Do I need Scaffolding for a loft conversion?

Is scaffolding really vital for loft conversion?

Yes! It is not just to protect your home but also a safety precaution for workers too. You should really insist that the builders do use scaffolding because it can make your life much easier and doesn’t mean that your life and home inside has to be interfered with too much.

You should check with the builder when you are getting the quote that they will put up scaffolding – if they say we don’t use scaffolding then this should be the first red flag and you should question why. Are they legit? All legitimate builders will use scaffolding for a number of reasons and of course it is vital for changes in the roof and adding and changing up roof tiles. Even if you’re looking to add another story to a bungalow, you’ll still need scaffolding.

Make sure to budget for scaffolding

Although often when using scaffolding it depends on the type of project or loft design but even if you are having just a standard conversion, scaffolding is usually standard procedure for all legitimate building companies. Having just one entrance and exit is not practical and it can cause a lot of disruption. If you have family, or care for disabled or elderly relatives, you want to minimise the fuss. This is why having other entry points is vital.

You do need to ensure that you have budgeted for scaffolding and looked into the scaffolding firms near by that provide this and that are reputable with affordable prices. The money is likely to be in the hundreds but can vary.

Most loft conversions take around four weeks to complete and some up to two months depending on the type of work and the type of design that you have. So with that being said, it’s important to appreciate also that if the project is delayed by any amount of time, your scaffolding will have to stay up until the very end, which will put extra money onto the end bill.

Although it is not legality to have scaffolding, it is common practice and within the trade itself it is seen as a vital step. If you wish to go ahead without, then you may be breaching safety measures as well as causing more disruption to your home life with workers trudging back and forth. To avoid this, spending the extra on scaffolding will be the very best option to make things a much smoother process. The cost of your attic conversion should really take into account your scaffolding too!