Heritage Interpretation & Exhibit Fit-out & Installation Services

Not only do we evaluate, plan, design and fabricate heritage interpretation, we also install it too!

Many of our customer ask us to fit-out or install our range of sightseeing telescopes and binoculars and our range of exhibits, interpretation panels and frames - in fact we can fit out a whole museum if required!

We have a great team of friendly, experienced installers and all the specialist equipment on-hand to complete the most demanding installation jobs.

Our standard daily charge is £330 per installer per day, plus travel mileage, basic accommodation (if required) and any other expenses, PLUS any materials required.

You would think it is was a simple thing to dig few holes and fill them with concrete...

It is a bit more complicated than that!

Here are a few things to think about before you contact us about installation...

Can we get vehicular access to the sites?
Some of our equipment, and the items we install can be bulky and heavy. It is much easier, and better use of our time (and your finances!) to be able to drive right up to each installation site rather than wasting time transporting materials by hand.

Are there underground services?
People get quite upset when the taps dry up, lights go off, the telephone ceases to work and the heating goes down! It is also vitally important that the public, and our team are safe at all times therefore we need to know if there is any chance of underground services in the areas where installation is to take place. We can test the ground with a cable avoidance tool known as 'CAT', however a more detailed survey may be required. If gas pipes are present an official from the relevant gas board will need to be present.

A town or countryside site?
Are the installation sites in a rural setting or in a built-up area such as a town or village? Installations in the countryside don't usually cause much of a problem, however if installation is to take place in a public, urban setting a licence from the Local Authority may be required.

Permisions
Some local authorities require written planning consent to install signage so check with your local planning authority before booking in an installation. Do you also have written permissions from the land owner? In the past we have arrived on site only to find an irate land-owner that has not given permission for anything to be built. On other occasions we have arrived on site to find a that the person in charge has no idea were coming. It is essential that all permissions have been obtained and everyone concerned has been informed of the installation, and the date that it is to commence.

Heath and Safety
The heath and safety of customers, the public and the HDC team is the most important thing to consider at all times. If your site is open to the public will an area need to be temporarily closed, or will we need to erect temporary safety fencing around the sites during installation? Will your organisation require a copy of our health and safety policy? Will you require us to prepare risk assessments before commencing work? Is the site a hard-hat or high-vis area? Will we need to sign in and out of the site?

Digging holes
What is the soil like on site? With clean softish soil we can use one of our petrol driven augers to make the post holes which takes just a few minutes. If the ground is hard clay, fine sand or stony, or there are services running underneath we can only use a spade with could take an hour or more per hole. A project at Oakham Castle a few years back took us 3 hours to dig each hole by hand because there was so much of the castle debris beneath the surface. A site on a beach in Anglesey took a similar amount of time to excavate as the holes needed shuttering to stop the fine sand flowing back in!

Scheduled Monuments
Is the site part of a Scheduled Monument or historic site? If so will an archaeologist be required during excavation? You would be surprised at what we have found when digging holes - everything from Roman pottery, neolithic arrow heads, Georgian coins and even part of a skeleton!

Site facilities
Making life easier for us, cuts the the amount of time we are on site which reduces your costs. Things that make our installation easier is knowing where waste soil be disposed of - if we have to take it away it will cost you a hefty local authority disposal fee. Is there access to clean fresh water on site? Is there access to electrical sockets? If we are on site overnight is there an insured, secure lock-up where we can leave materials and equipment over night? Are there toilet facilities in site?