Scaffolding

Unless you live in a bungalow, the gutter of most houses is at a height of about 5m.

For the roofers who install the solar panels to work safely at that height, a fully-boarded scaffold platform will need to be erected along the gutter.

The length of the platform should be a little wider than the area on the roof where the panels are going.

In addition, there should be ‘edge protection’ going up the roof on each side of the platform. This is to stop the roofers falling off the roof if the panels are close to the edge of the roof (the verge).

The solar panel installers normally arrange the scaffolding. Typically, it goes up a day or two before the solar panel installation.

9 times out of 10, the company that puts the scaffolding up is a sub-contractor to the solar panel installer. This is important. While most scaffolding companies provide an excellent service, some don’t take as much care as they should. Tiles can get broken, garden pots smashed, and so on.

If you notice any damage after the scaffolders have been, but before the solar installation team has arrived, mention this to the person who sold you the solar panel system. They will get it fixed.