In 2022, the average cost of scaffolding in London ranges between £50 and £180 per day. The price of your scaffolding is determined by how many days you are hiring and its size. Assembling and disassembling are included In the rental price.
Let’s look at various scaffold fees broken down in detail.
Scaffolding Hire Price List
| Job | Price per week |
|---|---|
| Chimney | £500 – £650 |
| Conservatory | £400 – £900 |
| Gutter repair | £250 – £400 |
| Semi-detached homes | £800 – £1 200 |
The best and quickest way to find out the price of your project is to get a quote. You will also know if you are getting a good value. Whether you want to compare scaffolding hire quotations you already have or are about to get, you need to know if the scaffolders are not overcharging you.
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The cost breakdown
You’re having a construction project in London, and whether it’s a commercial or domestic project, you need to ensure that you have safe ease of access to the inaccessible areas during construction. The scaffolding costs will vary in many companies depending on the size of the building, work at height, and ease of access among other things. Your recommended local builder should work with a reliable scaffolding firm depending on the nature of the project being undertaken.
Chimney
It is not uncommon to find your chimney needing repair from time to time. A scaffold will come in handy for your builder to have easy and safe access to the chimney. The builder is more likely to do the chimney work with fewer complications. The cost of hiring scaffolding will vary depending on where your chimney is located whether it’s at the eaves, ridge, or gable end.
The ease of access to the chimney that needs to be repaired will impact the price because the problems incurred vary. For instance, if it is near the eaves, the average scaffolding cost for the chimney can be between £450 to £650 per week because there is easy access.
If the chimney is in the middle of the house, you will be charged more ( between £900 to £1000 per week ) for the chimney scaffold. It costs more to erect scaffolding because of the difficulty in accessing the area for the chimney work.
Conservatory, Greenhouse and Orangery
For your builder to easily access such roof areas, there will need to be a scaffolding bridge over the conservatory. So the cost of the conservatory scaffolds is between £400 to £900 on a weekly basis. On the other hand, if it is a smaller job, your builder could get away with Conservatory Access Ladder.
Whether you want to use it as a greenhouse or lightroom, conservatories are common with many London homeowners. Considering that most conservatories are built using materials that can barely hold much weight load like glass, access to the other parts of the roof where there’s a conservatory will be difficult.
Loft conversion
Different loft conversion types involve the need for alterations made to the existing roof structure. For this to be possible, you may require roof scaffolding to allow easy access to the roof work that may need to be done such as roof repairs for your loft. Scaffolding for a loft will cost you £500 depending on the complexity and nature of the project.
Gutter repair
When repairing the gutter, you can opt for an access tower as it will serve the purpose depending on the gutter height. This cost you between £70 and £150 every week. The gutter repair scaffolding prices can range between £250 to £400 on a weekly basis. You will also require scaffolding for gutter cleaning.
If required scaffolding is less complicated, it doesn’t mean that it will be cheap. The scaffolding prices for the access tower are still affordable compared to erecting a static one.
Semi-detached homes
The cost of hiring scaffolding in London for semi-detached homes can be £800 and £1200 a week. It is advisable to make sure that both your builder and the scaffolding company have liability insurance. In case the neighbour’s property faces any damages during the process.
Semi-detached house happens to be one of the costly options that you can consider, depending on whether the roofing has gable walls or equally levelled eaves will determine how the scaffold structure will be installed.
You need to establish whether the scaffolding will get to your neighbour’s property. Is your roof close to the boundary? If that’s the case, you’ll need to acquire a permit.
It is essential to note that this price is for one level. If the building work requires other levels, then the cost to hire scaffolding will be more. Other prices to keep in mind:
- Between £1000 to £1250 per week for scaffolding around a 4-storey semi-detached house. Of course, this will depend on your location and time limit among other things.
- Around £750 to £900 every week for a 2-bed semi-detached house, depending on your location among other things.
- Expect to pay anything between £900 to £1150 for a 3-bed semi-detached house on a weekly basis.
- Between £550 to £700 for 10-meter scaffolding for the first floor. The set-up for such a scaffold is easy since it can take around two to three hours.
- Wall work is usually more costly. When it comes to a terraced house, you should expect to pay approximately £310 every week for one side. On average, the scaffolding hire costs should range between £960 to £1100.
How about the cost per m2
The average price of scaffolding per square meter is £15. Erecting scaffolding, dismantling, and labour costs are included in the overall rental price.
If you’re not planning on buying your own scaffold structures, here’s an overview of the cost you should expect to pay per square meter:
- Around £15 per square meter for independent scaffold.
- Roughly £10 per square meter for edge protectors.
- Around £10 per square meter for guardrails.
What are the other additional costs you might incur
Depending on the London scaffolding hire company you choose to work with, you might find yourself incurring different costs. Some of the additional costs you’re likely to incur include the following:
- If there’ll be a need for a bridge like in conservatory, it will most likely cost you around £400 in addition to any other scaffolding that may be necessary. It is advisable to be sure of the quote and what it entails before committing to hire any scaffold companies.
- You might also incur extra costs if the scaffolding tower will interrupt any public access to areas like footpaths or roads. You will need a permit and a license from your local council. This can cost you from £45 per month or £215 a week depending on your location. It is also important to note that the charges can be per scaffold, instead of being per project depending on where you’re located.
- You will also need a clearance company for waste removal services to remove any rubbish from the site. This means you’ll have to incur an extra cost of around £250. It is good to opt for a clearance company that provides eco-friendly services.
Factors affecting the cost of scaffolding
There are many factors that have an impact on the scaffolding cost you’re likely to incur. Some of these factors are as discussed below:
Length of hire.
You will be charged depending on the duration you’re going to need the scaffolding. Usually, most scaffold companies in London have a rental period of between six to eight weeks.
The more you keep the scaffolds, the more you should expect to pay. It’s advisable to ensure that your builder is ready to start using the scaffolds before you decide to hire to avoid paying for them when they’re not being used. It is great to compare the quotes from scaffolding firms before settling for one.
Your location.
Scaffolding costs more in London and its surrounding areas compared to other rural parts of the UK.
Scaffold length and height.
The length of scaffolding you’ll need for your project plays an important role in determining the cost. The longer the height of the scaffold, the more you’re going to be charged for the scaffold cost especially since it takes more time to assemble. The same goes for if you’ll require more than one level for the scaffold.
Accessibility.
If the scaffolders are likely to encounter any obstacles when assembling the scaffolds then it will cost you more since there will be a lot of work involved. You shouldn’t forget also that you’ll still incur additional costs if the scaffolds happen to hinder public access to roads or footpaths.
Any extras.
This can range from ladders, ladder rungs, edge protectors to handrails among other things. Other than the usual scaffolding cost, you will have to pay more for such.
Whether it’s simple home improvement projects, a new build, or repair work, you will need scaffolding for easy and safe access. It gets better when you understand the things that are likely to impact the hire costs. This way, you can understand when you get a price quote from the scaffolders.
What are the other alternatives?
Depending on the project you’re undertaking, you’ll realise that not all the work needs scaffolding. Some of the viable alternatives that you can opt for in such cases include the following:
- Access tower. Also known as a scaffold tower. Hiring a scaffold tower makes a great alternative to be used in areas that don’t need a lot of movement. They’re also an affordable option since their weekly hire rate is £39. You can also have them custom-made and in different sizes to fit the staircase.
- Trestles/ access platform. Costing around £40 to hire per week, this alternative is ideal for indoor use. Whether it’s a simple paint job or decorating your interiors, this option is suitable because aside from offering safe access, whoever’s using it also gets a wide working surface with minimal strain.
- A ladder. Although ladders are the cheapest alternative to scaffolding, it doesn’t mean that they’re suitable for the job at hand. It is advisable to use a ladder if it’s safe to do so when working at height. You certainly do not want to risk getting hurt.
- Scissor lift. This alternative is especially suitable for projects with limited surface area. The scaffolding rental cost ranges from £300 a day. Another thing that makes it convenient is that it doesn’t require much time to set it up or dismantle it as it can be moved from one place to the other and you only need to adjust the height/length.
In a nutshell, typically it is charged by the day and the average cost of scaffolding per day is £50 and £180. The more days you need it for, the less it will cost you per day.
