Marquee Hire Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

 

Which size marquee do I need? – This will depend on the number of guests, whether they will be standing or seated and other items you may need in the marquee (bar, stage etc). Please give us a call or email us and we can advise and draw up a floorpan for you.

Where can you erect a marquee? – A marquee can be erected almost anywhere although a flat, level, grassy site with good vehicle access is ideal and would be the most cost effective. Marquees can also be erected on hard ground and weights are used to secure them. It is still possible to install marquees on difficult sites although there may be added charges. We will try to install a marquee to meet the needs of the clients.  Over the years we have had some challenges e.g. Small Gardens, tight spaces but we usually always find a way.

Can we hire marquees all year round and are they safe? – Yes, there is no reason for marquees not to be used throughout the year, especially with great marquee heating and lighting options. All of our marquees are 100% waterproof and are sturdy enough to be protected against the strongest of winds. Even in gale force winds on open fields we can safely anchor the marquee into the ground using stakes and storm straps. Marquees are great for the winter as they close off the outside and once the heating, lighting and decoration is compete you will feel like you have been transformed to another world!

Does P&W Marquees have insurance cover? – We have a full Empoyers/Public/Products Liability Insurance policy.

Does it matter if my garden/site has a slope? – A slight slope is nothing to worry about. A more pronounced slope is not a problem for the marquee structure but may be uncomfortable for guests. We are happy to come along for a site visit and advise, alternatively you can send us some photos across via email, text or WhatsApp.

How do you get through to the garden? – We can either go through the house, through side access or if you have access from the back of the garden this is also fine. If there are any stairs involved please let us know in advance.

Can I see the marquees and equipment you offer and the hire prices? – Please click here to view our marquees, alternatively click here for our full marquee hire pdf price list. Please note this may not be updated so please ask us for the most recent version!

Do you cover my area? – If you live in London and the South East and would like marquee hire it is highly likely that we cover your area. Please get in touch with us to confirm.

Can I amend the booking once I have paid the deposit? – Yes, you can amend the booking free of charge (subject to stock availability) up to 14 days before your event set up date. You can still make alterations within the 14 days, however you cannot cancel any items without being charged. Please make amendments as soon as possible, as the equipment will need to be prepared and loaded into the vans. If amendments are made less than 7 days before the set up date we cannot guarantee that it will be ready in time.

 

Making a Marquee Hire Booking

 

What is VAT and why do I need to pay it? – VAT is a mandatory tax that we have to legally charge the customer and pay to HMRC.

Why do I need to pay a refundable security deposit? – As the equipment we are hiring is quite expensive we need to take a security deposit incase of damages. Please have a look through our terms and conditions for a list of replacement costs and damage charges.

How much do I have to pay for delivery and collection? – Charges for delivery and collection are dependant on your location. When we have your location details we can give you an accurate quote. Additional charges may be incurred for out of hours, weekend or Bank Holiday deliveries and collections. There may also be extra charges for difficulties with access and other issues that occur.

How can I trust you will show up and delivered high quality service and goods? – We are proud of our reputation and have never let anyone down. Please check out our reviews on facebook (click here) and search for us on google. Alternatively give us a call and have a little chat!

Do I have a deadline for ordering items? – Our stock is available to hire subject to availability so we do advise customers to book your items as early as possible. We can only accommodate last minute bookings subject to stock availability. For marquee bookings during the summer we advise to book a as far as possible in advance to avoid disappointment.

How and when can I pay? – If your event is less than 2 weeks away we will require payment in full. If your event is over 2 weeks away we require a holding deposit of 20% of the balance to secure the booking and the remainder of the payment is required 2 weeks before your event. Payment can be made via bank transfer using online and telephone banking or by popping in to your local bank. We can also accept cheques, however we must receive the cheque with the remaining balance 3 weeks before the event date.

 

 

Your Event

 

When should I cut the grass? – We recommend cutting the grass a couple of days prior to the arrival of the marquee to allow it to dry out.The aim is to erect the marquee on a dry surface to limit condensation and damage to lawn. Cutting the grass will also ensure a flat surface when laying the carpet.

Will the marquee damage the grass? – From our experience during the winter time the grass will be fine. In the summer time the grass will start to go yellow if the flooring is down for longer than four days but this green will return pretty quickly. Hires of longer than 10 days may kill the grass. The stakes used are small and cause minimal damage.

Will flooring protect the grass and why do I need it? – Yes. The carpet will protect the grass from becoming muddy and ruined as lots of people will be walking on it during the event. It will also stop people from getting muddy shoes and dragging it in the house! When grass is wet it can also become very slippy. Flooring will also stop the tables and chairs from sinking in!

Can you join two or more of your marquee’s together? – Yes, we use a water proof gutter kit which enables our marquee’s to stand side by side, end to end or in an L shape.

Can I choose between windows and walls? – Yes, nearly all of our marquees come with a choice of marquee windows or walls at no extra cost!

Can I open the marquee sides? – Yes! With all of our marquees we hire you can choose whether to open or close all four sides. As standard when hiring a marquee, the price includes the roof and all four sides, however you can opt to leave the sides off if that’s easier.

Do I need to supply electricity cables? – No worries we will supply everything you need and run the wiring safely and out of sight! All we need in a plug socket. If you require lengths longer than 25 meters please let us know in advance so we can make arrangements.

Will we need an electricity source? – Our lighting and heating requires very little electricity which can normally be drawn from a nearby building/house. However, depending on the catering requirements, or if there is no access to electricity (e.g setting up a marquee in a field) a generator may be required. We would always recommend a more powerful generator than your requirements or a second generator as a stand by unit encase electrical items are added and draw too much power. Within our quotations we always allow to undertake any necessary power distribution.

How much power do I need? – We will arrange all power requirements for the items you hire from us, however if you have hired items elsewhere or you have caterers in need of electricity, let us know how much power they require and we can advise on the most appropriate power supply.

Is the electricity safe? – All our equipment is pat tested and we use ip44 rated outdoor cabling and rcd units to ensure it is safe.

Do we need marquee heaters? – During the winter time heaters are always a must! Between the months of May and September heaters aren’t usually required, however even in the midsummer a heater may be needed in the late evenings as it can still get a bit chilly!

How many marquee heaters do we need and which type? – Depending on the size of the marquee you are hiring and the time of year this can greatly vary. Please get in touch and we can advise.

Which types of marquee heating do you offer? – We have electric heaters available in 1500 watt standing and 3000 watt floor heaters. We also have a thermostatically controlled diesel powered indirect heater, which sits outside the marquee and blows heat through ducting and into the marquee.

Does the price include set up? – All prices include full set up of each item.

When will you erect/dismantle the marquee? – We usually erect the marquee(s) two to three days before the event, for example if your event is on a Saturday we would set up on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. This then gives you time to decorate and finish the inside of your marquee to a level that will amaze your guests. It also allows extra time for any changes or issues. We will then take the marquee down a few days after, for example on the Monday or Tuesday. If you have any special requirements, please let us know.

How long does it take to set up a marquee? – This is all dependant on the size of the marquee and the amount of event equipment hired. A marquee for 50 people fully kitted out will take roughly 4 hours to set up. A marquee for 300 people fully kitted out may take a full day.

Can I set up the equipment myself? – All equipment must be set up by our fully trained and insured staff.

Are you insured? – We have full public liability insurance to cover against any issues. Please ask for a copy of our certificate.

What can I hire? – Along with marquees and pop up gazebos, we also hire tables and chairs, flooring, carpet, linings, lights, heating and decorations.

Which lighting options do you offer? – We offer a range of lights for your marquee including 5 arm brass chandeliers, fairy lights and festoon lights for indoor and outdoor use, multicoloured disco lighting, ultraviolet uv lighting and a beautiful sparkling mirror ball with spotlights for that true disco feel!

Are your marquees waterproof? – Yes our marquees are 100% waterproof.

Will the carpet stay dry? – We use a waterproof, plastic tarpaulin sheet underneath the carpet, but ground conditions are key. If it rains we need to be sure there in enough natural drainage. Grass provides better drainage then concrete. With a concrete floor we usually recommend using hard flooring underneath the carpet, which will ensure it stays dry. Drainage is very poor with hard flooring and it is hard to divert the water underneath the tarpaulin. On grass the carpet is 99% likely to stay dry, however if it heavily rains and the grass has poor drainage and becomes boggy from time to time, we would recommend using the hard floor.

What colour are your marquees? – All our marquees are made of a strong, lacquered, white PVC. We do not provide any striped marquees or coloured marquees. Coloured marquees are usually not used as they fade in the sunlight and lose their colour.

What is the difference between lined and unlined marquees? – Lined marquees are more luxurious and give the marquee that fairy-tale look. The marquee linings cover the metal wall and roof beams, along with the PVC. As the linings go through a machine wash they come out perfectly white every time. Please ask us for some pictures of lined marquees and unlined marquees top see the difference.

What colour are the marquee linings? – Standard marquee linings are white pleated or flat.

What are marquee pole curtains? – They are curtains that match the marquee roof lining and cover the legs of the marquee, allowing the windows to be on show. We would recommend the roof lining without the pole curtains but not the pole curtains without the roof linings.

Can the marquee be connected to a building? – Yes. Our marquees can serve as an extension to a building. The marquee structures can easily butt up against the side of a house and the legs may be raised if need be, however there may be a slight gap. It is possible that we are able to bridge this gap with white tarpaulin, but this would need to be discussed and booked in advance. Sliding doors are the best, but even the challenge of high bi-folds we can usually brush off without a sweat.

How tall are your marquees? – On average the marquee side height is 2.2 meters, the marquee roof then slopes up to approximately 3.5 meters at the top of the apex. All door heights will be on average 2.2 meters high so there will be no need to limbo into the party!

Does the marquee include a groundsheet? – The marquees are designed without a groundsheet, however we have a few different flooring options to suit.

Are the marquees old or stained? – We never use old or stained marquees. If for some reason you are unhappy with the marquee, let us know and we will replace the PVC. For an absolutely brilliant white, perfect finish we always recommend linings as these are machine washed.

What is a clearspan marquee? – This is a marquee with no central poles inside. It also doesn’t require any ropes on the outside to secure it down. These marquees are best for gardens with limited space and where the marquee is being set up on hard ground and there is nowhere to stake it down. They will be made out of metal and PVC, whereas traditional marquees are usually made out of wood and canvas.

 

Take Down & After The Event

 

When will I receive my security deposit back? – After the event has finished we will check the marquee and all the equipment to make sure that everything is okay. We will then make contact within two weeks to ask for bank details so that we can transfer the deposit back.

What if I have damaged some hire equipment? – Please let the guys taking the marquee down know and give the office a call. It is very rare that equipment gets damaged and 9 times out of 10 it can be repaired cheaply our end, requiring little costs your end. Sometimes equipment gets old and we understand this so general wear and tear can be accepted.

What do I need to do before you collect the marquee and hire equipment? – Please ensure all of our hire equipment is cleaned and stacked/placed together neatly. Please remove all of your own equipment and rubbish from the marquee.

Where can I leave a review? – We would be happy to hear how your marquee hire experience went with us so please feel free to message us and tell us! Alternatively, a review can be left via google or facebook or the platform that you found P&W Marquees through.

Can I send you some pictures? – We would love to see the pictures from your event, we also have a photo of the month competition where the lucky winner has the chance to win £25 for the best photo! These will be displayed on our sites and advertising pages to give future customers an idea of just how good an event can look!