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Essex · East
Hardwood Bar Fronts in Essex
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
Essex is a county of timber-framed cottages inland and interwar and modern estates along the Thames corridor. That is exactly the kind of building stock a hardwood bar front 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 hardwood bar front we make starts with a site survey and a set of setting-out drawings, not a catalogue page. We measure the opening in Essex, 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
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
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.
| Guide price | from £1,350 per linear metre, fitted |
|---|---|
| Lead time | 6-9 weeks from signed drawings |
| Construction | Iroko or oak, lacquered |
| Survey area | All of Essex, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Southend-on-Sea, Basildon |
Want a number now? The indicative price tool gives a range in about a minute. A free survey in Essex turns it into a fixed written quote.
Towns we cover
Other joinery for Essex
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
Hardwood Bar Fronts in Essex — common questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
Is bespoke joinery more expensive than a fitted furniture chain?
On a like-for-like specification it is usually comparable, and often less. Chains price a standard carcass and then charge for every deviation. A bespoke maker prices the actual room once. Where bespoke does cost more is in the materials — solid hardwood and sprayed finishes cost more than foil-wrapped board, and they last a great deal longer.
Start with a measurement
Tell us the space in Essex — 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.