Narrow scaffolding for passages, pavements and courtyards
Eighty centimetres between the house wall and the garden wall next door. A pavement that must stay open for pushchairs and wheelchairs. A light well between two buildings. A standard facade scaffold with a deck width of around 1 m and base plates that stand out further still will not fit in such places. A narrow scaffold will, provided you understand what you give up in width and what that means for load, stability and access.
Where narrow scaffolds are needed
- Passages between buildings: gable walls of terraced or semi-detached houses, gaps to garages and boundary walls.
- Pavements: the scaffold may take only part of the footway; the remaining width belongs to pedestrians.
- Courtyards and light wells: little floor space, often reached only through the building.
- Balconies and roof terraces: a scaffold standing on a slab with a parapet in front of it.
- Extensions and lean-tos: a gable rising behind a single-storey building, with only a strip of ground beside it.
Width classes: what EN 12811-1 says
EN 12811-1 groups working scaffolds by the clear width of the platform. The two classes that matter here:
| Width class | Clear platform width | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| W06 | from 0.60 m | painting, render repairs, inspections, cleaning |
| W09 | from 0.90 m | brickwork with stored material, insulation, heavy trades |
| W12 and above | from 1.20 m | industrial work, material handling |
The common narrow frame systems are the 70 series: Altrad Plettac SL 70 and Hünnebeck Bosta 70; their system width is about 0.70 to 0.74 m. They fall into width class W06. The full background is in load classes and width classes.
Narrow does not mean light-duty for everything
A narrow scaffold is perfectly adequate for painting, rendering and window work at load class 3 (2.00 kN/m²). It reaches its limits where material has to be stored on the deck. A bricklayer who wants blocks and a mortar tub beside him needs W09 and load class 4 or 5. On a 0.70 m deck there is simply no room for both the worker and a pallet of material, regardless of what the frame could carry.
Practical rules on narrow decks:
- keep a clear walkway; tools and buckets go to the end of the bay, not in the middle,
- bring material up in small quantities, as the work requires,
- plan the trades so that two crews do not have to pass each other on the same lift.
Gaining width where there is space
Narrow passages are often only narrow at ground level. Above a garden wall or the roof of a garage, the space opens up again. A narrow base scaffold can then be widened at the levels where more room is available, using outside brackets or inside brackets. The reverse also works: a bracket on the inside closes the gap to a wall that is set back further than usual. More in widening the scaffold.
Where even a 70 series frame does not fit, typical alternatives are:
- a modular scaffold with short ledgers, which adapts its width to the space,
- a narrow aluminium tower to EN 1004 for short, low jobs on firm ground,
- a scaffold started from a higher level, for example on a garage roof with suitable load spreading, if the structure can take it.
Stability and ties in tight spaces
The narrower the scaffold, the smaller its base, and the more it depends on its ties. A narrow scaffold must therefore be tied exactly in the pattern specified for that system and that cladding. Nets or sheeting increase wind load and usually require more ties. Where a wall cannot take ties, for example a garden wall or a lightweight extension, a buttress or outrigger is no option either if there is no room for it. Then the solution has to come from the other side: ties to the building being worked on, or a different system. See tying scaffolding to the building.
Check the ground in passages carefully. Drain covers, inspection chambers and soft strips along walls are common. Every base jack needs a firm footing with a sole board where the surface is not paved.
Pavements, neighbours and courtyards
Keeping pedestrians moving
On a public footway the scaffold has to share the space. Typical requirements, set by the local authority, include a minimum remaining width for pedestrians, a protected passage under the scaffold or a diverted route, lighting at night and protection against falling objects. With passage frames or lattice girders the scaffold can bridge the walkway, so pedestrians pass underneath while the working levels start above head height. A protective fan or a fully boarded first lift keeps falling material off the walkway.
Before erecting on a public footway in the UK, the scaffolding contractor obtains a licence from the local highway authority. Comparable permits elsewhere come from the city or municipality; see scaffolds on pavements and roads.
Neighbouring land and courtyards
A narrow scaffold often has to stand partly on the neighbour's ground. Agree in writing beforehand which strip may be used, for how long and how the ground is to be returned. Where a neighbour in England or Wales says no, the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992 lets a court order access, but only as a final step; in other countries a signed agreement between the owners is the usual basis. See scaffolding on a neighbour's land.
In courtyards reached only through a hallway, the weight and length of each part decide how fast the job goes. Frames of about 2 m height and short bays carry more easily through doors and stairwells than 3 m ledgers.
Buying a narrow system
Used 70 series frame systems are widely available and inexpensive, which makes them a good second set for contractors who regularly meet tight sites. For orientation only (October 2026): complete packages of used frame material start at around €30 and reach about €40 per m², excluding VAT. Browse Plettac, Hünnebeck Bosta or the full range of used scaffolding, and work out the area you need with the scaffolding calculator.