# Scaffolding Cost Calculator

Rent by duration plus erection labour, giving total cost.

- Page: https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/scaffold-cost
- Category: Costing (https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/c/costing)
- Chinese version: https://jianzhujisuan.com/zh/scaffold-cost.md
- Data checked: 2026-10-25

## Quick result

With the default inputs (Scaffold area 1000 m², Duration 90 days, Monthly rent 18 CNY/m², Erection labour 22 CNY/m², Material loss 4 CNY/m²): **Total scaffold cost 80000 CNY**

## Inputs

| Parameter | Type | Default | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scaffold area | number | 1000 | m² | Vertical projection on the facade |
| Duration | number | 90 | days |  |
| Monthly rent | number | 18 | CNY/m² | Tube, couplers and boards, usually 15-25 |
| Erection labour | number | 22 | CNY/m² | Erect plus dismantle |
| Material loss | number | 4 | CNY/m² | Lost couplers, bent tube charges |

## Formula

- **Duration**: days ÷ 30
- **Rent**: area × monthly rate × months
- **Labour**: area × erection rate
- **Loss**: area × loss rate
- **Total**: rent + labour + loss
- **Cost per m²**: total ÷ area

## Worked example

1000 m² for 90 days at 18 per m² per month, 22 erection and 4 loss: 54000 rent, 22000 labour and 4000 loss — 80000 in total, 80.00 per m² and 600 per day.

## Questions

### Why is scaffolding priced by area, not weight?

Because facade projection is the trade convention and already implies a height and lift pattern, making estimating and settlement quick. Pricing by weight — tube metres times 3.84 kg/m — reflects material input more precisely and avoids disputes over differing densities on package deals. The bridge between them is tube content per square metre, usually 12-18 kg/m².

### Rent or buy?

It depends on duration and pipeline. Under three months renting is cheaper; beyond six, buying new and depreciating usually wins, and the tube and couplers carry over to the next job. But buying ties up cash, needs storage and carries corrosion and loss. Most small contractors rent — no capital, no maintenance — at 20-30% more per unit.

### How much does delay cost on scaffolding?

A lot. 1000 m² of facade scaffold rents at 600 a day, so a month of delay is 18,000 — the entire erection cost. Striking must follow the facade trades closely, and many jobs hang two or three extra months because one of insulation, paint or cladding slipped, doubling the cost. Put scaffold removal on the programme as its own control milestone.

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Generated by BuildCalc. All calculations run in your browser; no data is uploaded. Formulas follow national standards and common trade practice; local codes govern.