Scaffolding vs access platform hire: which do you need for your job?

Not every job that needs work at height needs a full scaffold. Powered access equipment — commonly known as MEWPs, or mobile elevating work platforms, and covering both cherry pickers (boom lifts) and scissor lifts — is a genuine alternative for a lot of jobs, and choosing the right option between the two can save real time and money depending on what the work actually involves.

The core difference between the two types of powered access equipment is how they move. A boom lift, commonly called a cherry picker, can extend forward, upward, out and over obstacles, which means it doesn't need to be parked directly beneath the area being worked on — it can reach over a wall, a conservatory roof, or other obstructions to get to a gable end or an awkward corner that would otherwise need a ladder or scaffold to access safely. A scissor lift, by contrast, moves straight up and down and offers strong stability and manoeuvrability on the ground, but it needs to be positioned close to the work area with a relatively clear path, since it can't reach out sideways or over obstacles the way a boom lift can.

For short jobs, a hired MEWP is often the more practical and cost-effective choice compared with scaffolding. Jobs commonly cited as suited to this — gutter clearing, fascia and soffit repairs, a one-off external inspection, or a single day of exterior painting or maintenance — typically don't need a stable platform to work from over an extended period, and a MEWP can usually get someone safely to height, do the job, and be gone within a day. Because there's no erect or dismantle labour involved, no weekly inspection administration to arrange, and potentially no need for a highway or pavement licence if the equipment can be positioned clear of public land, hiring a MEWP for this kind of short job is commonly cheaper and considerably faster to arrange than putting up scaffolding.

Scaffolding, on the other hand, remains the better choice for longer or more involved projects. A full re-roof, extensive rendering or brickwork, or repairs spanning several weeks all benefit from a stable, standing platform that multiple trades can work from repeatedly over the life of the project, without needing to hire access equipment afresh each time someone needs to get back up. Scaffolding also allows materials to be loaded and stored at height, and gives continuous access along a full elevation rather than isolated points reachable one at a time by a MEWP — for genuinely extended work, the larger upfront cost of erecting and dismantling scaffolding is usually offset by not needing to repeatedly hire and reposition access equipment throughout the project.

Certification is worth checking for MEWP hire just as it's worth checking CISRS cards for a scaffolding crew. Operators of powered access equipment need IPAF certification appropriate to the specific category of equipment they're using, with scissor lifts and boom lifts commonly falling under different IPAF categories reflecting the different skills each requires. Asking a hire company or contractor directly whether the operator holds the relevant IPAF card for the equipment being used is a reasonable and straightforward question, exactly analogous to asking a scaffolding company about CISRS.

In practice, the decision usually comes down to the shape and duration of the job rather than personal preference. A single day of gutter work is very likely cheaper and quicker with a hired cherry picker than a full scaffold. A multi-week external renovation involving several trades working at height repeatedly is very likely more practical, and often ultimately more cost-effective, with scaffolding in place for the duration. Describing the actual scope and timeline of the work to a few local scaffolding and access-hire companies, rather than assuming one option in advance, is the most reliable way to find out which genuinely suits a specific job.

Frequently asked questions