Scaffolding cost calculator: what the job involves and who is registered to do it, and why a scaffolding price estimator has to assume the access it cannot see

How scaffolding cost calculator works

1. Describe the elevation, not the house. A scaffolder prices what they have to reach: the height to the eaves, the length of the run, the number of lifts, and anything in the way. A photograph of the elevation gets you a more useful quote than a description of the property.
2. Ask for erect, hire and strike separately. The one off cost and the weekly cost behave differently when a job overruns, and only a split quote lets you see which one an extra two weeks moves.
3. Settle the hire period against the real programme. Scaffolds are usually quoted with an included period and a weekly rate after it. Match that period to the builder's programme rather than to optimism, and ask what an extension costs.
4. Check the licence and the lead time. Standing on a pavement or road needs a highway licence with a fee and a notice period. It is the commonest reason a scaffold cannot go up on the day everyone assumed.
5. Get the handover and the inspection regime. A completed scaffold should be handed over with a certificate and inspected before first use and at intervals while it stands. Both are normal practice and both are worth having in writing.

Insurance and paperwork

Common questions

What is usually included in a scaffolding quote?

Erection, an included hire period, dismantling and transport. Debris netting, sheeting, a loading bay, a chimney lift, an alarm and a highway licence are usually extras, and asking which of them are in the figure is the whole comparison.

How long can a scaffold stay up?

As long as you pay the hire and any licence is renewed. There is no fixed limit, and the cost of leaving one up over a long delay is the reason scaffolding is worth scheduling carefully.

Does the scaffold need to be inspected?

Yes. Working at height regulations require a scaffold to be inspected before first use and at regular intervals, and after anything that could affect its stability. Ask who is doing that and how it is recorded.

Registered contractors by region

• Registered roofers in the East Midlands postcode area
• Registered roofers in the East of England postcode area
• Registered roofers in the London postcode area
• Registered roofers in the North East postcode area
• Registered roofers in the North West postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Scotland postcode area
• Registered roofers in the South East postcode area
• Registered roofers in the South West postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Wales postcode area
• Registered roofers in the West Midlands postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Yorkshire and The Humber postcode area