Do You Need a Scaffold Licence in West Sussex?

The rule sits in section 169 of the Highways Act 1980. Nobody may put up or keep scaffolding, or any similar structure, over or on a highway where it obstructs that highway, unless the authority responsible for the road has granted a licence. For homes in Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex, West Sussex County Council is that authority, and its scaffolding page asks for a licence for full frames and scaffold towers alike.

So the test is position, not the size of the job. A pavement in front of a terrace, a footway beside a corner house, or boards that overhang the kerb all count as highway. A frame along the front of a house that sits close to the footway will usually cross it.

Private land works differently. Croydon's guidance treats scaffolding standing on private land as needing neither licence nor consent. That covers a back garden, a driveway you own, or a front garden deep enough to hold the whole frame. A parking bay suspension can still be needed even then.

Councils differ on who may apply, and West Sussex County Council's scaffolding page does not name the applicant. Kent County Council does: it expects the scaffolding company to apply on the customer's behalf. For a West Sussex address, ask who applies before you accept a quote, and get the answer in writing.

On our jobs the licence is something we arrange together with the scaffolder, which spares you the council forms. Whoever holds it has duties once it is granted, because the council's page says scaffolding contractors must tell it when the scaffold comes down, so the record can be closed.

The cost lands in the job price, because a licence is part of getting the access in place. That is why a roofer's single written total should say whether scaffolding and its licence are included. If a quote is silent on it, ask. A roofer who suggests putting scaffold on the pavement without any licence is asking you to take a risk that lies with the person responsible for the structure.

If you rent your home or share a building, tell the landlord or managing agent that scaffolding is planned.

The county council wants 10 working days' notice at the least, counted from the day of application to the day the scaffolding goes up. Working days leave out weekends and bank holidays, so a licence applied for on a Monday cannot start until the Monday after next at the earliest, and often later.

There is a fast track route. The council says it aims to process fast track applications within 1 working day, and an additional £52 is added to the fee. Its page asks applicants to email the highways licensing team first. A fast track fits a real need, such as a roof left open to rain, rather than a job that simply was not planned.

For a planned re-roof or chimney job, build the notice into the start date. When we survey, we note whether the front of the house will need scaffold over the pavement, and say so before the price is agreed. So the start date you are offered has the licence period built in, instead of slipping once the paperwork begins.

Bad weather can push a job back, so ask what happens to the licence period if the work runs on.

The fees come from the council's page, last updated 27 July 2026. A scaffolding licence for one month is £266, an extension is £178, and a tower scaffold licence is £95 for a week, £150 for two weeks or £295 for a month. Because the figures are revised from time to time, check the current table before you rely on them.

Going without a licence costs more. The council lists £50 per day for unauthorised scaffolding, and £425 for a retrospective licence. A late extension carries its own charge of £335.

Before you agree to a start date, put four questions to your roofer. Will the scaffold stand on the pavement or only on your land? Who applies for the licence? Does the written price include the licence and the scaffold itself? What happens if the job runs past the licence period?

Our wider answer on whether you need scaffolding for roof repairs covers when ladders are enough, and the roofing services across Crawley are on the homepage. If your chimney is the reason for the scaffold, see scaffolding and access for chimney repairs.