Scaffold permits, inspections and safety: what the paperwork means
A scaffold on the public highway needs a council licence; every scaffold needs a handover certificate when erected and an inspection every seven days while it stands; and the people building it should carry CISRS cards. These are the documents to ask about.
The pavement licence
A scaffold that stands wholly on private land needs no licence. The moment any part of it, a standard, a board, a footing, touches the public highway, pavement or verge, a licence from the council is required. Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar and Cleveland and Hartlepool each run their own scheme at roughly £30 to £60 per licence period, with a few days' lead time and conditions attached: lighting at night, pedestrian protection, sometimes timing restrictions. The scaffolder normally applies as part of the job, and the licence cost belongs in the written quote rather than appearing later. On Teesside's terraced streets, where the front of the house often meets the pavement directly, this is the rule that decides whether the front elevation can be scaffolded at all.
Handover and the seven-day rule
Every scaffold must be inspected by a competent person before first use, after any alteration, after anything that could affect its stability, and at least every seven days while it stands. The handover certificate at erection and the scafftag at the base record it. As the client, you are entitled to see both, and a scaffolder who cannot produce them is telling you the inspections are not happening.
The cards and the standards
- CISRS: the industry card scheme for scaffolders. The card proves training level; ask who is erecting and what they hold.
- TG20:21: the technical guidance for standard tube-and-fitting configurations. Most domestic scaffolds are built to it; anything outside it needs a specific engineered design.
- NASC membership: the trade body. Not mandatory, but a signal of a business that takes the paperwork side seriously.
- Insurance: public liability appropriate for work at height, evidenced by certificate with the dates checked.
Your side of the bargain as the client
Two things. First, do not let anyone, including yourself and other trades, alter the scaffold: moving boards, removing ties or ladders is how structures fail, and it voids the inspection. Call the scaffolder for changes. Second, neighbours: a scaffold overhanging next door's airspace needs their agreement, and on Teesside terraces that conversation is worth having early. The cost guide covers the money side; the do-I-need guide covers whether you need it at all.