Do I need permission from anyone to have the scaffolding erected?

This article covers what scaffolding is, if planning permission is needed and where it will go.

This article contains information on:

• Scaffolding on your property
• Scaffolding on a neighbour's property
• Scaffolding on a public pathway

Scaffolding is a newly built, large, temporary structure that can, in some instances, surround your property. As a result, you may be unsure where you are and aren’t allowed to have scaffolding and whose permission is needed for this.

In the vast majority of cases, you won’t need any permission to have scaffolding erected on your property, as it will often all be contained within the bounds of what you own. As a result, you won’t have to consult any planning authorities or councils to get the scaffold erected.

If the scaffold will encroach, even slightly, on a neighbour’s property, you would need to get permission from the neighbour for this; if this isn’t something you would be comfortable with or you would prefer not to encroach on the neighbour’s property, this is sometimes possible, but will likely require a formal scaffold design, which is done by professionals and will require an added cost, making the scaffold more expensive. Very often, the scaffold will need to be drilled/tied into the brickwork/mortar of the property.

Sometimes, scaffolding may have to go on a public footway or road, which can frequently happen with, for example, terraced properties or properties with no driveways. In these instances, you won’t have to worry about getting permission from the local councils, as this is something we will do on your behalf. We order a planning permit for roughly a week for any scaffold structures to which this applies. It will slightly increase the cost of the scaffold but will ensure that the scaffold is a fully legal form of work access.