On small jobs the access can cost more than the repair. Understanding how scaffolding is priced tells you when to bundle work and when to wait.
How scaffolding is priced
A scaffold quote has two parts: the erect and dismantle, which is the bulk of it, and the hire period, which is usually charged in weeks after an included first period of two to four weeks. Moving a tower around the house is cheaper than a full scaffold but is only suitable for spot work.
For a two storey house, a single elevation typically runs 500 to 900 pounds, two elevations 900 to 1,500, and a full wrap for a re roof 1,500 to 2,800. Chimney work usually needs a tower or a chimney lift on top of the main scaffold, which adds 300 to 700.
When you genuinely need it
Any work where someone is on the roof surface for a sustained period, any work at a ridge or chimney, and any work involving carrying materials up. Working at height rules do not ban ladders, but they do require the safest reasonable method for the task and duration.
A short inspection, a gutter clear on a bungalow or refixing a single tile at the eaves can often be done from a ladder or a tower safely. Anyone who tells you a full re roof can be done off ladders is telling you something about how they work.
Pavement licences and neighbours
Scaffolding that stands on a public footpath or road needs a licence from the county highways team, typically 80 to 200 pounds plus the application time, and often a pedestrian walkway if the path is blocked. In central Oxford and the market towns this is common rather than exceptional.
Where the scaffold has to sit on a neighbour's land, that needs their agreement in advance and sometimes an access agreement in writing. On terraces this is worth sorting out weeks before the work is booked.
How to get more value out of the access
The scaffold is the sunk cost, so anything else that needs doing at that height should be done while it is up. Gutter and fascia renewal, chimney repointing, moss removal, roof window seals and external painting at high level all become far cheaper as add ons.
If you are planning a re roof within a couple of years and the gutters need doing now, it is usually worth waiting and doing both together rather than paying for access twice.
Is scaffolding included in a roofing quote?
It should be, and it should be itemised. A quote that does not mention access either excludes it or hides it, and both cause arguments later.
How long does scaffolding stay up for a re roof?
Usually two to three weeks for a typical house, covering the work plus a buffer for weather. Most hire agreements include the first few weeks in the erect price.
Can I hire scaffolding myself to save money?
You can, but the roofer then has no control over the design, the lift heights or the timing, and most will not accept liability for working off it. The saving is usually small and the risk is not.
Do I need a licence for scaffolding on my drive?
No, private land does not need a highways licence. Only scaffolding standing on the public footpath or carriageway does.
Is a scaffold tower cheaper than a full scaffold?
Considerably, often 150 to 350 pounds for a day or two. It suits spot repairs, gutter work and inspections rather than anything spanning a slope.
Evans Roofing & Maintenance Ltd, Witney, Oxfordshire. Call 07960 482233 for a free written quote.