Scaffolding and roofers q

[Springhassprung33]

A quick question for roofers or people who have had roofing work done:

We had pretty extensive roof damage in the recent storms which is (thank goodness) being covered by our house insurance. No idea how much it is costing.

It is a combined scaffolding/ roofing company appointed by the insurance company. They came to put up the scaffolding 3 weeks ago and I thought that meant they would do the work straight afterwards- same company.

I managed to get through to them a week ago to check start dates and they said they would call back. Nothing.
Since then, despite emailing, calling the landline and calling the mobile I can't get through to them at all- not even an option to leave a voicemail. The scaffolding blocks one of out outside doors which I said was fine as I thought it was just for a few days but is now a real pain as the weather is getting better.

Is it normal to leave weeks between the scaffolding going up and the work being done? I'm now worried that they are a dodgy company.

I believe it is normal as it's cheaper to store the scaffolding at your house then somewhere they have to pay any rent on.

I think if they respond to your call/email, then should be fine. Somehow they don't give clear schedule/date....

I'm going through similar experience, roofer/scaffolding people didn't tell me when they'll come, I got very short notice at the end. After roof work done, I also don't know when scaffolding will be gone, according to the roofer, scaffolding need to stay until first raining day pass(!) Currently we are having very good weather..lol

It turns out that the company has gone into liquidation - the insurance company has discovered this.

I have scaffolding left all over my house, one of our outside doors is blocked by the scaffolding and the swifts that have nested all along our house for over a decade won’t be able to get to their nesting sites along the roof when they arrive next month.

I am desperate to get rid of this scaffolding- can I just put it on eBay??
I gave tried everything I can to reach anyone at the roofing company- they have obviously gone best and shut down all ways to get in touch.

Presumably the scaffolding still belongs to the company or to the liquidators.

Your insurers will need to find another company to do the roof work, who may or may not be prepared to do the work with the existing scaffolding.

I would get on to your insurers and see if they will arrange for the scaffolding to be dismantled (do you have space to store it in your garden?). Tell them it's blocking an external door which is a fire escape hazard. Personally, if they decline, I would pay for it myself because of the returning swifts. Is that an option?

Your insurers might be able to find out who the liquidators are, and maybe they can arrange for it to be dismantled and removed. The longer it's prolonged, the more delay to your repairs, which isn't in the insurers' interests if it ends up causing more damage.

I own a scaffolding company and this happens a lot.

My advice, call another local scaffolding firm and tell them the situation and that you are desperate to have it removed. Ask them to come and take it down and they can have it. They will do this very willingly!

If anyone ever asks you where the scaffolding has gone, just say a company came and took it down and you assumed it was the company that put it up! But its unlikely to ever happen.

Thanks for your advice however it looks like things are starting to happen. Yesterday afternoon a guy from the liquidators turned up unannounced to take photos of the scaffolding. He said it’s likely it will be sold and the buyer will be the one who removes it, though I explained the issue with the swifts. The insurance company has found someone else who can hopefully do the work within the next couple of days so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this will all work out.
If the scaffolding is not sold and removed early next week I at least have the number of the liquidator to call. Apparently there are multiple people in my region with this problem.
It’s so odd given there must be plenty of roofing and scaffolding work round here at the moment and the insurance company apparently gave them multiple storm damage jobs within the last few weeks.

I just hope ‘my’ swifts aren’t too early this year.

Just FYI - we bought our house last year and 10 years of nesting swifts had done untold damage to the roof felt. It was a huge job to fix. We got blockers put in to stop them nesting.