Comparison · Commercial decorators
Both deliver commercial decorating across the UK. Bagnalls bring 150 years of heritage and a national network of 17 branches. A Star bring a director on site signing off the paperwork, delivery on retail frameworks for R.G. Carter and Morris & Spottiswood, and handover with every snag closed: every zone inspected and signed off before handover. Here is the honest way to choose.
Working with
In environments
What you get
01 / Bagnalls on the public record
These are the facts Bagnalls publish on their own site and verifiable third-party sources. The comparison below uses only these claims for Bagnalls, and verifiable A Star claims for us.
Founded 1875. 17 branches across the UK. ~700 directly employed staff including ~600 painters and decorators.
Source: bagnalls.co.uk
Direct employment model. Worker retention with many staff over 25 years.
Source: Indeed company reviews
Sector range from royal palaces to factories, offices, hospitals and schools.
Source: bagnalls.co.uk
Primark Stevenage · for R.G. Carter
The store kept trading while the facades were cleaned and restored above the town square.
DOFF cleaning and powder coated frame restoration on a phased framework programme, surveyed, RAMS issued and delivered around live retail hours.
02 / lever-by-lever
Bagnalls
150 years, 17 UK branches, ~700 staff.
A Star
Founded 2003. South coast base. UK wide on framework programmes.
Bagnalls
Branch manager model: the operative on site is one layer down from the commercial decision.
A Star
Director led. The director who signs the paperwork is the one who walked the site. No middle layer.
Bagnalls
Standard tier-1 contractor approach.
A Star
Health and safety compliance at the highest level. Photo handover per zone. Handover with every snag closed.
Bagnalls
Full ISO stack and SSIP.
A Star
CHAS accredited. £10m Employers' Liability and £5m Public Liability. RAMS and COSHH authored in house with director led sign off, not subbed.
Bagnalls
Heritage and decorative are strengths. Industrial and intumescent are within range but not headline.
A Star
Live trading capable. Intumescent on structural steel, DOFF cleaning, powder coat and aluminium frame restoration, spraying on site, all delivered around occupied operations.
Bagnalls
National via 17 branches.
A Star
South of England based. UK wide through main contractor frameworks (Uplands Retail, R.G. Carter, Morris & Spottiswood).
03 / the honest pick
Pick Bagnalls if
Pick A Star if
Both firms are legitimate UK commercial decorators. Bagnalls' value is scale and heritage. A Star's value is operational discipline at the individual scheme level and direct accountability to the director. Pick the one that matches the problem you are trying to solve.
See also: who we are · live and recent projects · accreditations and insurance.
The director who signs the paperwork walked your site.
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We will review the service route, access, preparation, finish and likely next step before the job is priced properly.
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