Compare scaffolding insurance

Insurance for scaffolders protects firms that erect, alter, dismantle and hire out scaffolding. It usually combines public liability, employers’ liability and cover for tube, fittings and boards on site or in the yard.

Use Quotezone to compare quotes for scaffolding firms of any size, from sole traders to firms running several gangs.

The law on scaffold design and erection

In Great Britain, the law requires employers and self-employed contractors to assess the risk from work at height and plan the work so it is done safely (HSE).

Scaffolds must be designed, erected, altered and dismantled only by competent people, under the direction of a competent supervisor (HSE). For more complex structures, a competent person must also draw up an assembly, use and dismantling plan.

Tower scaffolds have their own guidance. HSE says they must be erected and dismantled by people who are trained and competent (HSE).

Design calculations and bespoke structures

HSE says strength and stability calculations must be carried out unless a note of them is available, or the scaffold follows a generally recognised standard configuration (HSE).

HSE lists cantilevered scaffolds, temporary roofs and complex loading bays among structures that normally need a bespoke design (HSE). If your firm designs in-house, ask if your scaffolding insurance includes professional indemnity for that design work.

Protecting the public below

HSE says scaffolds should never be erected or dismantled over people or busy pavements (HSE). Where the public is at risk, GOV.UK suggests scheduling the work for quiet times or getting a highway closure from the council (GOV.UK).

Fans, netting and brick guards help stop dropped materials reaching the street. Insurers may ask what protection you use on busy frontages.

Licences for scaffolding on pavements and roads

Scaffolds that encroach over the highway, including pavements, need a licence under section 169 of the Highways Act 1980, issued by the local highway authority (HSE).

GOV.UK says getting that licence is the job of the builder or scaffolding company. The customer should check it does not run out before the work is finished (GOV.UK).

Section 169 applies in England and Wales (legislation.gov.uk), so firms in Scotland and Northern Ireland should check permits with their local roads authority.

Inspections, records and the 7-day rule

In Great Britain, scaffolding must by law be checked before first use, every 7 days while it is up, and after alterations, damage or extreme weather (GOV.UK; HSE).

HSE says inspections must be carried out by a competent person, and the report must note any defects and the action taken (HSE). Insurers may ask to see these records after a claim.

Many firms also issue a handover certificate when a scaffold is ready for use. It records the load class and any limits, which helps if there is a dispute later.

Who pays if a scaffold damages a neighbour’s property?

If your scaffold causes the damage, the claim usually falls on your public liability policy, up to its limit. That might be a dropped fitting that cracks a windscreen, or a collapse onto a shop front.

Do scaffolders need employers’ liability?

If anyone works for you as an employee, yes. GOV.UK says it is needed once you have an employee, and the policy must provide at least £5 million. The fine for going without is £2,500 for each day (GOV.UK).

Some insurers treat labour-only subcontractors as employees, so check how your policy defines them before a job starts. Keep a record of who is on each gang and how they are paid.

Equipment, yards and lorries

Tube, fittings, boards and system scaffold cost a lot to replace if they are stolen from site or the yard. Equipment cover can pay for theft and damage, often with conditions on yard security.

Kit left on site between visits is harder to protect. Lock fittings away, keep a stock list and photograph deliveries, so a theft claim can be backed up.

Firms that hire out scaffolding may need cover for kit on hire to others. Lorries need their own motor policy, which GOV.UK says is required to drive on UK roads (GOV.UK).

What drives the cost of a scaffolding policy

Scaffolding insurance is priced on your own details rather than a set rate. The points below usually count most:

• the height of the structures you put up
• domestic, commercial or industrial sites
• work over pavements, roads or railways
• the size of your gangs and payroll
• the value of your kit and how the yard is secured
• your claims record

Comparing scaffolding quotes on Quotezone

Give us details of your work, payroll and equipment, and the limits your contracts set. Then check how each quote handles kit on hire, pavement work and subcontractors.

When you are ready, compare scaffolders cover with Quotezone.

You might also need

Scaffolders working alongside roofers or main contractors may also look at construction insurance or roofing insurance. For lorries, compare truck insurance.