How much does scaffolding cost?
Guide prices for scaffolding a house in London and the South East – by house type, height, sides and hire length – plus an instant calculator for your own home.
Scaffolding cost at a glance
For a typical two-storey house, expect to pay roughly £600–£1,200 to scaffold one elevation and £1,500–£3,500 for the whole house. That includes putting the scaffold up, taking it down and the first four weeks’ hire. London is at the top of the range; the coast and smaller towns sit at the bottom.
These figures are based on published 2026 UK cost guides and London scaffolding prices. They are a guide – not a quote. The fastest way to an exact price is to get two or three firm quotes for your own job.
South East (outside London)
| House type | One elevation (front) | Whole house | Front, 3 storeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £550 – £850 | £1,100 – £1,800 | £750 – £1,150 |
| Semi-detached | £600 – £950 | £1,500 – £2,500 | £800 – £1,300 |
| Detached | £700 – £1,100 | £1,900 – £3,200 | £950 – £1,500 |
| Bungalow | £400 – £600 | £850 – £1,350 | n/a |
Guide prices (South East) including erection, dismantling and 4 weeks’ hire, excluding VAT. Bungalow prices are for one storey.
Home Counties commuter belt
| House type | One elevation (front) | Whole house | Front, 3 storeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £600 – £950 | £1,200 – £2,000 | £800 – £1,250 |
| Semi-detached | £650 – £1,050 | £1,650 – £2,750 | £900 – £1,400 |
| Detached | £750 – £1,200 | £2,100 – £3,500 | £1,050 – £1,650 |
| Bungalow | £400 – £650 | £900 – £1,500 | n/a |
Guide prices (Home Counties) including erection, dismantling and 4 weeks’ hire, excluding VAT. Bungalow prices are for one storey.
Outer London
| House type | One elevation (front) | Whole house | Front, 3 storeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £700 – £1,050 | £1,400 – £2,250 | £950 – £1,450 |
| Semi-detached | £750 – £1,200 | £1,900 – £3,150 | £1,000 – £1,600 |
| Detached | £900 – £1,400 | £2,400 – £4,000 | £1,200 – £1,850 |
| Bungalow | £450 – £750 | £1,050 – £1,700 | n/a |
Guide prices (Outer London) including erection, dismantling and 4 weeks’ hire, excluding VAT. Bungalow prices are for one storey.
Central London
| House type | One elevation (front) | Whole house | Front, 3 storeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £750 – £1,150 | £1,500 – £2,450 | £1,000 – £1,550 |
| Semi-detached | £800 – £1,300 | £2,050 – £3,400 | £1,100 – £1,750 |
| Detached | £950 – £1,500 | £2,550 – £4,300 | £1,300 – £2,000 |
| Bungalow | £500 – £800 | £1,100 – £1,800 | n/a |
Guide prices (Inner London) including erection, dismantling and 4 weeks’ hire, excluding VAT. Bungalow prices are for one storey.
What is included in a scaffolding price?
A domestic scaffolding quote usually covers:
- Delivery and erection – the crew and lorry, the tube, fittings and boards, and building the scaffold to the agreed design.
- Hire – usually the first four weeks (some firms quote two, six or eight weeks, so compare like with like).
- Dismantling and collection – taking it down and making good any tie holes.
- Inspections – a competent person must inspect the scaffold before use, every seven days and after bad weather.
Things that are often extra:
- Pavement licences and parking bay suspensions
- Roof edge protection, loading bays, chimney access and temporary roofs
- Sheeting, netting and alarms
- Adaptations – raising or moving lifts part-way through a job
- VAT
Scaffolding hire cost per week
After the included period, scaffolding is charged weekly. As a rule of thumb, each extra week costs about 5% of the original scaffold price. Here is how hire length changes the guide price for a front scaffold on a two-storey semi in the South East:
| Hire length | Front, 2-storey semi (South East) |
|---|---|
| 2 weeks | £550 – £900 |
| 4 weeks | £600 – £950 |
| 6 weeks | £650 – £1,050 |
| 8 weeks | £700 – £1,150 |
| 12 weeks | £850 – £1,350 |
| 16 weeks | £950 – £1,500 |
Regional price differences
Scaffolding prices vary across London and the South East. Our calculator uses four price bands:
- Inner London – parking, congestion and access push central London prices up.
- Outer London – London labour and parking costs apply.
- Home Counties – commuter-belt prices sit a little above the regional average.
- South East – prices are close to the regional average.
Choose your town or borough on our areas page for local prices and licence information.
How to compare scaffolding quotes
Cheap scaffolding can turn out expensive if the hire period is short or extras are missing. When you compare quotes, check:
- Exactly which elevations and how many lifts are included.
- How many weeks’ hire are included, and the weekly rate after that.
- Whether licences, parking suspensions and edge protection are in the price.
- Whether the price is plus VAT.
- Insurance: at least £5 million public liability is standard.
- When they can start – and how quickly they will come back to dismantle.
Scaffolding cost FAQs
How much does scaffolding cost per week?
Most domestic scaffolding is priced as a package: erection, dismantling and the first four weeks’ hire. After that, expect to pay roughly 5% of the scaffold price per extra week – often £30–£60 a week for a single elevation on a house.
How much does scaffolding cost for a semi-detached house?
Around £600–£950 for the front of a two-storey semi in the South East, £750–£1,200 in outer London, and £1,500–£2,500 for the whole house outside London – including four weeks’ hire, excluding VAT.
How much is scaffolding for a chimney?
Chimney access usually adds £200–£400 to an elevation scaffold. A short-hire chimney scaffold on a two-storey house is often £600–£1,000 in the South East.
Is VAT included in scaffolding prices?
Our guide prices exclude VAT. Many scaffolding firms are VAT registered and add 20%; smaller firms below the threshold may not. Always check whether a quote is plus VAT.
Why are London scaffolding prices higher?
Labour, yard and transport costs are higher, parking is harder, many front scaffolds need a pavement licence and parking suspension, and red routes and congestion add time. Expect around 25–35% more than the wider South East.
Can I save money on scaffolding?
Do all exterior jobs in one go, book the hire period you really need, get more than one quote, and check whether your roofer or builder already includes scaffolding in their price.
Get an exact price for your scaffold
It takes about a minute. See your guide price now, then get firm quotes from local, insured scaffolders – free and with no obligation.