This week we look at the process of hiring scaffold through Stronghold Hire. To be honest, it’s a pretty straightforward process. In three basic steps, you will have locked-in scaffold for your site:

1. Call or email us with your request
2. One of our estimators will aim to get a quote back within 24 hours
3. If you are happy with the quote, then we book an install date

Although these 3 steps above highlight how easy it is, in the rest of this post we’ll go into a little more detail to show you some of the factors that are usually discussed or considered to produce a scaffolding hire quote.

Initial Contact with Stronghold Hire

The best form of contact is via email on our contact page, however, if the scaffold is urgent and needs to be installed within a day or so, the best way to ensure an immediate response is to give us a call on the office phone number.

Why is the Scaffold Needed?

Our estimators will want to know what type of work is being carried out on the scaffold. This is so that they can advise the most suitable scaffolding system and set up. We also give free advice on other solutions if the scaffold is not practical or cost-effective.

How Long will you Require the Scaffold?

Long-term scaffold hire is normally installed using steel kwik stage. This is much cheaper to hire than its aluminium counterpart. The advantage of aluminium scaffolding is that it is cheaper for transportation and labour. Having an idea of how long you think you will need the scaffold will give us a better idea of which system we should use in the quote. A general rule of thumb is that scaffolds that are only required for less than a week or so are quoted in the aluminium modular system, longer terms are generally quoted in steel.

Photographs and/or Plans

For smaller jobs, we can often give you a fixed quote just from photographs and/or plans. It’s always handy if you have some photographs or marked plans of the areas of your project that require scaffold.

Realistic Budget

Some of our enquiries have unrealistic budgets. We are often told that a particular scaffold ‘should only take 2-3 hours to erect’ and expect the quote to reflect this. With scaffold, there are other costs to take into consideration such as:

• Transportation of the material to and from the site
• Materials handling from the truck to the work area
• Labour and time spent in the storage yard, picking, and packing the components.
• Engineering costs if required.
• Electrical safety measures such as tiger tail installation and plywood if required.
• Company overheads including yard rent, vehicle and plant maintenance, insurance, fixed salaries, etc.

Other Height Safety Options

Have you considered other working safely at height options like Elevated work platforms or edge rail systems that may be more cost-effective than scaffolding? Try to be open-minded on different options when preparing your project.

Location

Generally, Stronghold Hire only services Greater Sydney, especially if the job is very small. If you live more than 70km from the city, then a local supplier should offer you a more competitive quote.

Do Your Homework

Most clients will look to get 2-3 quotes before engaging a contractor. Remember that cheaper does not mean better. Check out the contractor’s online presence, reviews and past projects. Ask for references from past clients. Try to find out how long they have been in business. It’s often too late to change once they have started the installation.

Scaffolding Hire Quotes

Whether you are a builder or homeowner, if you require a scaffold for your project, do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to advise you on the safest and most effective solution.