To Buy Or Rent Scaffolding?

What You Need To Consider

So, you’re beginning a new construction or renovation project, and you’re trying to determine whether to buy or rent scaffolding. Is scaffolding hire is right for you, or if you should purchase your scaffolding for the project.

For commercial and industrial jobs, it can be hard to understand what will be more cost effective. Should you rent light duty aluminium scaffold products, or invest in your own steel scaffolding, acrow props, edge protection, and other such products?

In this article, we’ll help you understand a few of the factors that may determine whether buying or renting scaffolding may be right for you. Let’s begin now, and discuss all of the factors that may affect your decision.

1. The Length Of Your Project

Most of the time, we recommend renting scaffolding for any project that will take three months or less. It doesn’t make sense to search for trestles for sale or to buy scaffolding for a project that’s this short – it’s just not cost-effective.

In addition, if your company is new or just beginning operations in a new area, renting gives you more flexibility – you may need mobile scaffolding for one job, while you may need acrow props and strong steel scaffolding for another. Renting gives you the flexibility to get exactly what you need, when you need it.

However, if you anticipate that you will be working on a single job for a much longer time, or think you’ll re-use your scaffolding equipment for other jobs, purchasing it outright may be a better option. Rental fees can certainly add up if you rent scaffolding for every job site – in the long term, buying scaffolding will save you money for longer jobs.

2. The Amount Of Scaffolding You Need

If you are undertaking a very large job, it may be more economical to rent scaffolding materials and equipment, compared to purchasing it. If you purchase scaffolding, not only will you need to set up the entire scaffolding installation yourself, but you will also be responsible for its care, upkeep, maintenance, and inspection. Because of this, it’s usually better to rent scaffolding if you are taking on a project that is larger than usual.

3. Storage For Your Scaffolding

This is another important consideration when thinking about purchasing scaffolding. If you rent scaffolding, your rental partner will disassemble it and take it away to their own storage facility after your project is done.

However, if you own your scaffolding, you’ll have to take it apart – and then store it. If you already have unused storage space, this may be fine, but if you need to rent a warehouse or storage unit to store your scaffolding, this could be quite expensive.

4. Your Overall Budget

In the short term, renting scaffolding is cheaper, which allows you to spend more money on other parts of your project, and invest in the other tools and materials that you may need for your job. This is ideal if you are on a tight budget.

However, if you do have a large initial budget and you can afford to purchase scaffolding for a long-term (12-18 month or longer) project, it may be worth doing so. In the long run, you will pay less than you would for a rental, and even if you don’t need the scaffolding after the project has been completed, you can typically resell it to get back most of your investment.

5. Your Ability To Assemble And Dismantle Your Own Scaffolding

This is the final consideration, and one of the most important. A scaffold hire service is responsible for the assembly and disassembly of a scaffolding installation, in most cases. They arrive, set up the scaffold properly, and follow Australian standards and regulations for safety and proper setup. Read our article on advanced scaffolding.

If you do not have workers who are experienced in the construction and scaffolding industry, and who do not have much hands-on experience in the erection and dismantling of scaffolding, purchasing your own scaffolding is a bad idea – because your workers will be responsible for putting up the scaffolding and taking it down.

If you don’t have the skills and experience to set up scaffolding on your own, don’t even try. Turn to a third-party scaffolding company to make sure that your scaffolding is safe, and professionally installed. You can’t put a price on the safety of your workers! Read more on scaffolding licensing.

Buy Or Rent Scaffolding – Choose Australian Scaffolds – Get All Of The Scaffolding You Need!

At Australian Scaffolds, we offer both scaffolding hire and sales. Whether you think you’d be better off renting, or you want to invest in your own scaffolding in the area, we’re here to help. Learn more about our products and services on our website now.