Film crew hire/London/Props and wardrobe
Props and wardrobe for London shoots. Who has what, and who runs it on the day.
London’s prop houses are out in Park Royal, Hayes and Cricklewood; its costume stores in Hendon, Holloway, Bloomsbury and Bermondsey. Here’s where to go, how prop hire is charged, what the Met wants to know about a replica gun, and who you need on set. We book the stylist, buyer or art director from our office on City Road.
Angels Costumes · Hendon
1m+ items
Superhire · first week
10% of value
National Theatre costume
100,000+ items
Stylist · day rate
£519–647
On this page
01 The people
Who runs props and wardrobe on a shoot
On a corporate interview in a City office, often nobody: the contributor wears their own clothes and the set is the room. On a brand film, these are the people, at our day rates.
| Role | What they do | Day rate |
|---|---|---|
| Art director | Designs the look of the set and runs the art department | £675–878 |
| Props buyer | Finds, buys or hires everything on screen | £493–585 |
| Set builders | Build, paint and strike the set | £341–512 |
| Stylist | Chooses and fits the wardrobe for talent and contributors | £519–647 |
| Costume | Designs, sources and fits costume for period or character work | £519–694 |
| Wardrobe assistant | Dresses the cast and keeps continuity on the day | £341–398 |
| Hair and make-up | Gets people camera-ready, and keeps them that way | £398, plus a £25 kit fee |
Canary Wharf · Oct 2024
A podcast set on the 48th floor
An art director dressed a client’s podcast set at One Canada Square, with the materials on the quote, and hair and make-up looked after the host and guests through two recorded blocks.
Holborn Viaduct · May 2026
Make-up against the clock
A managing director had half an hour on set at the company’s office on Holborn Viaduct: 5–10 minutes for make-up, then 20–25 for the interview. We booked hair and make-up to that clock.
Fulham Road · SW10 · Nov 2023
Interviews in a hospital boardroom
For Swanson Studios, an Oregon production company, a day of talking heads in the main boardroom at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital: our crew included hair and make-up for a deputy chief executive, consultant surgeons and the lead nurse.
02 Props
Prop hire and set dressing
London’s prop houses run from Park Royal and Cricklewood out to Hayes, Borehamwood and Hoddesdon, with the National Theatre’s store in Bermondsey. Superhire, in Park Royal, doesn’t deliver at all.
Park Royal · Abbey Road, NW10 7BX
Superhire
Furniture and accessories: seating, tables, storage, office, rugs, and themed ranges for diners, hospitals, schools and police stations.
Hayes · Swallowfield Way, UB3 1DQ
Newman Hire Company
Practical and period light fittings, and props. Family-run since it started in Shepherd’s Bush Market in 1964.
Cricklewood · Oaklands Road, NW2 6LL
Theme Traders
Prop hire, and location hire, at Production Village in Cricklewood.
Borehamwood · WD6
The Classic Prop Hire Company
Period furniture, props, textiles and set dressing, next to Sky Studios Elstree since its move from Southall in 2025.
Bermondsey · Galleywall Road, SE16 3PB
National Theatre Costume & Props Hire
Furniture, props and armour from past National Theatre productions, down to severed heads, stuffed animals and fake food.
Hoddesdon, Herts · EN11 0DJ
Keeley Hire
Props for film, TV and theatre, including dock and harbour dressing, with a transport service. Just outside London.
Greenford · UB6 7RH
Artem
Props, models and miniatures, and physical effects: fire, smoke and weather. Founded in 1988, with its own test and shoot space.
Worth knowing
Prop Store sells film collectables; it doesn’t hire. And the art department often starts in the room itself: at Loft Studios, furniture and props left in the studio can be used on set free of charge.
03 Wardrobe
Costume and wardrobe
Most of London’s costume houses work by appointment. Book the fitting before you book the shoot.
Hendon · Garrick Road, NW9 6AA
Angels Costumes
More than a million costumes, “eight miles of hanging costume”, with civilian and military uniform collections, making and alterations. Bought by John Gore Studios in April 2026.
The Horse Hospital, Bloomsbury · WC1N 1JD
Contemporary Wardrobe
A street-fashion and subculture archive, hired by appointment.
Bermondsey · SE16 3PB
National Theatre Costume Hire
Over 100,000 costumes from past productions. Reserve for up to four weeks, or take them away on the day.
Rotherhithe · SE16 4HZ
Sands Films
Period costume rental and making, with fittings over video, and a studio stage of its own.
New Cross · SE14 6QP
Prangsta Costumiers
Costume hire, made-to-order costume and what it calls “fantasy couture”.
Covent Garden · Langley Court, WC2E 9JY
Screenface
A professional make-up supplier, with its shop in Langley Court. For the artists themselves, we book hair and make-up from our own crew list: 1,400+ of our crew live in and around London.
RSC Costume Hire
Stratford, for the record
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s costume hire, 60,000+ items, is in Stratford-upon-Avon, not London. Worth knowing before you plan a fitting.
04 Specialist
Replica weapons, uniforms and what’s in shot
Weapons
In London, no weapon appears on a shoot without the Met Police Film Unit agreeing it in advance, prop and replica firearms and starting pistols included, indoors or out. The production needs a FILMWEAPON CAD reference number first, and weapons requests are handled 9am to 5pm on weekdays only. Licensable firearms need a film armourer.
The City
The Square Mile has its own force. The City of London Police handle replica weapons and liveried vehicles there, booked three weeks ahead.
Police uniforms and vehicles
Tell the Film Unit about any fake police or military uniform or vehicle. Actors in police costume don’t leave the set, “POLICE” graphics on a vehicle are taped over, and action vehicles can’t use sirens or emergency exemptions.
A drink on the Tube
Props count. Drinking alcohol, or looking as if you are, is banned on the Tube, buses, DLR, trams and TfL stations, so leave the prop beer out of the carriage scene. Filming on the TfL network.
Getting a set into a tower
On a private estate the paperwork comes first. Before the podcast set went up on the 48th floor of One Canada Square, Canary Wharf wanted a filming application, a loading-bay booking with every vehicle’s registration, and hi-vis for anyone in the loading dock. Vans unload and leave.
Logos and art
Anything on a wall in shot needs clearing, and buildings have their own rules: at 30 St Mary Axe in April 2026, the owner asked for its logo to stay out of every shot.
05 Costs
How prop hire is charged
By the week
Prop hire is priced as a share of each item’s risk value. Superhire charges 10% for the first week, 5% for the second and 2.5% for each week after, with a minimum of £100 + VAT on every contract.
Risk value
Every item has one: it’s the replacement cost if the item doesn’t come back. The hirer insures it against all risks from collection to return, and repairs come back to you.
You collect
Superhire supplies no transport: bring an enclosed van big enough for the order, with blankets and ties, and it can refuse to load anything it thinks will be damaged. In the centre, the van pays the Congestion Charge, £18 a day (checked October 2026). Vans and unit vehicles in London.
Paperwork
Return props without their paperwork and Superhire adds £25 + VAT.
Cancellation
Superhire charges 30% of the hire to cancel a confirmed or packed order more than 24 hours out, and 50% (at least £50 + VAT) inside 24 hours or if it isn’t collected.
Costume
The costume houses mostly quote on enquiry. The National Theatre offers a sliding scale for longer hires.
Need props or wardrobe?
Tell us what’s in the frame. We’ll book the stylist, buyer or art director, source it, and put each item on the quote. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Quick contact form
06 Questions
Props and wardrobe in London: questions
Where can I hire props in London?
Superhire in Park Royal for furniture and themed ranges (diner, hospital, school, police), Newman Hire in Hayes for practical and period light fittings, Theme Traders in Cricklewood, and the National Theatre’s store in Bermondsey for props from its own productions. Keeley Hire in Hoddesdon and The Classic Prop Hire Company in Borehamwood are just outside London.
How much does prop hire cost in London?
It’s priced by the week as a share of each item’s value. At Superhire it’s 10% of the risk value for the first week, 5% for the second and 2.5% for each week after, with a £100 + VAT minimum per contract.
Can I hire costumes in London?
Yes. Angels in Hendon holds more than a million costumes, military and civilian uniforms included; Cosprop on Holloway Road does period; Contemporary Wardrobe in Bloomsbury hires street fashion and subculture by appointment; and the National Theatre hires from more than 100,000 items in Bermondsey.
Can I use a replica gun on a shoot in London?
Only with the Met Police Film Unit’s agreement in advance, which covers prop and replica firearms and starting pistols, indoors or out. You need a FILMWEAPON CAD reference number before the prop appears. In the City of London, the City Police handle it, booked three weeks ahead.
Can actors wear police uniforms on a London shoot?
Tell the Met Police Film Unit first: fake police uniforms and vehicles are on its list. Actors in police costume don’t leave the set, “POLICE” graphics on vehicles are taped over, and no siren goes on.
Does Superhire deliver?
No. You collect and return, in an enclosed van with blankets and ties. The loading bay is open 8am to 4pm on weekdays, and orders need confirming by noon the working day before.
Do you supply stylists and hair and make-up?
Yes, from our crew list: 1,400+ of our crew live in and around London. A stylist is £519–647 a day and hair and make-up £398, before our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance.
Around the crew
More for London shoots
02
Locations and permits
Borough film services, the Royal Parks, TfL, the private estates and the drone zones.
