The cost of scaffolding

Trying to get a quote for some all over the house scaffolding for roof repairs and repointing, and to tidy up gutters, soffits fascias etc.

It looks like it's going to cost about £12,000. Just for the scaffolding.

WTF???

And if those are typical scaffolders, payment in cash would be very much preferred.

That said, unless your house if huge even by rof standards I'd probably get a couple of additional estimates as that seems a little toppy to me.

I'm not sure it's nationwide, but near us the industry seems entirely controlled by members of the travelling community.  It went up and down sharpish so labour costs are low, material costs relatively cheap - I smell cartel activity.

Wait until you try getting them to take it down.  They never want to dismantle it and take it back the yard and unload and then load it again so they'll just wait until they've got a new job and take it straight from your place to the new site.  When I wanted mine taken down once I'd got the roof on my house they were always coming next week but then the lorry would break down again and they'd have to leave it another week.  Eventually threatened to start charging them storage.

Bloke I know was quoted £12K for one of those over the roof canopy jobs when he was having a loft conversion and re-roof. Sizeable detached house, but still.

Didn't go for it then got hit by a storm and suffered massive rain damage on his first floor. 

Heh

Would say get 3 quotes. Understand exactly what it is you need and make sure they are quoting for that, nothing more, nothing less. 

Can any of the work be done by cherry picker, or mobile scaffolding platform (I bought one of these for repainting the house and removing satellite dish/old aerials: https://www.laddersandscaffoldtowers.co.uk/acatalog/Trade-Master-Professional-Scaffold-Towers.html) or - thinking laterally - by installing a dormer or velux in the roof and accessing through that ?   

But yeah, it's painful.

I've got a lovely little tower I use for clearing gutters and bits as far better than standing up a ladder hoping it doesn't slip.

My scaffolding was horrendously expensive as it had to hold up the original wooden frame of the building while we put modern foundations under it.  On top of that got held up by the planners so it was in place rather longer than anticipated.

that sounds absurd

my parents r doing up multiple barns and a farm house over 3 years, so need scaffolding throughout the time. enough to fit round a farm house scaffolding cost £11k brand new and in good condition keeps resale value (currently c.25% discount only)

In my limited experience of scaffolding, they will leave it there much longer than you want. Much more work for them to put it into storage rather than just moving it to the next job. One time they left an abusive graffiti after we threatened to sue them to get rid of the fooking thing. Absolute arseholes. 

no my point is good luck enforcing any judgment against them...if you even get that far in one piece

I agreed to pay my scaffolders 10k cash and was a few days late paying as I couldn't withdraw it all in one go and the boss of the business turned up to collect it personally.  thankfully I had it ready but he appeared quite ready to escalate matters had I not.

It was the house commune or whatever you call it that threatened to sue. Once that happened the scaffolding was gone pretty soon. They did graffiti the building though. Knuts. 

It is fairly skilled labour.

But £12k?? Annoying they wont take it down - since round here you seem to be charged by the week - they are taking it off you all which ways.

To be fair mine did stop charging the rental at the point that I told them they could take it away.  Mutterings about litigation also finally persuaded them to come and take it down.

Gypsies will definitely break into a bungalow quite easily. Thank goodness I live in an apartment on the 5th floor. From there I can look and point at all the scumbags like you. Hahahaha!