Scaffolding is usually one of the smaller lines on an extension quote, but it catches people out because it is priced on time as well as size. A single-storey rear extension in Kings Langley might need scaffold for three weeks or for three months, and that gap matters more than the metre rate. Here is how the pricing actually works, so you can read a quote properly and plan the money around it.
For a straightforward single-storey rear extension on a semi in Hertfordshire, expect somewhere in the region of £900 to £1,800 for erect, hire and dismantle, based on a hire period of six to eight weeks. A two-storey rear or side extension more commonly lands between £1,800 and £3,500, because you are into a second lift, more base and often a loading bay for materials.
Wrap-around and double-storey side returns, or anything needing access over a conservatory or a neighbour's boundary, can run £3,500 to £6,000 plus. These are honest ranges rather than quotes: the same job can differ by several hundred pounds depending on ground conditions and how long the build actually takes.
Height and length set the base figure, but the things that move a quote most are access and time. If a lorry cannot get within a reasonable distance of the back garden, everything is carried by hand through the house or down a side alley, and that labour goes into the price. Narrow Hertfordshire lanes and terraced frontages in the older parts of Kings Langley, Abbots Langley and Chipperfield are a common reason for a higher figure.
Ground matters too. Scaffold needs a firm, level base, so soft lawn, sloping patios or a garden dropping away at the rear means sole boards, adjustable bases or a bridged section. Add-ons like a debris netting, a monoflex sheet, a loading bay, a pedestrian gantry over a footpath or a temporary roof for winter work each carry their own cost.
Most firms quote a fixed period, commonly six or eight weeks, then charge weekly after that. Extensions overrun. Groundworks hit a drain run, the steel is late, the bricklayer moves to another job for a fortnight, and suddenly you are four weeks past the quoted period paying weekly hire for a structure nobody is standing on.
The practical fix is sequencing. Ask your builder honestly when the scaffold is genuinely needed, which is usually from first lift of blockwork above damp course through to roof, fascias, rendering and any rainwater goods. If the roof is finished but you are waiting eight weeks on windows, it is often cheaper to strike the scaffold and pay for a small return visit later than to keep the whole lot standing.
If any part of the scaffold sits on the public highway, including the pavement outside your house, you need a licence from Hertfordshire County Council as highway authority. These typically cost in the region of £100 to £250 for a standard period and take a couple of weeks to come through, so it needs raising early. Your scaffolder should hold the required public liability insurance and arrange the licence, but check who is doing it rather than assuming.
Where the scaffold needs to stand on a neighbour's land, or ties into a party wall, you need their agreement in writing before anything goes up. This is a common cause of delay on side returns in tight Hertfordshire plots. Sort it before you book a date rather than on the morning the wagon arrives.
Cheap quotes are usually cheap because they assume a shorter hire period or exclude something. Get every quote on the same basis and the comparison becomes obvious.
Ask for the design drawing or at least a clear description of lifts, bays and any bridging, so you know two firms are pricing the same structure.
Almost always, yes, once you are working above about two metres, which includes the wall plate, roof and any work to the existing house above the new roof line. A short section of tower might do for very small works, but a full extension needs a proper scaffold with a working platform and edge protection.
Either works. Builders often have a scaffolder they use and will fold it into their price, which is convenient, but booking direct means you see the real cost and control the hire period yourself.
You pay extended hire, typically charged weekly once the quoted period ends. Tell your scaffolder as soon as you know, because an early conversation is usually cheaper than a surprise invoice, and in some cases striking early and returning later costs less than continuous hire.
Oxley Scaffolding covers Kings Langley, Hertfordshire and the borders. Tell us what you are planning and you will get a straight answer and a fair price.
One call, one site visit, one fixed price. CHAS accredited, CISRS-registered erectors, fully insured, kit signed off before hand-over.