How long can scaffolding stay up?
A scaffold can stay up as long as you need it, provided it is inspected at least every seven days and after bad weather. What changes is the cost: the quote covers an initial hire period, and every week after that is charged as an extension.
What the initial hire period covers
Most scaffold quotes are built from two parts. The first is erecting and dismantling the scaffold, which costs the same whether it is up for a week or a year. The second is hire, which is time based.
The quoted price includes a fixed number of weeks of hire. Our standard initial hire period is four weeks. That period starts when the scaffold is handed over, not when the work starts on it.
How extensions are charged
Once the initial period ends, the scaffold goes onto extended hire. That is normally charged per week, and the weekly rate depends on how much scaffold is standing, not on how much work is being done on it.
A scaffold nobody is working on costs the same per week as a busy one. The kit is tied up on your job and cannot go anywhere else.
Why an overrunning trade costs you money
The scaffold is usually booked around one trade, most often the roofer. If the roofer starts late, gets rained off, or goes to another job halfway through, the scaffold stays up and the hire clock keeps running.
On a big job the extra weeks can add up to more than the original hire. That is not the scaffolder being awkward. It is the cost of kit standing on your house instead of the next one.
What to agree before the scaffold goes up
- The length of the initial hire period, in writing.
- The weekly rate for extended hire, in writing, so there is no surprise at the end.
- When hire starts: handover day, or the day work begins.
- Who pays for extended hire if a trade overruns. If your builder books the scaffold, this belongs in your contract with them.
- How you ask for the scaffold to come down, and how much notice the scaffolder needs.
- Whether any alterations during the job, such as lifting a lift for the roofer, are included or charged separately.
Inspections while it stays up
However long the scaffold stands, it has to be inspected by a competent person at least every seven days, and after anything that could affect it, such as a storm or an alteration. Each inspection is recorded. If those records stop, the scaffold should not be used.
Common questions
- Is there a maximum time scaffolding can stay up?
- There is no fixed legal limit. A scaffold can stay up for months if it is inspected every seven days and after bad weather, and any highway licence covers the full period.
- When does the hire period start?
- Usually on the day the scaffold is handed over as safe to use. Check your quote, because it should say.
- Can I get money back if the job finishes early?
- Usually not. The initial hire period is part of the fixed price. What you save by finishing early is avoiding any extension.
- Who pays if the roofer is late?
- Whoever contracted with the scaffolder pays the scaffolder. If you want your builder or roofer to carry the cost of their own delays, agree that with them in writing before work starts.
- Does a licence need extending if the scaffold stays up longer?
- If the scaffold is on the highway, yes. The licence is granted for a set period and has to be extended before it runs out.
Want the hire terms in writing before you commit?
Our written assessment sets out the hire period and the basis for any extension, so you know where you stand before a tube goes up.