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Last updated: 4 April 2024
How much do scaffolders make?
Scaffolding is a key part of many home improvement and construction projects, but how much do scaffolders make? In this guide we look at figures for the average scaffolder salary in the UK, as well as scaffolding business revenue and profit.
Whether you're starting out as a scaffolder apprentice, you’re considering setting yourself up as a self-employed scaffolder, or you run your own scaffolding company – this guide is for you.
How much do scaffolders earn in the UK?
Scaffolders in the UK can expect to earn an annual salary starting at around £11,060 as an apprentice, up to about £56,830 as a scaffolding limited company owner.
The exact salary you can earn as a scaffolder will depend on your qualifications, skills, experience, and where you’re based – as well as the size and complexity of the scaffolding jobs you do.
If you’re thinking about starting your own scaffolding business (whether as a sole trader or a limited company), there’s no doubt that you’ll boost your earning potential as a scaffolder.
| Level | Per hour | Per day | Per year | Business Costs* | Approximate Take Home Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £6.30 | £50 | £11,060 | £0 | £10,720 |
| Newly Qualified | £18.19 | £146 | £31,940 | £0 | £25,210 |
| Employed | £19.28 | £154 | £40,100 | £0 | £30,760 |
| Sole Trader | £38 | £304 | £56,050 | £7,006 | £37,590 |
| Business Owner (ltd company) | £38.53 | £308 | £56,830 | £9,946 | £37,510 |
| *includes estimated costs for business expenses such as vehicle, tools, insurance, fuel etc | |||||
| Last updated: May 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | |||||
How much do scaffolders make a year?
To help you work out how much you can earn, here's roughly how much scaffolders get paid a year in the UK, depending on their level of experience:
Apprentice scaffolder – £11,060 (£10,720 take home)
Newly qualified scaffolder – £31,940 (£25,210 take home)
Employed scaffolder – £40,100 (£30,760 take home)
Sole trader scaffolder – £56,050 (£37,590 take home)
Scaffolding company owner – £56,830 (£37,510 take home)
How much do scaffolders earn per month?
Based on the figures above, we’ve calculated how much scaffolders earn as a monthly wage:
Apprentice – £1,092 per month
Newly qualified – £3,153 per month
Employed – £3,342 per month
Sole trader – £6,586 per month
Scaffolding limited company owner – £6,678 per month
How much do scaffolders earn a week?
As a weekly figure, here's how much scaffolders in the UK earn per week:
Apprentice – £252 per week
Newly qualified – £728 per week
Employed – £771 per week
Sole trader – £1,520 per week
Scaffolding limited company owner – £1,541 per week
How much does a scaffolder make a day?
Due to the nature of scaffolding work, a lot of scaffolders are paid by the day. As a guide, here are the average day rates for scaffolders in the UK:
Apprentice – £50 per day
Newly qualified – £146 per day
Employed – £154 per day
Sole trader – £304 per day
Scaffolding limited company owner – £308 per day
How much does the average scaffolder earn per hour?
As with all earnings, the average hourly rate for a scaffolder in the UK will vary based on skills and experience. Here’s how much scaffolders in the UK earn per hour:
Apprentice – £6.30 per hour
Newly qualified – £18.19 per hour
Employed – £19.28 per hour
Sole trader – £38 per hour
Scaffolding limited company owner – £38.53 per hour
How to start a scaffolding company
Why start a scaffolding business? Necessary on almost every construction project out there, knowing how to erect scaffolding correctly is a sought-after skill. Naturally, the demand for higher and larger buildings that require the use of scaffolding isn’t going away. This makes starting a
Does scaffolding pay well if you’re self-employed?
When looking at earning potential, starting your own scaffolding business as a self-employed scaffolder can massively boost how much money you can make.
Below are the average figures for a self-employed scaffolder salary in the UK:
Hourly rate – £38 per hour
Day rate – £304 per day
Yearly salary – £56,050 per year
Annual take-home pay – £37,590 per year
How much does a scaffolder apprentice earn?
If you’re starting out your career as a scaffolder, here’s how much you could earn as an apprentice:
Hourly rate – £6.30 per hour
Day rate – £50 per day
Yearly salary – £11,060 per year
Annual take-home pay – £10,720 per year
What’s the average scaffolding business profit?
When it comes to running a scaffolding business, the profit (and revenue) you generate will depend on a number of factors, such as the size of your business, the amount of work you do, and how profitable each of your scaffolding jobs are.
To give you a rough guide, we’ve put together some estimates for scaffolding business revenue and profit.
Scaffolding business revenue
Here are some figures for the average scaffolding business revenue in the UK:
Sole trader scaffolder – £56,050
Scaffolding limited company – £56,830
Scaffolding business profit
To work out your profit as a scaffolding business, whether as a sole trader or a limited company, you need to factor in the costs of running your business - such as your work vehicle, fuel, materials, tools and insurance, etc.
For a limited company, it’s important to factor in any staff wages as part of your business’ running costs.
After deducting your annual business costs, a self-employed scaffolder can expect their scaffolding business profit (i.e. their take-home salary) to be somewhere in the region of £37,590 as a sole trader.
If you’re operating as a limited company, you’re looking at an average scaffolding business profit of around £37,510.
Want tips to expand your scaffolding business? Check out our guide on how to grow your business:
How to grow your trade business in [year] - Free guide included
4 ways to grow your trade business Are you looking at how you can take your business to the next level? We've created a no-nonsense guide with the tips you need to grow your trade business. The guide will help you: Understand why online marketing is essential, and what options you have See why old
How to make your scaffolding business more profitable
As a scaffolding business owner, you want to ensure that you’re making as much as you can from all the scaffolding jobs you’re doing. To do that, you need to focus on profitability.
To help you boost your profits, we’ve put together our top tips to make your scaffolding business more profitable:
Make sure you're charging enough to cover your outgoings (including tools, materials, insurance, marketing, wages, fuel etc).
Focus on the jobs that make you the most money and require you to spend the least (for tools, materials, etc).
Limit how far you travel to avoid vehicle and fuel costs eating into your profits.
Minimise your outgoings by trying to have no or as little debt as possible.
Shop around for the best deals on tools, equipment, materials and workwear (Checkatrade members get discounts with our trade partners)
Get your business name out there through marketing (your website, customer reviews and SEO, for example).
Provide the best customer experience to all your customers to build a strong reputation and win more work through word of mouth.
Join a trade directory like Checkatrade to build your reviews and online reputation.
Expert tips for increasing profits in [year]
What is profit? Profit is money left over after subtracting all your business expenses from your total revenue. As a trade business, you've probably always got your eye on making a profit. After all, it's the measure of success for most businesses. The key is knowing how to increase your profits
Become your own boss with your new scaffolding business
You could get your scaffolding business started with the help of our 'Become the Boss' series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoRV0Fsrgnk
You'll receive a series of emails with actionable tips. That's seven emails in total (and a cheeky bonus email) featuring fellow tradespeople who were once in your position, a free business strategy call, and at the end of it all, you'll be the Founder of your new business. What's not to love?
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