Guide: buying and using scaffolding and formwork

65 articles from more than fifteen years of trading scaffolding and formwork: prices, planning, erection, safety, buying used and shipping. Every part is explained in our glossary.

Prices & planning Projects & trades Erection & technology Types & materials Safety, rules & weather Buying, transport & care Formwork & shoring Glossary of parts

Prices & planning

How much does scaffolding weigh?

Scaffolding weight per square metre and per truck, based on the packages in our stock: frame and modular scaffolding, steel and aluminium, formwork.

What does used scaffolding cost?

Price of used scaffolding per square metre, based on the packages currently in our stock, and the factors that drive it: system, composition, condition, quantity.

Scaffolding for a detached house: how much you need and what it costs

How many square metres of scaffold a detached house needs, which system suits it, what a full package contains and how to budget with indicative prices.

Scaffolding a house: a step-by-step planning method

Survey, measure, check the ground, fix load and width class, plan access and ties, then count parts: a practical sequence for scaffolding a house.

Buying or hiring scaffolding: working out which pays

Hire or own? A break-even method for contractors: hidden hire costs, real costs of ownership, resale value and the point at which buying scaffolding pays.

Where to buy used scaffolding and formwork

Manufacturer, dealer, auction or private seller? Where used scaffolding and formwork come from, what each source risks and how to compare offers properly.

Scaffolding FAQ: over 50 questions and answers, from planning to purchase

Short answers to the questions we hear most: scaffold height, load class, ties, inspection, buying used, transport, storage and mobile towers, in seven topics.

Calculating scaffold area and turning it into a parts list

Scaffold area from length and height, gables, corners and L-shaped plans, then bays, lifts and parts: how to size a scaffold package and price it.

Projects & trades

Facade renovation: one scaffold for every trade

How to plan one scaffold for a whole facade renovation: trade sequence, load class, wall distance as the facade grows, nets, ties and alterations.

Rendering a facade: the right scaffold for render work

Scaffolding for render work: 200–300 mm to the finished surface, load class 3, pump hoses, lift heights that avoid lap lines and patching the tie points.

Painting a facade: scaffold, wall distance and protection

Facade painting from a scaffold: load class, wall gap, net or sheeting for spraying, keeping paint off the decks, tower or facade scaffold, and tie spots.

Scaffolding for external wall insulation (ETICS)

Scaffolding for ETICS and external wall insulation: W09 width, load class 3, inside brackets removed lift by lift, the 300 mm gap and ties through insulation.

Scaffolding for roof work: catch deck, screen and hoisting

Re-roofing scaffolds: catch deck no more than 1.5 m under the eaves, protective screen, gables and dormers, tonnes of tiles, hoist landing and rubbish chute.

Replacing windows: when you need a scaffold and how to set it up

Window replacement and scaffolding: when fitting from inside is enough, how heavy triple glazing is, load class 3, deck height to the sill and tie positions.

Gutters and downpipes: working safely at the eaves

Fitting gutters and downpipes safely: a deck 1.2–1.5 m below the gutter, planning fall and bracket spacing, soldering safely, scaffold or tower, water test.

Scaffolding for solar panel installation: systems, loads and widths

Which scaffold PV installers need on pitched and flat roofs: eaves platform, roof edge protection, load class, deck width, access and when buying pays off.

Scaffolding for renovating old and listed buildings

Uneven walls, cornices, tight courtyards, fragile masonry: how to choose, tie and protect a scaffold on period and listed buildings, and when buying pays off.

From brickwork to facade: scaffolding in house building

How the scaffold on a new house changes from blockwork to roof catch to facade: ground, ties in fresh masonry, eaves height, wall distance, long standing times.

Industrial scaffolding for plants, refineries and power stations

Scaffolding in process plants, refineries, power stations and shipyards: modular systems, heavy load classes, hazardous areas, planning, access and buying used.

Narrow scaffolding for passages, pavements and courtyards

When only 80 cm remain between wall and boundary: width classes, narrow 70 series frames, load classes, ties and pedestrian routes for tight spaces.

In the garden: hedges, fruit trees and carports, safely

Why a small tower beats a ladder for hedge cutting, pruning and carport gutters, and how to set it up safely on lawn, gravel and slopes. A guide for homeowners.

Reuse: used scaffolding and sustainable construction

Why reusing scaffolding cuts embodied carbon: steel per m², a transparent CO2e estimate, circular economy, ESG reporting and a buy-back that keeps parts in use.

Converting offices into homes: scaffolding the project

Scaffolding for office-to-residential conversions: facade and window work, roof extensions, propping new openings, interior platforms, long standing times.

Erection & technology

Scaffold load classes and width classes explained

Load classes 1 to 6 and width classes W06, W09 and up under EN 12811-1: what they allow, how to work out the class you need and the mistakes to avoid on site.

Erecting a facade scaffold: the right sequence and the mistakes that cause trouble

How to erect a system scaffold lift by lift: ground, base, bracing, decks, guard rails, ties and handover – plus the mistakes that turn up again and again.

Tying scaffolding to the building: tie components, tie patterns and pull-out tests

Why facade scaffolds need ties, which substrates hold an anchor, how tie patterns change with netting and brackets, and how pull-out tests are done.

Dismantling scaffolding: sequence, safety and sorting the material for storage

Dismantling a facade scaffold top down: preparation, the order of parts, when ties may come out, lowering material safely and sorting it for storage.

Balconies, bay windows, canopies: getting the scaffold past obstacles

Scaffolding past obstacles: move the standard, bridge the gap or carry it from above. Lattice girders, balconies, bay windows and when to call an engineer.

Widening the scaffold: planning inside and outside brackets, width classes and wall gap

Widening a scaffold: inside brackets for the wall gap, outside brackets for extra deck, EN 12811-1 width classes, a worked example and typical errors.

Access to the scaffold: ladder bay, external ladder tower or stair tower?

Safe access to a facade scaffold: hatch decks in a ladder bay, stair towers and other options compared, where to place them and how to lock them at night.

The manufacturer's instructions for assembly and use: what they contain and why they matter

What a system's instructions for assembly and use contain, how to find the right table, where the standard configuration ends and why used kit needs them.

Birdcage and interior scaffolding: working under ceilings, in halls and large rooms

Planning a birdcage scaffold for ceilings, halls and churches: choice of system, deck height, stability without ties, floor loads, edge protection and access.

Plug-in scaffolding: how the bolt-free principle works and what to check

Plug-in scaffolding explained: how spigot, wedge and cup joints replace bolts, the main system families, their limits and what to check on used material.

Cantilever brackets: gaining working space without losing safety

What cantilever brackets do, why they act as levers, how to fit and brace them, and how to check used brackets for squareness, cracked welds and worn spigots.

TG20 and SG4: the two UK scaffolding references in plain terms

TG20 and SG4 explained: when a standard configuration covers a tube and fitting scaffold, when a bespoke design is due and how SG4:22 prevents falls.

Types & materials

Frame, modular, Cuplock or tube and fitting: scaffolding systems compared

Frame scaffolding, modular ringlock scaffolding, Cuplock and tube and fitting compared: typical uses, strengths and limits, steel or aluminium.

Aluminium or steel scaffolding: weight, cost and service life

Aluminium or steel scaffolding? Weight per m², transport, load classes, wear and resale compared with a worked example, so you can choose the right material.

Facade scaffold or mobile tower: which one for your job?

Facade scaffold or mobile tower? Compare height limits, ground conditions, standing time and relocation effort with a worked example and a five-step decision.

Scaffold decks compared: steel, aluminium, combi, timber and ladder deck

Steel, aluminium, combi, timber or ladder deck? How scaffold decks differ in weight, load class, service life and use, with load examples for typical bays.

Checking used scaffold decks: timber, steel or aluminium

How to inspect used scaffold decks before you buy or reuse them: hooks, welds, deflection, zinc, plywood and timber boards, with clear rejection criteria.

Wear on scaffold parts: when to replace a brace or a guard rail

When must a diagonal brace, guard rail, frame or standard be replaced? Kinks, worn connections, cracked welds and corrosion explained, with a defect table.

Erecting and moving a mobile tower scaffold: AGR, 3T and the 4 m rule

Mobile tower scaffold step by step: building to EN 1004 with AGR or 3T, outriggers and ballast, locked castors and the HSE rule to lower to 4 m before moving.

Falsework and shoring towers: EN 12812 design classes A, B1 and B2

Falsework to EN 12812 explained for formwork buyers: how it differs from working scaffolds, the limits of Class A, when B1 or B2 design applies, shoring towers.

Safety, rules & weather

Scaffolding inspection: what to check before and during use

When scaffolding must be inspected and what is checked: foundation, structure, ties, platforms, side protection, access and loads. With standards and guidance.

Scaffolding safety: duties, rules and standards explained

Who is responsible for a scaffold, when a licence is needed, which EN standards apply, how UK and US rules handle inspection and how to keep intruders off.

Scaffolding on the pavement or road: licences, barriers and lighting

Scaffold on a public footway or road: who issues the licence, what the application needs, how to route pedestrians and how to light and protect the site.

Scaffolding on a neighbour's land: access, agreements and disputes

When your scaffold has to stand on next door's land: how to ask, what to put in writing, how to protect their property and what to do if they refuse.

Liability and insurance: who is responsible for what on a scaffold

Owner, scaffolder, trades, DIY builders and helpers: typical duties around a scaffold, the insurance policies involved and what to do after an incident.

Protecting scaffolding against theft and intruders

Lock the access, store small parts securely, mark your stock and protect the house behind the scaffold: practical security for sites, yards and homeowners.

Wind and storms: wind load, nets, sheeting and making the scaffold safe

How wind acts on a scaffold, why sheeting multiplies tie forces, what to do before a forecast storm, during thunder and before anyone climbs back up.

Scaffolding in winter: snow loads, ice, frost and clearing roofs

Snow weight against load class, gritting without salt, frost heave under base plates, tying in cold weather, heated enclosures and clearing snow from a roof.

Scaffolding in summer: heat, UV, thunderstorms and long standing times

Heat and UV on the scaffold, nets and ties ageing in the sun, soft asphalt under base plates, sudden thunderstorms and checks during a long season on site.

Scaffold inspections in the UK: the 7-day rule, written reports and who may inspect

UK scaffold inspections explained: the check before first use, the 7-day rule, inspections after storms or changes, written reports and who may inspect.

OSHA scaffold rules in plain English: capacity, platforms, ties and guardrails

OSHA scaffold rules from 29 CFR 1926.451 in plain English with metric values: four-times capacity, 18-inch platforms, ties, guardrails and shift inspections.

Scaffolding in Australia: high risk work licence, SWMS and inspections

Scaffolding in Australia explained: when a high risk work licence is needed, why a SWMS applies from 2 m and what SafeWork NSW says about 30-day inspections.

Formwork & shoring

Buying used formwork: wall, slab and shoring explained

Used, refurbished or new formwork: wall formwork, slab formwork, shoring towers and props – what to check and how to plan the quantity.