⏱ Read time: 6 min | 🌿 Difficulty: Beginner | ⏰ Time: 1 hr | 👷 1 to 2 people
Quick answer. HSS DIY offers scaffold tower hire for home and trade jobs, from one person MiTowers to alloy towers with platforms up to 10.2m. Pick a tower by platform height and space, then choose delivery or click and collect.
Key takeaways
- Working height is roughly platform height plus 2m.
- A 4m to 4.7m platform reaches the gutters on most two storey houses.
- No licence is needed, but PASMA training is recommended.
- Weekly hire usually works out cheaper per day.
- A tower suits localised jobs. Whole elevations need a scaffolder.
Table of contents
- Which scaffold tower do I need?
- What height do I need?
- How much does it cost to hire?
- Should you hire or buy?
- Tower or traditional scaffolding?
- Do you need training or a licence?
- Scaffold tower hire checklist
- FAQs
Balancing on a ladder to reach the gutters? There's a safer way. A scaffold tower gives you a stable platform with guardrails, room for your tools and both hands free. Find scaffold towers that are ready to assemble, as well as scaffolding hire with safety boards and stabilisers, from HSS DIY.
Which scaffold tower do I need?
It comes down to how high you're going, how much space you have and what's nearby. Check out what scaffold tower options we have below.
Got an awkward space? We also hire specialist towers: a MiTower stairs pack for stairwells, lift shaft towers for lift installs and bridging decks to link two towers.
What height scaffold tower do I need?
Towers are listed by platform height, the deck you stand on. You’ll need to measure to the highest point you need to reach, take off 2m, then pick the next platform height up.
Got a bay window, conservatory or sloping drive? Chat to our live chat experts who can help you find the right scaffold tower.
How much does it cost to hire a scaffold tower?
The price of hiring a scaffold tower depends on the tower, the height and how long you need it.
You can hire them for a day, a weekend, a week or longer if needed. Weekly hire prices are usually cheaper per day.
Delivery can also add to the cost as it’s charged by location and tower size. All prices are shown on the live product pages with and without VAT.
Should you hire or buy a scaffold tower?
Both options are beneficial but as we’ve mentioned before, it all depends. Are you taking on a one-off job or will scaffold towers be part of your job? Take a look at the options below to figure out whether hiring or buying a scaffold tower is best for you.
Scaffold tower or traditional scaffolding?
For most home jobs, a scaffold tower is all you need. At HSS DIY, we hire mobile towers that you put up yourself, move around as you work and take down when you’re finished. Traditional tube and fitting scaffolding is different. A scaffolding contractor designs, builds and inspects it, and it usually stays up for weeks.
- Choose a tower for short, localised jobs: gutters, painting, windows and ceilings. Replacing guttering on most houses doesn't need full scaffolding.
- Call a scaffolder for whole elevations, roofing and long projects. Scaffolding on a pavement usually needs a council licence, which they arrange.
- Try powered access if the ground is tricky or you'll move a lot. See our boom lifts and scissor lifts.
Do you need training or a licence?
No licence is needed for hiring a scaffold tower or scaffolding, but anyone putting up a tower must be competent. A PASMA course through HSS Training gives you a certified, verifiable qualification. Keep these points in mind when using the equipment:
- Build with the 3T (through the trap) or advance guardrail method.
- Towers are built to BS EN 1004. Make sure to stick to the safe working load on each product.
- Inspect it after assembly and regularly while in use, as the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require.
- Fit stabilisers or outriggers, lock the castors and follow the height to base ratio.
- Stop work if the wind goes above 17mph.
Scaffold tower hire checklist
You can never be too prepared when it comes to hiring equipment. Screenshot or print off this checklist to make sure you’ve done everything before, during and after your project.
Before you book
☐ Measure to the highest point you need to reach
☐ Check the space at the base and the ground conditions
☐ Book delivery, or check your vehicle fits the tower
On the day
☐ Read the instruction manual
☐ Fit stabilisers and lock the castors
☐ Inspect the tower before you climb
After the job
☐ Strip down in reverse order
☐ Return all parts and boards
FAQs
Is scaffold tower hire charged daily or weekly?
Both. Hire for a day, a weekend, a week or longer. Weekly hire is usually cheaper per day.
Can one person put up a scaffold tower?
Yes, the MiTower and MiTower Plus are designed for one person. Most alloy towers need two.
How long does it take to put up a scaffold tower?
A MiTower takes around 10/20 minutes to assemble. Bigger towers will take longer.
Will a scaffold tower tip over?
It shouldn’t tip over if it's built correctly. Make sure to use the tower’s stabilisers, follow the height to base ratio and stop in winds over 17mph.
Hire a scaffold tower & scaffolding with HSS DIY
And there you have it!
Hiring a scaffold tower & scaffolding with HSS DIY is really quite simple.
Why do we need them? A scaffold tower turns a wobbly ladder job into a steady, hands-free one. You get a flat platform with guardrails all round, room for your tools and the freedom to work with both hands. Clearing gutters, painting fascias and reaching high ceilings all get quicker and safer.
Once the tower’s up, finish the job with the right kit. Hire trestles and staging boards for decorating and plastering, ladders and steps for quick jobs at lower heights, or work platforms for indoor work. Not sure which tower suits your job? Chat to our live chat experts who are on hand and happy to help.
Ready to get started? Hire a scaffold tower & scaffolding online at HSS DIY, with delivery to your door or click and collect from your nearest HSS DIY partner branch.
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