1. Explain the work and assess the site
Send the property address, intended work, elevations, building height and expected dates. Include wide ground-level photographs and the trade’s scope. If drawings are available, show both the existing building and proposed changes, especially for extensions, loft conversions or a temporary roof.
A site visit may be needed to confirm dimensions, support conditions, access routes and obstructions. The competent provider determines what assessment and design are required for the proposed arrangement. Do not assume that a photograph or a previous scaffold on the same house establishes a suitable specification.
2. Agree the scope, hire and permissions
The written quotation should explain the intended access and commercial hire arrangements. Check erection, agreed duration, dismantling, planned alterations and any separate requirements. Tell the provider if multiple trades need the scaffold or if the building remains occupied during the work.
Where the arrangement affects a public route, resolve the relevant highway permission before erection. Separately confirm any third-party access needed to carry equipment or place scaffold on neighbouring land. Keep these questions in the programme so an installation date is based on access that is actually available.
3. Prepare for installation and handover
Before the agreed visit, confirm unloading and carrying routes and discuss what needs moving from the work area. Keep the provider informed of other building activity that could change the site conditions. Do not remove ground support or alter access routes without discussing the effect on the scaffold.
The provider should make the completed arrangement’s intended use and relevant handover information clear. The project team needs to understand the access, loading restrictions and inspection responsibilities before the scaffold is used. Ask for anything unclear to be explained; a customer guide cannot establish that a particular scaffold is ready for use.
4. Use the agreed arrangement and manage changes
HSE guidance sets out inspection requirements for scaffolds used for construction, including before first use, at intervals of no more than seven days and after circumstances liable to affect safety. Confirm who arranges competent inspections for your project and how concerns are reported.
If a trade needs a different platform, access point or material arrangement, contact the scaffold provider. Do not allow informal alterations. A change that looks small from ground level may affect the intended arrangement, and another trade should not assume that access supplied for one task is suitable for a different use.
5. Extend the hire or arrange dismantling
If the work takes longer, discuss the extension before the agreed period ends. Check any implications for highway permission as well as the hire agreement. Tell the provider when all trades have finished, and confirm the dismantling arrangements rather than assuming collection will happen automatically.
Keep the agreed removal route available. New paving, landscaping, stored materials or a locked gate can change the access that existed at installation. A complete programme considers how components leave the property as well as how they arrive, particularly on projects where the building and garden change during the hire.
Official guidance.
Checked on 5 November 2026. Confirm current requirements and the position for your project with the relevant authority or competent provider.
