Who arranges skips, scaffolding and site facilities?

The licences that are needed on the highway, who is normally responsible for what, and the costs that quietly sit outside a quote.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 20 min
Read: 3 min
Safety: warning

Short answer

The contractor normally arranges skips, scaffolding and welfare, and the cost should be in the quote — check that it is. Anything placed on the public highway needs a licence or permit from the highway authority, with lighting and markings. Facilities for the workers are the contractor's responsibility, not yours.

These items are unglamorous, they are frequently omitted from the cheaper quote, and one of them carries a legal requirement most householders have never heard of. A skip on the road, a scaffold over the footway and a hoarding all need permission from the highway authority, which is a different body from the planning department.

Safety

Scaffolding must be erected by competent people and inspected, and it must not be altered by anyone else — removing a board or a tie to get past changes the structure. Do not climb your own scaffold. A skip or scaffold placed on the public highway without the required licence is an offence and leaves you exposed if someone is injured, and unlit obstructions at night are how those injuries happen.

Step by step

Check the quote explicitly for these items.Skip hire and waste transfer, scaffolding erection, hire period and dismantling, any highway licence, and site welfare. Each is a real cost and each is a common omission in the quote that looked cheapest.
Understand the highway licence requirement.A skip on the public highway needs a skip permit from the highway authority, and scaffolding on or over the highway or footway needs a licence. They come with conditions about lighting, markings, duration and insurance.
Establish who is applying for the licence.Usually the skip company or the scaffolder, because the licence conditions include insurance they carry. Confirm it in writing rather than assuming, and ask to see the permit.
Keep the skip off the highway if you can.On your own drive there is no permit, no time pressure and no risk of a penalty. It is worth losing the parking space for a fortnight.
Ask what happens to the waste.Waste has to go to a licensed facility, and householders have a duty of care over waste produced from their property. Ask who is carrying it and where it is going, and keep the transfer note — fly-tipped waste traced back to your address is your problem.
Treat asbestos and hazardous waste separately.Asbestos-containing materials cannot go in a general skip. If a refurbishment survey has identified anything, it is removed and disposed of under a separate, regulated arrangement.
Check the scaffold arrangements.Who erects it, whether it is inspected and how often, how long it is hired for, and what happens if the job overruns. Extended scaffold hire is a classic mid-project surprise cost.
Leave welfare to the contractor.Toilet, washing and rest facilities for the workers are the contractor's responsibility. You are not obliged to provide the house, and it is reasonable to say so pleasantly at the start.
Secure the site and tell your insurer.An open site with materials in it is a target, and your home insurer will have views about the property during works. Both are conversations for before the scaffold goes up.

Tips

Scaffolding is an access route to your upstairs windows for anyone else too. Lock upstairs windows, and consider a scaffold alarm on a long job.
Photograph the pavement, kerb and verge before the skip and scaffold arrive. Damage to the highway gets charged back, and a dated photograph settles it.
Agree the skip position with your neighbours before it arrives. It is the single most common cause of neighbour friction during small projects.

Common mistakes

Assuming a skip on the road needs no permission — A skip on the public highway requires a permit with conditions about lighting and marking. Without it the placement is unlawful and the liability position if someone is hurt is much worse.
Not asking where the waste is going — Householders have a duty of care over waste from their property. Waste fly-tipped by an unlicensed carrier can be traced back and the householder can be held responsible.

Questions people ask

Do I need a permit for a skip on the road?

Yes — a skip on the public highway needs a permit from the highway authority, with conditions covering lighting, markings and duration. On your own drive, no permit is needed.

Who pays for scaffolding?

It is normally in the contractor's quote, but it is one of the most commonly excluded items. Check explicitly, including what happens to the hire cost if the job overruns.

Do I have to let builders use my toilet?

No. Welfare facilities for workers are the contractor's responsibility. Many householders are happy to, and it is entirely reasonable to say at the start that a site toilet is expected.