Blog>Cost Guides>Scaffolding: Cost breakdown 2025
Last updated: 6 April 2025
Scaffolding: Cost breakdown 2025
If you’re carrying out any major building work on your home's exterior or roof, you’ll need scaffolding. To help you budget, we’ve put together this scaffolding price guide.
Fast Facts
You can expect to pay an average of £22.50 per m2 for scaffolding hire
Scaffolding hire for a two-storey semi-detached house (all three walls) costs around £900 per month
Speak to smaller, independent scaffolding hire companies local to you – they'll be cheaper than big national companies
Scaffolding is integral for many home improvement projects – providing safe access for tradespeople working on your property above head height.
As scaffolding is in constant demand, costs are often higher than most people think. In fact, it's not uncommon for scaffolding hire costs to exceed the price of the work itself – especially if it's for a minimal repair.
To help you budget with confidence, we run through all the costs involved and explain why scaffolding prices in the UK sometimes vary.
How much does scaffolding hire cost in 2025?
| Cost provided item | Unit | Range - Low | Range - High | Average UK cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-storey semi-detached house | Per week | £650 | £1,100 | £875 |
| Single scaffolding (up to 10m) | Per week | £550 | £700 | £625 |
| Single tower over conservatory | Per week | - | - | £420 |
| High level chimney scaffolding | Per week | £500 | £820 | £660 |
| Bridge over conservatory | Per week | £400 | £900 | £650 |
| Single scaffolding for gutters | Per week | - | - | £250 |
| Scaffold tower only | Per week | - | - | £250 |
| Wall work for terraced house | Per week | - | - | £310 |
| Scaffolding hire | Per m² | £20 | £25 | £22.50 |
| Last updated: January 2025 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | ||||
Depending on what you need scaffolding for, you may find that scaffolding costs are included in your overall project quote.
For instance, if you’re getting your roof repaired, your roofer’s quote will often incorporate the cost of scaffolding – including assembly, hire, materials, and disassembly.
That said, it’s still helpful to understand the costs involved. That way, you can check you’re getting a fair price as part of your final quote. Plus, you’ll be covered if you need to source scaffolding independently.
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Scaffolding requirements for domestic projects in the UK
Scaffolding comes in all shapes and sizes, but its purpose remains the same. It's installed to provide safe access for tradespeople carrying out repairs to your walls, windows, or roof.
Countless home improvement jobs would be impossible to carry out without scaffolding access. They include:
Installing new guttering
Roof repairs or replacement
Window repairs or replacement
And here's the important bit to note. UK law dictates that tradespeople must use scaffolding (or other suitable platforms) for access when working above head height.
So don’t be tempted to cut corners and use a ladder instead to save on costs (regardless of what some disreputable tradespeople may say). You'll want to find a reputable scaffolder and budget wisely for this vital component of your house project.
Scaffold cost variations by project
Scaffold costs can vary widely based on lots of different factors. But one of the main ones is what project you’re working on.
This will impact what kind of scaffolding you need – as well as which parts of your home you need your professionals to reach. All this can have a big bearing on your overall price.
Scaffolding trestle
For smaller projects – especially indoor work – you may only need to hire a scaffolding trestle. This consists of movable ladders or tripods that support a work platform. It’s easy to move and set up, which makes it ideal for work where you need to access a large area.
Scaffolding trestles are often used for…
Indoor painting
Indoor repairs
Small area repairs of external walls
For this, you are looking at paying £50 per week.
Small scaffold tower
Depending on your project, you may be able to get away with a scaffold tower instead of standard scaffolding. A scaffold tower is a freestanding frame that’s designed to be self-supporting and is assembled vertically.
It’s mainly used for reaching tall heights. But its easy-to-assemble design makes it a popular choice for lots of different projects – especially those that require mobility and flexibility, such as:
Painting
Cleaning
Gutter work
Light maintenance work
You can also get mobile scaffold towers with stabilisers and wheels to make it even easier for workers to move around to different sections of your home.
Scaffold tower hire prices are around £250 per week.
Domestic scaffolding
Standard fixed scaffolding for domestic projects can take lots of different forms. Usually, when you hire this kind of scaffolding, you’ll be charged per month – unlike more specialist scaffolding (like towers), which you may be able to hire on a weekly basis.
If you need scaffolding for a whole house, your costs will largely depend on the height of your home – as well as whether it’s terraced, semi-detached or detached.
Two-storey terraced house (two external walls): average £800 per month
Two-storey semi-detached house (three external walls): average £875 per month
Two-storey detached house (four external walls): average £1,200 per month
Three-storey semi-attached house (three walls): average £1,100 per month
Detached bungalow (four external walls): average £1,000 per month
That said, if you only need scaffolding on one wall of your home, your costs will drop drastically. In this case, you’ll be looking at around £1,000 per month for a two-storey property – regardless of whether it’s terraced, semi-detached or detached.
Complex scaffolding
If the shape of your building is more complex – for instance, it’s very tall or has hard-to-reach areas, this can push up your costs as more specialist scaffolding is needed. In particular, if you have a conservatory, you’ll need to build a scaffolding bridge over it – no matter what work you’re carrying out.
The average cost of a scaffolding bridge over a conservatory is around £650 per week.
High rise scaffolding
The higher the area of your building you need to reach, the higher your costs will typically be. A great example is if you need to have work carried out to your chimney. In this case, you won’t need your whole house to be covered in scaffolding, but you will need high-level chimney scaffolding. Additional safety precautions will also be required due to the scaffolding being erected over the highest part of the roof.
The average cost of high-level chimney scaffolding is £660 per week.
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Calculating the cost of scaffolding
As we’ve touched upon already, there are lots of different factors that can affect the cost of scaffolding. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind when you’re calculating your overall prices.
Regional differences
Costs for scaffolding will vary considerably depending on where you are in the country. Cities will generally be more expensive than more rural areas – with London being particularly pricey. We spoke to one of our members, who said that location is one of the biggest factors that affect the overall cost of scaffolding.
For instance, a four-metre tower in Colchester with three lifts would cost around £400.The same tower would cost £600 in London and only£250in the northeast of the country.
Scaffolding height and size
The bigger the scaffold or the more working levels needed, the more you’ll pay. The average scaffolding cost per m2 is £22.50, depending on the length and complexity of the scaffolding project.
More metal poles, wooden boards, fixtures and joints will all add to the overall scaffolding cost. You are looking at paying £625 per weekfor single scaffolding up to ten metres. Meanwhile, you'll pay a premium for double scaffolding. On average, you’re looking at paying an additional 40% on top of single scaffolding costs.
To figure out how high you need to go, it’s worth speaking with your local scaffolding specialist for their professional advice.
Project duration
Hiring scaffolding is normally charged at a weekly or monthly rate. So, the longer your project takes, the higher your costs will climb. You’ll usually agree to a fixed fee at the beginning for the whole hire period.
But if you need to extend it, you will typically be charged an additional 10%.
For example, if the quote is based on a four-week hire but you need scaffolding for six weeks, add 10% to the four-week quote you've been given to account for the extra two weeks.
Set-up complexity and accessibility
Access is one of the commonly underestimated factors when it comes to scaffolding. If erecting the scaffolding is quick and easy, it will generally cost less than more difficult sites. For scaffolding being put up on buildings in urban locations where access is tricky, you’ll pay more.
Likewise, if the ground conditions are poor (for instance, there’s a lot of mud at the base of the scaffolding) then a more stable base will need to be used – which can push up your costs.
Specialist project requirements
Every project is different. So, it’s worth noting that any special project requirements could incur additional costs.
A few examples include:
Building a bridge over a conservatory or extension
Additional safety precautions (eg. stonemasons often favour double rather than single scaffolding due to the additional risk of working with heavy materials at height)
Adapting scaffolding to fit the architectural features of listed or historic homes
Talk to your scaffolder before work starts to make sure you understand all the different considerations, and that you’re aligned with the scaffolder’s recommendations.
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Hidden costs to consider
It’s always best to check exactly what’s included in the cost of scaffolding. That way, you can be sure that you’re fully prepared and that there won’t be any unexpected surprises down the line. Here are some additional costs that you may need to factor into your budget.
Delivery and set-up fees
Usually, when you hire scaffolding, you’ll be provided with an overall cost that will include the cost to erect and strike (dismantle) the construction. However, different scaffolding companies will work in different ways. So, it’s always worth checking to be sure.
Some companies will charge separately for delivery and pickup fees, and they may even charge for their time erecting your scaffolding. Most of the time, delivery and erection take around one day.
Scaffolding permits
In the UK, all scaffolding projects require a permit before installation. Your scaffolding company should apply for this for you, but you're looking at an additional cost of £140 per month for this.
You may also need additional licences or permits if your scaffolding encroaches over a highway (including pavements) or you need to apply for a footpath or road closure. The cost for these can vary from council to council.
Bear in mind that the council may ask you to erect and dismantle your scaffolding during times when there are fewer members of the public in the vicinity. This could push your costs up if your scaffolders have to work outside of their usual working hours. Similarly, if your scaffolding blocks public access, you may be given a strict time limit for the scaffolding to be up.
Safety inspections
Once your scaffolding has been erected, it must be thoroughly inspected before it’s used. After this, it has to be inspected every seven days – as well as after events that could affect the safety of the structure, like alterations or adverse weather. Usually, these safety inspections will be included in your overall quote, but this isn’t always the case.
If they’re not, events like adverse weather could push your costs up as you’ll have more safety inspections to budget for.
Extra safety features
Sometimes, your tradesperson will recommend adding extra safety features to the scaffolding. This might be the case for multi-storey townhouses or apartment buildings.
Additional features that you might need to pay more for include:
Safety netting – This works out at an average of £5/m2 per week
Safety handrails – This costs on average £15 per week, per handrail
Dismantling charges
Removing scaffolding is called striking.
Usually, striking costs are included in your overall quote – just like erection costs. However, it’s always best to check with your scaffolding company to be sure. If striking costs aren’t included, check to find out whether you’ll be charged a flat rate for this, or whether you’ll be charged based on the time the scaffolding takes to dismantle.
Scaffolding striking typically takes around one day.
With dangerous heights to reach, it’s crucial to find a scaffolding provider that is both safety-compliant and efficient. This is not a job you want to cut corners on.
At Checkatrade, all our members have to pass up to 12 checks and regularly receive reviews from homeowners on everything from punctuality to professionalism. So, you know you’re in safe hands. View scaffolding company profiles, read reviews, and contact them directly.
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Contact or pay a trade through Checkatrade and you’re covered by our 12-month guarantee of up to £1,000*
FAQs
Do I need a permit for scaffolding?
Yes! In the UK, all scaffolding projects require a permit before any scaffold can be erected. This is to ensure all safety standards are met.
Scaffolding companies should obtain the permit on your behalf. But it’s your responsibility to ensure they have done so and that it doesn’t run out before the project is completed.
For your peace of mind, always ask for proof of the permit before allowing them to start work.
Will my scaffolding company have insurance?
Any scaffolding company you hire should have valid public liability insurance as standard. That’s why all the Checkatrade members in our directory have up-to-date public liability insurance for your added peace of mind.
What certifications should my scaffolder have?
We recommend checking that your scaffolder is certified by the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC).
In our comprehensive scaffolding hire guide, you can learn more about the rules and regulations a scaffolding company must abide by.
How much does it cost to scaffold a 2-storey house in the UK?
Scaffolding on a two-storey semi-detached house costs around £875 per week.
How are scaffolding hire costs calculated?
Your scaffolding hire quote will be calculated based on factors like size, location and access.
Can I rent scaffolding for a day?
Some companies might rent scaffolding by the day for smaller jobs, but it's more common to hire scaffolding per week or month.
Do scaffolding costs include labour?
Scaffolding rental costs will usually include the cost of erecting it and dismantling it. It's always a good idea to check with your chosen scaffolding provider what's included in your full quote, though, so there are no costly surprises.
How can I save money on scaffolding costs?
Scaffolding hire is a vital component you can't skip to save on costs. However, if you hire smart and plan wisely, there are some savings to be had.
Compare quotes
Get at least three quotes from experienced scaffolders locally. That way, you can be sure you're getting the best tradesperson and price for the job.
Plan your scaffolding duration efficiently
You’ll usually agree to a fixed fee at the beginning for the whole hire period, so plan out your project's timescale with a fine-tooth comb to ensure you don't overrun.
If you think your project will overrun, let your scaffolding contractors know immediately, as they might already have plans for the scaffolding equipment or structure. If you need to extend it, you will normally be charged an extra 10% on top of your monthly rate.
Opt for local providers
A good tip is to speak to smaller, independent scaffolding hire companies as they tend to be cheaper than big national companies.
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job
What is the difference between scaffolding hire and purchase?
Scaffolding hire is used for home improvement projects on an occasional basis and is charged on a weekly or monthly basis. If you're looking at purchasing scaffolding, the costs will be substantially more.
Are there any safety rules I need to follow for scaffolding?
Absolutely. You'll need to abide by many rules and regulations around scaffolding. Including:
Only trained and competent builders or scaffolding contractors can put up scaffolding
It’s the responsibility of the builder or scaffolding company to get a licence for any scaffolding they put up
It’s your responsibility to check they have this legal document and that it doesn’t run out before the building work is finished
You can learn more about the safety rules and how they might impact your project in our comprehensive scaffolding hiring guide.
Ready to find a reputable scaffolding hire company near you? Start your search for a local scaffolding company today.
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