Need scaffolding to get roofing quotes

Savvy_Sue

We have problems with our roof. So I'm trying to get more than one quote, as you do.

One chap has been round, said he'd come back with a ladder and binoculars. Which he did, and then said that he still couldn't see all he needed to see so the next stage would be putting up 3 inspection towers at a cost of £200 each.

Fair enough, it's a lot of money for him to shell out in the hope we'll give him the job, but if - as seems likely - anyone else I ask to quote also needs these 3 inspection towers, that's over £1000 spent before anyone starts work! (And that's if I only get two quotes!)

So what I thought was, if I arranged to hire the inspection towers myself (I have a scaffolding contact!), would it be reasonable to ask people to come and quote during the period I've hired them for?

And does £200 sound reasonable per scaffolding tower?

I ask because we had a large scaffolding rig inside work for a week and it only cost £200, and that included one visit to lower it, move it under a beam, and raise it again!

tomstickland

You could hire the scaffolding towers from a hire shop, put them up or pay for someone to put them up, and then invite all of the quoters around.

kittiwoz

I don't think you are allowed to put up your own scaffolding unless you are qualified anymore, even if no-one else was going to use it. Or possibly you can but you need to have someone else certify it safe, I'm not sure.

Savvy_Sue

I don't begrudge paying the specialists to do it (I wouldn't climb a scaffolding built by me :rotfl:) - just checking that hiring the towers myself is a reasonable thing to do. Which neither of you seems to be disagreeing with ...

Mind you it's possible another roofer might have a clearer idea about the construction of this roof and be happy to give us a quote without this!

never_enough

I've just had 4 roofers round to quote for repairs to my roof. Two inspected from across the road/neighbours garden with binoculars & a digital camera (did not inspire confidence!) The other two went up a ladder & took pics. It's quite a complicated roof, lots of valleys, funny shapes & restricted access etc, but they both seemed to manage. I really would approach some other roofers first & see if they think scaffolding is necessary at this stage. Try to get a recommendation from someone.

The roofer I will be using said he hires as it has to be certified anyway & the hire cost is for a month (so I'm getting the paintwork done once they've finished, as the painter is happier working from scaffolding). I'm paying about £500 to scaffold the whole front of the house & return down both sides (Newmarket area). Check how you stand insurance wise, you may need to take out extra.

Savvy_Sue

never_enough wrote:

I've just had 4 roofers round to quote for repairs to my roof. Two inspected from across the road/neighbours garden with binoculars & a digital camera (did not inspire confidence!) The other two went up a ladder & took pics. It's quite a complicated roof, lots of valleys, funny shapes & restricted access etc, but they both seemed to manage. I really would approach some other roofers first & see if they think scaffolding is necessary at this stage. Try to get a recommendation from someone.

The good news is that I now have a strong recommendation, and that chap came round yesterday morning. He seemed to think that he'd need to get up and strip back a section of roof which is visibly 'slipping' but that there might also be a problem further up, above a dormer in the attic. Quite frankly I think the ONLY way you'd get an unimpeded view of that is from scaffolding or a helicopter ...

What my friend said was that this roofer's quote was well broken down into sections, with different options costed and explained, so I'm hoping we'll get something similar from him. He turned up early, on the day he said he'd come, and my friend said that her job was completed on schedule! Which inspires me rather more than the chap who didn't come when he first said he would, didn't bring ladders on the day he said he'd bring ladders, and then phoned to ask for £600 ... Hmmm, you can tell which way my mind's going!

never_enough wrote:

The roofer I will be using said he hires as it has to be certified anyway & the hire cost is for a month (so I'm getting the paintwork done once they've finished, as the painter is happier working from scaffolding). I'm paying about £500 to scaffold the whole front of the house & return down both sides (Newmarket area).

So £600 sounds like an awful lot to you too ...

never_enough wrote:

Check how you stand insurance wise, you may need to take out extra.

Never thought of that! Was that for increased risk of theft, or possible damage to walls and windows, or possible accidental damage to people?