Scaffolding Cost Calculator
Rent by duration plus erection labour, giving total cost.
Inputs
Result
Formula
| Duration | days ÷ 30 |
| Rent | area × monthly rate × months |
| Labour | area × erection rate |
| Loss | area × loss rate |
| Total | rent + labour + loss |
| Cost per m² | total ÷ area |
1000 m² for 90 days at 18 per m² per month, 22 erection and 4 loss: 54000 rent, 22000 labour and 4000 loss — 80000 in total, 80.00 per m² and 600 per day.
FAQ
Why is scaffolding priced by area, not weight?
Because facade projection is the trade convention and already implies a height and lift pattern, making estimating and settlement quick. Pricing by weight — tube metres times 3.84 kg/m — reflects material input more precisely and avoids disputes over differing densities on package deals. The bridge between them is tube content per square metre, usually 12-18 kg/m².
Rent or buy?
It depends on duration and pipeline. Under three months renting is cheaper; beyond six, buying new and depreciating usually wins, and the tube and couplers carry over to the next job. But buying ties up cash, needs storage and carries corrosion and loss. Most small contractors rent — no capital, no maintenance — at 20-30% more per unit.
How much does delay cost on scaffolding?
A lot. 1000 m² of facade scaffold rents at 600 a day, so a month of delay is 18,000 — the entire erection cost. Striking must follow the facade trades closely, and many jobs hang two or three extra months because one of insulation, paint or cladding slipped, doubling the cost. Put scaffold removal on the programme as its own control milestone.
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Results are estimating aids only and are not a design basis. Construction and final accounts must follow the drawings, the applicable standards and an approved method statement. Anything affecting structural safety, shoring or falsework must be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.