Crib 5 contract-rated stock when you need it, honest bulk pricing, delivery on dates that work for you, and one person to deal with. Supplying hotels, landlords and care providers across the North West since 1983.
Contract Stock
When you need it
Pricing Tiers
10+ unit discounts
Delivery
Phased if you need it
Person To Deal With
Usually Alec himself
Family Run
Forty years at it
We've been supplying hotels, holiday lets, care homes, HMOs and landlords across Greater Manchester and the wider North West for over forty years. The things that matter to commercial buyers we've got covered: Crib 5 fire-rated stock when the job needs it, honest lead times you can plan a refurb around, sensible discount on volume, and a phone number that gets answered by someone who knows what's in the warehouse this week.
Most contract furniture firms run a catalogue with 8 to 12 week lead times from a factory abroad. That works for some jobs. For most of what we get asked to do it doesn't. We hold 500-plus sofas in stock and we've got the supplier contacts to bring in anything specific within days, not months. If you've got a deadline, we'll usually beat the chain alternative.
Below: the three sorts of customer we work with most, what the trade prices actually look like, and what we need from you to come back with a quote.
Each one wants different things from us, with different regulations attached. We work with all three and approach each one differently.
Sector 1
Hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, pubs, bars, holiday lets, serviced apartments, guesthouses. Furniture that needs to take a battering and still look right.
Sector 2
Private landlords, letting agencies, HMO operators, student accommodation, housing associations, councils.
Sector 3
Care homes, residential homes, supported living, sheltered accommodation, day centres. Different furniture, stricter regulations.
Send us a rough idea of what you need by phone or email. We'll come back within a day with stock, lead time and a price.
The biggest mistake we see commercial buyers make is buying domestic-rated furniture for a building that legally needs contract-rated. The two standards aren't the same and aren't interchangeable. Here's the honest version.
The standard UK domestic fire-safety rating under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988. The label every legally-sold UK sofa carries. Fine for most holiday lets, most HMOs with under 5 occupants, B&Bs that count as single-family dwellings.
Most of our standard stockThe higher fire-resistance standard needed in most commercial buildings. Hotels, restaurants, pubs, larger HMOs, most care homes, public buildings. We bring Crib 5 stock in through our supplier contacts for jobs that need it.
Sourced on requestNot sure which applies to your building? Tell us what it is and how it's used and we'll confirm. We won't put domestic-rated stock into a building that legally needs Crib 5. That's a fire risk and an insurance problem and it's not worth the order.
Most contract suppliers won't put trade prices on the page. We will, because if you know what to expect you can decide quicker whether we're worth a phone call.
Single unit
Trade rate
Same as retail
One sofa or a small set. Landlord top-up, B&B replacement, that sort of thing. Standard delivery applies.
Most common
10% off
Plus free delivery
A typical hotel refurb, mid-size HMO portfolio, a small care home wing. Delivery scheduled around your refurb dates.
Bigger jobs
15-20% off
Plus phased delivery
Full hotel refit, larger care home, multi-property landlord. Phased delivery across several drops included.
Big job
Bespoke quote
Account terms available
Major operator, multi-site rollout, social housing programme. Account billing terms and a dedicated job manager.
These are rough numbers. Final price depends on what's in stock, what spec you need, the fire rating, and where you need it delivered. Send us the job and we'll come back with a firm quote within a day.
Six things you won't get from a national contract supplier or a one-man-band regional outfit.
One contact from start to finish. Phone or email, direct line. Most contract jobs are run by Alec himself or someone on his senior team. No call centre, no queue.
Send a rough brief by phone or email and we come back within one working day with what's in the warehouse, what we can bring in, and a price. None of the "we'll get back to you next week" you get from the big boys.
We can coordinate matching or near-identical sets across multiple properties or rooms. Handy for HMOs, hotel chains, holiday-let portfolios. Buying cancelled UK orders in bulk is how we manage it.
A refurb rarely accepts everything on day one. We split deliveries across your build timeline. Sofas in week 3, dining chairs week 4, beds week 5. Things arrive when the rooms are ready.
We don't pass delivery to third-party couriers. Our own drivers know the routes, the timings, the awkward bits. They'll deliver into specific rooms in the building, not just dump everything in the lobby.
Our upholstery workshop means we can re-cover, re-pad or refurbish existing furniture as part of the same contract. Useful when you've got expensive frames that just need a refresh rather than full replacement.
Names changed but the jobs are real. Every contract is different but these are the kind of shapes we tend to handle.
14 self-catering cottages, sofas, armchairs and dining sets across the lot. Coordinated finish across the portfolio. Delivered in phases over 3 weeks to fit the cleaning schedule.
Pre-loved fire-safety-checked suites across a 12-property student portfolio. Same set-up in each property to keep inventory simple. One invoice across the lot.
Bar lounge re-fit. High-back banquettes, tub chairs, a sofa cluster by the window. Crib 5 contract-rated throughout. Delivered between Friday close and Sunday opening.
Day-room re-furnishing. High-back armchairs with arm support, wipe-clean upholstery, Crib 5 fire-rated. Delivered in two phases so they could change the room over without stopping use.
Our own vans cover the North West and across into Yorkshire from the Bolton warehouse. For bigger contract jobs we can sort logistics further afield on request.
Forty years of customers across the North West. Read what businesses and households actually say about us.
Read on Google
Most contract jobs start with a phone call or an email. We'll listen to what you need, check what's in the warehouse, and come back within a working day with a price and a lead time. No pressure to commit, no deposit needed to talk.
The ones that come up most before someone sends us a job to quote.
Yes, on request. Our standard warehouse stock is domestic-rated under the UK Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988. That's fine for most holiday lets, HMOs with under 5 occupants, and B&Bs that count as single-family dwellings. For places that legally need Crib 5 contract-rated upholstery (BS 5852 Source 5), like hotels, restaurants, pubs, larger care homes and public buildings, we bring stock in through our supplier contacts. Lead time is usually 2 to 4 weeks. We won't put domestic stock into a building that legally needs Crib 5.
Trade pricing kicks in at 5 pieces. Below that we sell at retail rates because there isn't margin in single pieces for a discount. From 5 to 15 pieces you get 10% off and free delivery. 16 to 40 pieces is 15 to 20% off with phased delivery included. 40+ is quoted bespoke and we can usually do account billing on those. No minimum to ask for a quote though, we'll happily look at a single-piece landlord top-up.
Depends on the rating and what we've got in. Standard domestic-rated stock for HMOs and lettings is usually same week. Crib 5 contract-rated is 2 to 4 weeks because it has to come in from suppliers. Bespoke specs and re-upholstery work runs to 4 to 8 weeks. We commit to a firm delivery date once the job's agreed. No "around the end of the month" estimates.
Yes, we do this often. Landlords with multiple HMO properties, holiday-let portfolios, hotel chains with multiple sites. We coordinate phased delivery to each one on dates that suit your refurb schedule. One invoice across the lot if you prefer. Our own delivery team handles every drop so the timings stay reliable.
Yes, on bigger jobs (usually 40+ pieces or repeat business). Account terms are worked out case-by-case based on volume and frequency. For one-off jobs we usually invoice in two stages: deposit on order, balance on delivery. BACS or card on delivery works fine for smaller jobs.
Yes. Because we buy cancelled UK manufacturer orders, we often have identical sets in bigger quantities than retail allows. For a 14-cottage holiday let, a 12-property HMO portfolio or a 30-room hotel, we can usually put together matching sets across the lot. Worth sending us the job early so we can hold the stock before it sells out.
Yes. Care home furniture has its own requirements. High-back armchairs with proper arm support for assisted standing, wipe-clean vinyl or contract-rated upholstery for infection control, riser-recliners on request, day-room sofa clusters. All Crib 5 fire-rated as standard for care environments. We work with several care home groups across the North West and we know the spec requirements.
Yes. Hotels usually need lobby and lounge furniture (sofa clusters, tub chairs, occasional chairs) in Crib 5 contract upholstery. Pubs and bars need hard-wearing fabrics, vinyl-covered banquette seating and durable bar lounge sofas. We bring both in through our supplier contacts alongside the regular clearance stock. Delivery scheduled around your closing hours where you need it. Friday-to-Sunday refurbs are common.
Yes, often. Holiday lets are usually classed as single-occupancy dwellings under fire-safety regs, so domestic-rated stock is fine (worth confirming with your local authority). We can coordinate matching furniture across multiple cottages or apartments and deliver in phases to fit your changeover schedule. Compact two-seaters, sofa beds for the spare room, outdoor-resistant sets all available.
Yes. We've worked with housing associations and local authority procurement across the North West. We can supply against framework agreements where they apply, provide the compliance paperwork (fire-safety certs, material specs), and handle phased delivery across multiple properties. Account billing and standard procurement payment terms are fine.
Yes. The in-house upholstery workshop means we can re-cover, re-pad or fully refurbish existing furniture as part of a contract. Often makes sense for hotels or care homes with decent frames that just need a refresh, or for matching new furniture to existing pieces in the same fabric. Typical re-upholstery turnaround is 3 to 5 weeks depending on volume.
Phone us on 01204 387987 or email info@sofamail.co.uk with a rough idea of what you need: type of job, roughly how many pieces, fire-safety rating (or just "not sure" and we'll work it out), and when you'd like delivery. We come back within a working day with what we've got, indicative pricing, and a firm lead time. No deposit needed to talk it through.
Forty years of supplying hotels, HMOs, care homes and hospitality. Crib 5 stock available, honest pricing, one person to deal with, delivery on your dates. Within a working day of your enquiry you'll know what we've got, what it costs, and when we can get it to you. Opening at 9am tomorrow.
Page last updated 12 June 2026. Open status updates automatically.