Woodburner installation - am I being unreasonable about scaffolding cost?

[Newboy]

But I've seen guys fitting them with no scaffolding. Just a roofing ladder.

I've seen plenty of people doing things - that doesn't make it right or safe!

 

[Roger928]

Ultimately £1000 is cheap for a scaffold if it avoids injury.
I won't mention scissor lifts or harnesses again.

 

[Doggit]

So you would require a full scaffolding to the eaves then a full chimney scaffold?

Interesting point Rog; we didn't ask the OP what the layout was. If the chimney is on the side of the house, then it's a much simpler than going up to the eaves, and then scaffolding up to the chimney. I did it off the scaffolding up the side of the chimney, but I'd have been happy to do it off of a roof ladder after the scaffolding went up to the eaves. Roofers often work off of roof ladders, after they climbed up the ladders put up against the side of the house, so it's really what you feel safe doing - which is what I tried to say earlier about doing a risk assessment. One mans "no hassle", is another mans "no way".

 

[Agile]

Most quotes I see in the London area have scaffolding costs of at least £600 and often £900!

But why does the firm not have their own scaffolding?

Good question! Cost? Storage? Transportation? Erection?

The last word may be the reason.

As far as I am aware anyone putting up scaffolding commercially must have the relevant training and Certification.

I do actually have some lightweight access towers. But I rarely do any jobs for others using them. Except sometimes my internal 900 mm square system which I find very useful.

I think there are very specific limits on what can be done by roofers from ladders. Otherwise they have to use scaffolding.

Tony

 

[Roger928]

Hi All

I'm looking at a quote for installing a woodburner from a local specialist company who seemed very nice and honest and I'm happy with most of what's involved but am having trouble digesting the £400-ish for scaffolding. This company are specialist installers so must be going up on roofs and dropping liners down and working on chimneys day in, day out so is it unreasonable to be surprised by this figure? They're not charging me openly like this for having a vehicle to get to my house after all and I don't pay the window cleaner extra for him to use his ladders. £400 seems rather a lot as I've bought scaffolding in the past and that's a massive contribution to the cost of the stuff and it's not like it's disposable so they'll be using it again elsewhere. If they're having to get a different firm in to put it up, should I be worried that they don't possess their own because it's a pretty obvious thing to use. Is this a reflection of a less than professional set up. I simply don't know and fully accept I might be wrong. There's no pavement licence involved as it's all going up on our land but it seems to me that this is a lot of money. I appreciate they've got to adhere to health and safety regs etc and I wouldn't ask anyone to work in a dangerous manner but isn't scaffolding just one of the tools of the trade and, as such, isn't necessarily a chargeable extra but in this case it adds 20% to an already expensive job.

Cheers

Had you considered DIYing your liner?
This guy shows how its done...

Notice he is wearing a harness! This guy obviously knows the suspension injury is far less lethal than the fall.
And remember .. its not the fall that does the damage.
Its hitting the ground!

 

[Newboy]

This guy obviously knows the suspension injury is far less lethal than the fall

Or maybe he (and you) have no idea what happens when you hang in a harness?

https://www.healthandsafetyatwork.com/content/dangers-suspension-trauma

 

[trickyh]

Had my (Hetas approved) stove fitted two yrs ago. First guy who came out quoted scaffolding and a load of unnecessary building work. Second lot were much better at informing us, supplied a superior stove and installed the liner in less than an hour with ladders at a better price. I'd go an get another quote...(or 2)

 

[muggles]

Thanks for dragging the post back on topic @trickyh although I have to say a full installation in under an hour sounds like a very rushed job. Hope they've done everything correctly!

 

[DaveHerns]

There was a chap yesterday repointing a chimney stack in my road in the wet, working from a ladder and he'd slid a few tiles back to make footholds.... You wouldn't have got me up there for any price. I suppose some people are so desparate for work they'll take stupid risks

 

[ianmcd]

Most quotes I see in the London area have scaffolding costs of at least £600 and often £900!

But why does the firm not have their own scaffolding?

Good question! Cost? Storage? Transportation? Erection?

The last word may be the reason.

As far as I am aware anyone putting up scaffolding commercially must have the relevant training and Certification.

I do actually have some lightweight access towers. But I rarely do any jobs for others using them. Except sometimes my internal 900 mm square system which I find very useful.

I think there are very specific limits on what can be done by roofers from ladders. Otherwise they have to use scaffolding.

Tony

Tony how do you get your scaffolding or ladders on the bus ?

 

[Roger928]

Or maybe he (and you) have no idea what happens when you hang in a harness?

Was shown a video on that many years ago doing a citb training course. The guy on that course advises the hse now as a consultant and he did make a big deal on the harness issue no doubt and how the rescue was acheived.
I'd still take my chances with the harness.

 

[Roger928]

Had my (Hetas approved) stove fitted two yrs ago. First guy who came out quoted scaffolding and a load of unnecessary building work. Second lot were much better at informing us, supplied a superior stove and installed the liner in less than an hour with ladders at a better price. I'd go an get another quote...(or 2)

Yes. Good stuff. That's how its done in the real world.

 

[bernardgreen]

Tony how do you get your scaffolding or ladders on the bus ?

In the CD player

 

[ajstoneservices]

Had my (Hetas approved) stove fitted two yrs ago. First guy who came out quoted scaffolding and a load of unnecessary building work. Second lot were much better at informing us, supplied a superior stove and installed the liner in less than an hour with ladders at a better price. I'd go an get another quote...(or 2)

How about you tells us the age and type of property. If you have clay liners it can be quite alarming how quickly the new flue wants to disappear. 1 hour for a flue liner is not the norm, far from it.

Some class 1 flues need to be opened up at a change of direction to get the liner down.

 

[Roger928]

If you have clay liners it can be quite alarming how quickly the new flue wants to disappear

Will a clay liner corrode 316 or 316 Ti?
How is it with 904L?
Schiedel only warranty their stuff for 10 years subject to conditions.
That video I posted.. the liner looks like tin foil that would fail in a few years.
He stuck a knife through it like it was a coke tin.