Is it worth putting up scaffolding for a few minor repairs?

[daisy12345]

When we bought our house, the building survey flagged a few minor issues (not serious or urgent, but worth sorting out) on the roof: chimney pots with no cowling (only wired bird guards), soffits a bit loose (see pics), flashing below one window started to crack (see pic, no evidence of water leak internally), one missing tile on rear dormer, soil vent pipe with no protection cage. We've got a couple of roofers in to give quotes. As the house is located on a slight slope, it's tricky to get to the roof using ladders, so scaffolding sounds like a must. Prices are around £3k, which sounds steep for such minor repairs (though we are in London). Wonder if it is worth doing or any cost-effective way of doing it please? Any comments and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Notch7]

Professional companies will follow HSE regulations on working at height.
Cowboys might not.

If a scaffold is needed to satisfy the risk assessment then it's the only option.

It's very difficult to work on a dormer set back up a pitched tiled roof.

I'd be tempted to leave for a few years until you need redecoration works or other external maintenance done and spread the cost with that.

Or put some money aside each year for 3 years and consider the scaffold cost as maintenance costs over that period, then mentally it's less expensive.

Pro roofers on here might suggest alternative solutions, but I can't see ladders or towers offering safe access.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

If you are DIY'ing, then the choice is yours, if a company is doing the work it is their decision as to whether scaffolding is needed. Would you not find it worth while to buy a used alloy scaffold tower and doing the work yourself? You could always sell it on later.

Your most urgent items seem to be the chimney pots, if you don't use them, the missing tile and the flashing. A roofer might be willing to sort those quick items working from a ladder.

 

[Bosswhite]

If you are DIY'ing, then the choice is yours, if a company is doing the work it is their decision as to whether scaffolding is needed. Would you not find it worth while to buy a used alloy scaffold tower and doing the work yourself? You could always sell it on later.

Your most urgent items seem to be the chimney pots, if you don't use them, the missing tile and the flashing. A roofer might be willing to sort those quick items working from a ladder.

A point to bear in mind , if the roofer takes unnecessary risks working from a ladder , the Householder/Occupier can be legaly liable .
Knowing allowing a workman to carry out works without the correct equiptment .

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

A point to bear in mind , if the roofer takes unnecessary risks working from a ladder , the Householder/Occupier can be legaly liable .
Knowing allowing a workman to carry out works without the correct equiptment .

I suspect that would be a bit of a struggle for a professional to claim negligence on the part of the homeowner, unless there was some actual negligance involved. You employ a professional, because they have the knowledge, expertise and know how to assess the risks involved in carry out their profession and have suitable insurance in place.

 

[daisy12345]

Professional companies will follow HSE regulations on working at height.
Cowboys might not.

If a scaffold is needed to satisfy the risk assessment then it's the only option.

It's very difficult to work on a dormer set back up a pitched tiled roof.

I'd be tempted to leave for a few years until you need redecoration works or other external maintenance done and spread the cost with that.

Or put some money aside each year for 3 years and consider the scaffold cost as maintenance costs over that period, then mentally it's less expensive.

Pro roofers on here might suggest alternative solutions, but I can't see ladders or towers offering safe access.

Thanks. That's exactly what we are considering as an option now, esp because we just moved into the house, so don't really know if there are other issues lurking yet. Though the roofers who came around thought all the issues have been identified by the survey.

If you are DIY'ing, then the choice is yours, if a company is doing the work it is their decision as to whether scaffolding is needed. Would you not find it worth while to buy a used alloy scaffold tower and doing the work yourself? You could always sell it on later.

Your most urgent items seem to be the chimney pots, if you don't use them, the missing tile and the flashing. A roofer might be willing to sort those quick items working from a ladder.

Thanks. We are not considering DIY at the moment as we don't really have any DIY skills to speak of... Though I would think the soffits would be more urgent to sort out? As one piece is already visibly loose...

A point to bear in mind , if the roofer takes unnecessary risks working from a ladder , the Householder/Occupier can be legaly liable .
Knowing allowing a workman to carry out works without the correct equiptment .

Thanks, that's what I was concerned about too. One roofer did say he could do it from a ladder and would charge around £1k, but after hearing another two roofers saying scaffolds are needed, I was a bit suspicious about that.

 

[mattylad]

£1K for what?
Gold plated soffits?

 

[catlad]

I would get the soffits & guttering replaced looking at the state of them not repaired whilst you have scaffolding up.

 

[datarebal]

their decision as to whether scaffolding is needed

Not their responsibility though.

Scaffold will allow a better long term job.

 

[daisy12345]

£1K for what?
Gold plated soffits?

lol.. no he meant the whole job including roof issues and soffits

 

[mattylad]

A bit of pointing/mortar and some wood being replaced?

Where are you? deepest London?
It's a few hours work.

 

[daisy12345]

A bit of pointing/mortar and some wood being replaced?

Where are you? deepest London?
It's a few hours work.

Outer London... Honestly that was my initial feeling as well, as they are all small and easy to fix issues, but then I was given lectures on how difficult it is to access the roof and needs scaffolding back and front etc. Guess I need to call some local roofers instead of relying on random builders from those online platforms.

 

[johnny2007]

Local roofers will use catladders and harness in total safety to do the work at a fraction of the price and to the same standard.
You need to find a good local roofer with good reputation.
Go to a roofing merchant and ask there.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

A point to bear in mind , if the roofer takes unnecessary risks working from a ladder , the Householder/Occupier can be legaly liable .
Knowing allowing a workman to carry out works without the correct equiptment .

Having now checked the legal liabilities.....

The homeowner (as I thought) has zero liability for a professional they employ to work on their property, except in a very few circumstances. Those few circumstances are where the professional employed could not have reasonably foreseen a potential hazard, yet the homeowner was aware of an issue. Such things as the homeowner loaning him faulty ladders to use. If a roofer arrives, uses his own ladders and they collapse, its the roofers own tough luck.

Any claim against the homeowner, where the roofer uses his own ladders to access a roof to attempt a repair, having made his own assessment of the risks - should the roofer slip and fall in the process, such a claim is doomed to failure.

 

[^woody^]

The homeowner (as I thought) has zero liability for a professional they employ to work on their property

Unless CDM applies, in which case they do.