About SWR Balustrade
Forty years of stainless balustrade.
Designed, fabricated and installed in the UK since 1985. Six system pillars, twenty-two individual systems, one workshop in Hemel Hempstead.
1985
trading since
22
systems
96 NPS
customer score
2,400+
projects completed
The Story
From a Hemel Hempstead workshop to UK-wide stainless specialists.
Established
1985
Workshop
Hemel Hempstead, HP2
Specialism
Stainless balustrade
Group
SWR Group, trading division
SWR Balustrade is a trading division of SWR Group, a Hertfordshire-based architectural-systems business that has been operating since 1985. We design, fabricate and install premium stainless steel balustrade (wire, modular, glass channel, handrail and specialist systems) for residential, commercial and listed-building projects across the UK.
The original SWR Group business started in stainless wire and rope products, supplying marine and architectural rigging from a single workshop in Hemel Hempstead. The balustrade specialism grew out of that. It began as a sideline producing wire balustrade for self-builders and small architectural practices, and became a dedicated trading division as demand for stainless balustrade products on UK residential and commercial projects accelerated through the 2000s.
Today the business operates across six system pillars: wire balustrades, modular glass, stainless handrails, glass channel, components, and specialist systems. They comprise twenty-two individual systems in total. The workshop in Hemel Hempstead remains the centre of fabrication; every stainless component on every SWR system is cut, drilled and finished here before it leaves for site.
The company is a member of the British Stainless Steel Association and an Approved Partner for OnLevel and ClickitUp on co-branded systems. Every SWR balustrade ships with project-specific structural calculations to BS 6180:2011 and Approved Document K compliance, including a fifteen-year structural warranty backed by the parent company.
The work has changed since 1985. New software, new certifications, tighter regulations, partner-engineered systems sitting alongside our own. The question we ask at the start of every project hasn’t changed. What does this project actually need? The answer drives the system recommendation, the spec, and the install. Everything else follows from that.
What We Do
Three things, done well.
Most balustrade companies do one of three things: design, supply, or install. SWR does all three, in-house, on every project.
01
Design & specification.
Our technical team produces project-specific structural drawings, BS 6180:2011 calculations, and Doc K compliance documentation for every order. Architects send us drawings; we send back the engineering. Self-builders send us photos; we send back a sketch with a price.
02
UK fabrication.
Every component on every SWR system is fabricated in the Hemel Hempstead workshop. Stainless cut to length, drilled to centres, finished to spec, packed and shipped. Standard SKUs come from stock; bespoke fabrication takes one to two weeks.
03
Direct installation.
SWR runs an in-house install team for projects where we’re appointed for supply & install. Direct-employee installers, trained on every system in our range, working to BS 6180-stamped engineering with a single point of contact through the project.
How We Work
Four things we won't compromise on.
01
Design & specification.
Our technical team produces project-specific structural drawings, BS 6180:2011 calculations, and Doc K compliance documentation for every order. Architects send us drawings; we send back the engineering. Self-builders send us photos; we send back a sketch with a price.
02
AISI 316 marine-grade as standard.
Every structural component on every SWR system uses 316-grade stainless. The price difference between 316 and 304 is small. The service-life difference across coastal, pool-surround and exposed projects is decades. Specifying 316 by default means our spec doesn’t change between domestic and small-commercial projects.
03
Project-specific calcs, not test certificates.
BS 6180:2011 and Doc K compliance evidence is project-specific on every SWR order. Wet-stamped structural calculations for your run length, your post centres, your substrate. A manufacturer’s test certificate is not the same thing, and won’t always satisfy a building-control officer who’s paying attention.
04
Single point of contact, start to finish.
Our technical team produces project-specific structural drawings, BS 6180:2011 calculations, and Doc K compliance documentation for every order. Architects send us drawings; we send back the engineering. Self-builders send us photos; we send back a sketch with a price.
The People You'll Work With
Same team, start to finish
One named contact stays with you throughout. Behind them, the same four teams handle every project in sequence — no handoffs to strangers, no one who hasn’t read the brief.
Your first call
Customer care team.
The first voice on the phone, the first reply to your email. Customer Care takes the brief, books the technical follow-up, and remains your point of contact for general project questions through delivery.
Quotes & drawings
Technical team.
Reads architects’ drawings, takes site dimensions, produces project-specific structural calculations to BS 6180:2011, and signs off on Doc K compliance documentation. Wet-stamped engineering for every order.
Made to order
Workshop team.
Cuts, drills, welds, finishes and quality-checks every component before it leaves the workshop. Standard SKUs from stock, bespoke runs in one-to-two weeks. The team that does the actual work.
On site
Install team.
Direct-employee installers, trained on every SWR system. Site survey through to structural sign-off, working to the engineering pack the technical team produced at quote stage.
Recent Installs
Projects from the last twelve months.
A small selection. Wire, glass, handrail — residential, listed buildings, commercial. Every project is different; the spec always starts from scratch.
— Glass channel
— Glass channel
— Pool Spigots
— Vertical Wire
— Stainless Handrail
Visit the SWR Showroom
See every system before you buy.
Hemel Hempstead, HP2. The only place in the UK where you can see all twenty-two SWR systems installed at full height, side by side.
The showroom shares the building with the workshop, so a visit is a chance to see the systems and meet the technical, workshop and install teams in one stop. Most visitors come away with a system narrowed down, a price band confirmed, and a sense of who they’d actually be working with. No hard sell. Visits are by appointment, and we’ll only book one if there’s a real project in the diary.
address
Eastman Way
Hemel Hempstead
HP2 7DU
opening hours
Mon-Fri 8am-6pm
Sat 9am-1pm
Sun closed
by appointment
Pre-booked visits
40-min slots
parking
On-site free parking
EV chargers
Memberships & Accreditations
Who vouches for SWR.
The bodies and partners SWR is accredited with, plus the supplier partnerships behind the co-branded systems in the SWR range.
BSSA Member.
British Stainless Steel Association
OnLevel Approved.
UK Approved Partner Since 2022
ClickItUp Partner.
Ergosage Approved Partner
CHAS Accredited.
Construction Health & Safety
ISO 9001 Certified.
Quality Management Systems
Recent Recognition
What recent customers have said.
A small selection from verified post-install reviews. Full review archive on the dedicated reviews page.
Great product, great price and quick service with knowledgeable customer service. Would definitely recommend and will be using again.
Stainless steel posts and glass for my outdoor patio. Speedy delivery and very easy to fit. Would definitely recommend.
Easy to order, good selection of products with very fast delivery and packed well, high quality products at a very reasonable price. Great service.
96 NPS
Talk to SWR
Got a project in the diary?
Send us a sketch on the back of an envelope, a photo of your staircase, or a set of architect’s drawings. You’ll have a detailed balustrade quote within one working day. Or visit the Hemel Hempstead showroom — the largest balustrade showroom in the region.