A scaffold standing for months on a quote for weeks
The quote said erect, an included hire period, then a weekly charge after that. The scaffold went up, the builder's job ran long, as they do, and the scaffold stayed. Nobody in the office noticed the included period had ended, because the only record of the erect date is the gang's job sheet in a tray.
When it finally comes down, someone raises an invoice for the erect and dismantle. The extension weeks are either forgotten or added as a lump sum that the builder queries, because they were never told it was running.
Why extensions slip through
Your office tracks jobs, not scaffolds standing on hire. Once a scaffold is up, it drops off the radar until someone asks for it to come down. The quote, the erect date and the terms are in different places, and extension invoicing depends on someone remembering to do it.
- Erect dates are on paper job sheets.
- Included hire periods are in the quote, not the job.
- Nobody checks standing scaffolds weekly.
- Customers are not warned when extensions start.
- Extension invoices are raised in a batch, late, if at all.
What the missed weeks cost
Hire is where much of the margin in scaffolding sits once the labour is paid for. Every extension week not invoiced is income lost on kit you still own and cannot use elsewhere. Late lump-sum invoices lead to disputes and slow payment. And builders who are never told the clock is running have no reason to call for the strike.
There is also the strike itself. When a builder is not being charged, he has no reason to call for the scaffold to come down, so the kit sits on his job while you cross-hire or turn work away for lack of boards.
The hire register we build
- When a quote is accepted, its hire terms are carried into the job: included period, extension rate and invoicing frequency.
- The erect date is recorded when the gang completes the handover, from their phone, with the handover certificate and photos attached as the job's admin record.
- The register shows every scaffold standing: customer, address, erect date, included period end and weeks on extension.
- Customers get a message ahead of the included period ending, so they can call for off-hire or expect extension charges.
- Extension invoices are drafted each period in your accounts package, such as Xero, Sage or QuickBooks, for the office to check and send.
- Invoicing stops at the off-hire date you record, with a final part-period charge where your terms allow.
- Reports show hire income by customer and scaffolds with long running extensions, so you can follow up.
| Recorded | Used for |
|---|---|
| Hire terms from the quote | Knowing when extensions start |
| Erect and handover date | Starting the hire clock |
| Customer warning sent | Evidence they were told |
| Extension invoices | Regular charges at your rate |
| Off-hire date | Stopping charges accurately |
Your hire terms decide what is charged. The register makes sure it is charged when your terms say so.
After the register is running
Extensions are invoiced every period, not discovered at strike. Customers are warned, so fewer invoices are disputed, and more scaffolds are called off promptly, which returns kit to the yard. The office has a list of every scaffold standing, which becomes the basis for yard planning too.
Is hire income slipping?
- You cannot quickly list every scaffold standing on hire.
- Extension invoices are raised at strike, if at all.
- Builders dispute lump-sum hire charges.
- Erect dates live on paper job sheets.
- Customers are not told when extensions begin.