a morning's work rather than a new bar front.
Do you work around a trading business?
Where possible. Most of the work happens in the workshop, and we can phase the fit so the bar is serving each evening, though there is usually one day that needs a closure.
Start with a measurement
Tell us the space — 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.