Typical 2026 UK quotes
Scaffolding cost calculator: what will scaffolding cost?
Most firms price per elevation: length times £40–60 per metre, uplifted for height, with 6–8 weeks' hire included. One 8 m elevation of a two-storey house typically comes back at £480–£720 on 2026 quotes.
Email me this result
We will send you these figures and a link back to them. One email, nothing else unless you tick the box.
What this is based on
- Base rate of £40–60 per linear metre of elevation at single-storey working height, typical 2026 UK quotes. This is a market rate, not a regulated price: it varies by region and access, and London and city-centre jobs commonly price above the range.
- Height uplift: two-storey work multiplies the base by 1.5, three-storey by 2, reflecting the extra lifts, labour and ties on taller scaffolds.
- 6 weeks' hire included, matching the 6–8 weeks most quotes cover. Each extra week adds £100–200, the typical 2026 extended-hire rate.
- Chimney access adds £500–800, the typical 2026 price of a chimney scaffold. A corner or return adds £150–300 for the extra lift and boards.
- Excluded: pavement licence fees where the scaffold stands on the public highway (set by each council, see the licence guide). Also excluded: temporary roofs, debris netting or wrap, and design work on engineered scaffolds.
- These are typical quote ranges, not a price list. No scaffolder prices a job from a calculator: they look at ties, access and ground conditions first.
Scaffolding Cost Calculator is an information site. It is not affiliated with any scaffolding firm, trade association or council. Figures are typical 2026 quote ranges, not quotations, and nothing here is safety or structural advice: prices and licence requirements vary by job and council, so confirm both with local firms and your local authority.
Want real prices for this job?
Tell us what the scaffold is for and we'll introduce you to up to three firms, each a local scaffolding firm to price it properly.
Typical UK scaffolding costs by job, 2026
Last updated
Six common scaffold jobs priced with the same model the calculator uses: £40–60 per metre, height uplifts, 6 weeks' hire included, chimney and corner adders. Typical 2026 quotes, not fixed prices.
Computed with the calculator's model from typical 2026 UK quote ranges: £40–60 per linear metre of elevation at single-storey height, multiplied by 1.5 for two storeys and 2 for three, 6 weeks' hire included then £100–200 per extra week, £500–800 for a chimney scaffold and £150–300 for a corner return. Market rates, not regulated prices: they vary by region, access and season.
| Job | Model inputs | Typical 2026 quote |
|---|---|---|
| One elevation, bungalow | 8 m, 1 storey, 6 weeks | £320–£480 |
| One elevation, two-storey house | 8 m, 2 storeys, 6 weeks | £480–£720 |
| Front and side return, two-storey | 14 m with corner, 2 storeys, 6 weeks | £990–£1,560 |
| Chimney repair with access run | 4 m, 2 storeys, chimney scaffold, 6 weeks | £740–£1,160 |
| One elevation, three-storey townhouse | 8 m, 3 storeys, 6 weeks | £640–£960 |
| Two-storey elevation kept up 10 weeks | 8 m, 2 storeys, 10 weeks | £880–£1,520 |
- Scaffolding one 8 m elevation of a two-storey UK house typically costs £480–£720 on 2026 quotes, with 6–8 weeks' hire included.
- Keeping scaffolding up beyond the included hire period typically adds £100–£200 per week on 2026 UK quotes.
- A chimney scaffold typically adds £500–£800 to a 2026 UK scaffolding quote.
Cite this page
“Typical UK scaffolding costs by job, 2026”, Scaffolding Cost Calculator, https://scaffoldingcostcalculator.com/ (updated 2026-08-14). Computed with the calculator's model from typical 2026 UK quote ranges: £40–60 per linear metre of elevation at single-storey height, multiplied by 1.5 for two storeys and 2 for three, 6 weeks' hire included then £100–200 per extra week, £500–800 for a chimney scaffold and £150–300 for a corner return. Market rates, not regulated prices: they vary by region, access and season.
Straight answers
How much does scaffolding cost in the UK?
Typical 2026 quotes run £40–60 per metre of elevation at single-storey height, so one 8 m elevation of a two-storey house is around £480–£720 with 6–8 weeks' hire included. Chimney scaffolds typically add £500–£800. These are typical quote ranges, not fixed prices: region and access move them.
What are scaffolding hire costs in the UK per week?
Most quotes price the job, not the week, with 6–8 weeks' hire included. Beyond that, extended hire typically adds £100–£200 per week on 2026 UK quotes.
How much is scaffolding for a semi-detached house?
One 8 m front elevation of a two-storey semi typically prices at £480–£720 on 2026 quotes. Wrapping the front and side with a corner return is more like £990–£1,560. A full wrap of every elevation lands higher again, priced per metre of total run.
Do I need a permit for scaffolding?
Only when it stands on or overhangs the public highway, a pavement, road or verge. That needs a licence from the council under section 169 of the Highways Act 1980, which the scaffolding firm normally arranges. On your own land, no licence is needed.
Why do scaffolding quotes vary so much for the same house?
Because the price is mostly labour and risk: access, ground conditions, how the scaffold ties to the building, netting, pavement licences and postcode all differ. Getting two or three local quotes against a typical-range estimate is the reliable way to spot an outlier.
How do I estimate scaffolding costs before getting a quote?
Price the run of each elevation at the typical £40–£60 a metre at single-storey height. Multiply by 1.5 for two storeys or 2 for three. Add £500–£800 for a chimney scaffold and £100–£200 a week beyond the 6 to 8 included. The calculator above runs that model: a scaffolding cost estimate to hold each quote against.
What do domestic scaffolding prices look like on scaffolders' own price lists?
Our Scaffolding Price Index read the scaffolders' and price guides' own pages on 15 October 2026. One two-storey elevation: £350–£650 (Scaffolding Cost Calculator UK), £600–£1,000 for four to six weeks (MyBuilder), £650–£1,100 (Best Builders). Full wrap: £1,500–£2,600 (MyBuilder), £1,200–£2,800 (Best Builders). Chimney: £450–£900 (Best Builders). Few publish a scaffolding price list: 12 of 20 gave no price.(Scaffolding Price Index, scaffolders' and price guides' own pages read 15 October 2026)
How do I get a free scaffolding quote, and what should the quotation show?
Use the form on this page and up to three local scaffolding firms will price the job, free. A scaffolding quotation worth comparing shows the erection and dismantle charge, the hire period included, the weekly rate after it, and whether a pavement licence is needed and included. A scaffold quote missing any of those is the one that grows.
Sources
This site's own datasets, every figure quoted from its source and dated:
- The Scaffold Licence and Regulation carries 4 published figures read from 4 sources' own pages; the 3 published figures given by fee basis (flat, per square metre) run from 62 to 895 GBP, read 7 November 2026.
- The Scaffolding Price Index carries 19 published figures read from 9 sources' own pages; the 17 published figures given by job type run from 250 to 1,500 GBP, read 15 October 2026.
Price the scaffold before the trades quote you
Length, height, weeks: a low to high range in ten seconds.
Use this on your own site
<script src="https://scaffoldingcostcalculator.com/embed.js" async></script>