The short answer
Sometimes. A low stack on a bungalow or single-storey extension can often be reached with ladders and a roof ladder, and a small job such as a pot or cap may need nothing more. A tall stack above a two-storey house, or any repair that means taking bricks down, needs a proper scaffold with edge protection. The roofer judges this on site, and a good one explains the reason before quoting.
When ladders, a roof ladder or a tower are enough for chimney work, and when the stack height or the job itself calls for scaffold.
When ladders and a roof ladder are enough
A roof ladder is a ladder with a hook at the top that sits over the ridge, so the roofer is not standing on the tiles themselves. On a bungalow, or on a stack rising from a low roof, a roof ladder together with a sound ladder on the ground can make small work reasonable: replacing a pot, touching up flaunching, or looking closely at the flashing.
The test is not only how high the stack is. A roofer needs both hands free, a firm place to stand and a way to carry materials up without climbing with a bucket of mortar. A stack that sits at the ridge of a shallow roof is easier to work from than one low on a steep slope with a long drop beneath it.
Even then, the ground matters. A ladder needs firm, level footing, and a gravel drive, a soft border or a conservatory roof below can rule it out. If the person quoting says ladders alone are fine, ask how they will work on the highest side of the stack, and what they will stand on while they do it.
When a tower or full scaffold is needed
A tower scaffold is a freestanding frame on wheels, and a full scaffold is fixed to the house with boards, guard rails and toe boards. Both give the roofer a platform with edge protection, which a ladder cannot. Stretching for a stack across a roof slope from the top of a ladder is exactly the position to avoid.
Repairs that move bricks nearly always call for scaffold: rebuilding the top courses, repointing a tall stack, lifting out a leaning chimney, or replacing lead on all four sides. The roofer has to stand up to the work with both hands busy, and the old mortar, bricks and rubble have to come down safely, in a chute or by hand, not dropped to the ground. A mid-terrace stack in the middle of a long ridge is another case where a tower or scaffold is the sensible choice.
The cost difference can be large. MyJobQuote's chimney leadwork guide, last updated 22 September 2026, gives £350 to £460 without scaffold and £700 to £920 with it. Our page on scaffolding for chimney repair covers the arrangements in more depth.
Licences, pavements and neighbours
If scaffold stands on private land such as your drive or garden, no licence is needed. If it takes up any part of the pavement or road, the Highways Act 1980 section 169 obliges you to hold a licence from the highway authority, which for Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex is West Sussex County Council. Its page asks for at least 10 working days' notice between the application and erection, and a fast track route costs extra. Ask the scaffolder who applies; the paperwork is then sorted out together before the date is fixed.
Surrey County Council sets a similar notice period of 10 working days, and Kent County Council wants the scaffolding company to make the application. Neither affects the repair itself, but the lead time matters when a leak is the reason you are calling.
Terraces and semis add a courtesy point. A scaffold often needs to cross a boundary line or sit on a neighbour's side, so talk to them early. Our guide to shared chimney stack repair covers who pays and how to agree access when the stack serves both houses.
Making a leaking stack safe first
If a chimney is leaking now, waiting for scaffold does not mean waiting with water running into the house. A roofer can often make a stack safe with a temporary measure from a ladder, such as a waterproof strip over an open flashing joint or a cover over a damaged pot, then return for the lasting repair once the access is up. A temporary fix is only a bridge, and it should be described as one.
Photos help the decision. A clear shot of the stack from the garden, plus one from the loft showing any staining on the chimney breast, lets us judge whether a ladder will do before anyone visits. We then confirm it on site, because what looks simple from the ground can change at the roof.
Whatever route is chosen, the written price should state how the stack will be reached and whether the cost of that is already inside the total. A quote that says nothing about access leaves a gap, so ask about it before you agree. Our chimney repairs page lists the other jobs that share the same scaffold.
More on this in Chimney Repairs in Crawley
Two more access questions
Is it safe to repair my own chimney from a ladder?
We would not suggest it. Stacks are above the roof, ladders slip on tiles and gutters, and mortar, bricks and lead are heavy to hold at height. Spot what you can from the ground with binoculars, note any stains in the loft or on the chimney breast, and give the details to a roofer who works at height every day.
Is a licence needed when scaffold stands on my drive?
No. A licence only comes into it when scaffolding sits on or over the pavement or road, because that land belongs to the highway authority. Scaffold kept wholly on land you own needs nothing from the council, although a parked car or a neighbour's boundary may still need sorting out before the scaffolder arrives.