Grrr - scaffolding!
 

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[Closed] Grrr - scaffolding!

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Have a company booked in to do the fascia boards/guttering etc on our new house.

They, in turn, have organised the scaffolding required. Scaffolder turned up a couple of weeks ago and erected the scaffolding, wrongly, and is now not contactable by the company doing the work. They've been trying to get hold of him for over a week without any response.

They're saying we have to wait 28 days before they can, legally, remove what's there and get a new company in to re-do the scaffolding.

Is that correct?


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:19 pm
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Wrongly  as in the wrong place or wrongly as in not a safe structure?


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:22 pm
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If it looked unsafe I'd be removing it... ; -)

Imagine how you'd feel if a baby Robin were to meet its demise...


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:22 pm
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Wrong place, from what I've been told..


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:27 pm
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They’re saying we have to wait 28 days before they can, legally, remove what’s there and get a new company in to re-do the scaffolding.

There is no “we”.

There is you, the fascia company with whom you have a contract and the scaffolder with whom you don’t have a contract.

I’d be of the view that they can certainly dismantle it as long as they employ a certified scaffolder to do it and don’t damage it or otherwise dispose of it.

Their issues with their subcontractors are not your issues.


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:29 pm
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My dad came home to a scaffold that was supposed to be on his house, 3/4 erected on the next door neighbours! The woman next door just assumed it was something her partner had arranged without mentioning it to her. 🙂

Dunno about the 28 days waiting period, but I do know you aren't allowed to alter scaffolds without the right qualifications. Another company may be reluctant to take down a scaffold that's already standing if they deem it unsafe, they won't want to put their workers on it.


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:32 pm
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The 'we' in this case is us. WE have to wait, for 28 days, until THEY (the fascia company) can remove or have the scaffold removed.


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:33 pm
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In which case, “we” (the paying customer) would be telling “they” (the fascia company)to get the finger out pronto and sort it before “we” cancel the order because “we” won’t tolerate having a useless scaffold on “our” house over Christmas with no work happening.

They’re bullshitting you for reasons unknown.


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:39 pm
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How much in the wrong place is it? If it's on the front side of the house then fair enough, if it's just not quite right can't they just work with it for guttering and fascias?


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:43 pm
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t


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:46 pm
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How much in the wrong place is it?

They've missed off half of the front and one complete side..


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:48 pm
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Lester, as the manager of a scaffolding company, are you really suggesting that someone with no qualifications, (which you apparently have) climb up a scaffold of unknown quality, and dismantle it themselves??!!

If so, wow - can we know the name of your company, so we know who to avoid for any future access work?

edit - oh hang on, you've redacted your statement. Perhaps you realised the implications of your suggestion.


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 12:54 pm
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Lester, as the manager of a scaffolding company, are you really suggesting that someone with no qualifications, (which you apparently have) climb up a scaffold of unknown quality, and dismantle it themselves??!!

Bit OTT, any Scaffolder will be trained to risk assess the scaffold the are about to work on and for something very simple, like the front of a domestic house, be able to judge whether it is safe or not. Any H&S course will cover basic assessment of your working environment and you don't just assume it's safe because your company erected it or your gaffer says so; afterall it might have been safe when erected but could have changed subsequently.


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 1:17 pm
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@tthew

a***le

if you noticed I said" I know what id do!!!!"

you don't have to be qualified to take a scaffold down or even erect one.

you only have to be a "competent person"

industry standard says a competent person should  erect a scaffold and it will have to be inspected and passed before any one can work on it.

I didn't redact my reply, I took it down because I didn't want idiot people like you replying, but in hindsight, you seem to be a plank, so you could legitimately be on any scaffold


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 1:30 pm
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Unless they've (the scaffolder) gone bust I don't see any reason why they wouldn't just come and put it right? It's not like it's materials that are now no good for the next job, it's an asset of the scaffolding company?


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 1:31 pm
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doesn't sound as if they have erected it wrongly, just not enough??


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 1:33 pm
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The fascia company have been trying, since last Monday, to get hold of the scaffold company. Nothing, complete radio silence from their end 🙁


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 1:34 pm
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StevieD

if the scaffold is just not enough, and not erected wrongly. the building company could just get another scaffold firm to erect the rest of the scaffold ( without connecting to the existing scaffold) and your roofer could work on both ( he has after all paid for it).


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 1:38 pm
 kilo
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The fascia company get another firm of scaffolders to put some up in the right place and crack on with the job?

damn beaten to it!!


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 1:39 pm
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Good idea ^

I'll mention it..


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 1:49 pm
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The only reason I could see to wait 28 days for the original company to reply is:

a). so the fascia company can recover costs (maybe) for the new scaffolder to take down the original scaffolding

b). to cover themselves in case damage is incurred to original scaffolding when replacement scaffolder takes it down

c). 28 days might be the max time in the contract with the original scaffolder to properly erect the scaffolding in the first place (allowing for unforeseen events/issues)

I guess there may be T&C the fascia company have signed with the original scaffolder that states 28 days or 'reasonable time' and the fascia company is interpreting that as 28 days.

Bit of a shit situation all around but I can kind of see why the fascia company might be reluctant to just tear it down now


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 2:01 pm
 piha
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Has the Fascia company paid their Scaffolding sub contractor?

If I was the scaffolding sub contractor and my payments were overdue then I would erect the scaffold just enough to placate the customer. When Mr Late Payment Fascia Co asked me to finish off the scaffold I'm politely request he pays his outstanding invoices.

Saves me the cost of dismantling and storing the scaffold over the winter end of year holiday too.


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 2:02 pm
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scaffold company`s generally price for "4 a week period" and after this there can be continued hire.

the scaffold company may think they have erected in accordance with the price they quoted and the instruction to proceed.

unless the scaffold company were new and working on a proforma invoice, they wouldn't expect to get their money for 30 / 60 days depending on the contract.

id still get a new company to erect the side and work on that section while waiting for the missing scaffolders, it may get sorted in that time and you can get it down in time for xmas.

while the other scaffold is up id start the gutter and fascia from that end maybe, also to speed things up.

if the existing scaffold isn't too far from the end of the front it still might be enough to reach with the side erected


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 2:13 pm
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I'd ring the scaffolder direct!


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 2:39 pm
 piha
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Can Mr Late Payment Fascia Co work from a cherrypicker? Tell him he needs to get a machine in or complete the scaffold or you will employ another company that can and you will look to recover costs from him.


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 2:45 pm
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I’d ring the scaffolder direct!

Don't have any details for them. No board on the scaffolding either..


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 2:50 pm
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Some right tosh talked above 🙂

Sounds like its incomplete, a small house scaffold (typical 3 sides for fascia) is about 4 hours work for a tidy gang. So erecting in two visits is really uneconomical.

The scaffolder will have been instructed and told the date its required by. Usually these contractors will work together regularly so the scaff wont want to let a good customer down. As a scaffold company owner if i was a betting man i`d guess the fascia guy is busy/wet weather/ cant get to the job in good time and is using the scaffold company as an excuse.

If this isnt the case its because they are using a small cash scaffolder and the scaffolder doesnt have enought kit to service all his current jobs. OR they have fallen out about another contract and you are caught in the middle.

You will struggle to get anyone else involved (scaffold wise) because we dont tread on each others toes (reputable ones dont) and occasionally a part erected/dismantled job is to apply pressure for payment from the contractor. Hence anyone else will be reluctant to be caught in a dispute.

Apply pressure to the fascia company, get the scaffolders direct number (if they are reluctant see above) and get the real picture.


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 4:03 pm
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If it’s been up more than a week it should be due for an inspection from a competent person and after any high wind or alterations as above need pressure on facia co  to sort or go elsewhere asap


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 5:20 pm
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If they are anything like the scaffolders round here they will probably all be on their mobiles while driving their trucks around.

Tell facia company to look up the address of the company they use and go knock on the door until someone answers.

If they do and find out that they have gone bust then you have free scaffolding!


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 6:09 pm
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If it’s been up more than a week it should be due for an inspection from a competent person and after any high wind or alterations as above need pressure on facia co  to sort or go elsewhere asap

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 6:24 pm
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Dunno, if it needed to be moved for my benifit it would soon be moved piled up and "some scrotes did it"


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 6:38 pm
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Smells a bit like the facia company have 28 days of work elsewhere to complete/get Christmas holidays out the way first before getting your house done.

i'd be asking the facia company to complete all work reachable from current scaffolding while they 'wait' in the 28 days, so as not to delay the job when the rest of the scaffolding is complete, see what the response is!


 
Posted : 03/12/2018 9:45 pm

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