LOBO says scaffolding hire hides recurring maintenance costs

LOBO Systems is urging facilities teams to rethink scaffolding hire as 2027 maintenance budgets are set, arguing the invoice does not capture labour, delays and repeat call-outs. The company says reusable access can pay for itself at sites with recurring work-at-height needs.

Why it matters: - Facilities and maintenance teams often budget for scaffolding hire as a line item, but the real cost can include labor, downtime and repeat mobilisation. - LOBO Systems says sites with recurring access needs may be able to cut long-term spend by owning reusable access equipment instead of hiring it repeatedly.

What happened: - LOBO Systems published a new article, "The Real Cost of Scaffolding Hire – and How LOBO Can Pay for Itself," as organisations prepare 2027 maintenance budgets. - The Derby-based company says the article breaks down the hidden costs behind routine scaffolding hire and compares those costs with owning a reusable access system.

The details: - A typical hire cycle includes hire, call-out, waiting, erection, use and dismantling, and the cost repeats every time access is needed again. - The hire invoice does not include mobilisation, erection and dismantling labor on every job. - Minimum hire periods can apply even for short tasks. - Sites can pay for repeat call-outs to the same locations. - Time is lost when contractor availability delays the job. - Production downtime can rise when maintenance is delayed, especially during breakdowns. - LOBO says General Motors has used the system for years at its Wentzville, Missouri plant and later adopted it at other facilities. - GM has reported more than 50% reductions in outsourced scaffolding spend at some sites. - Marks & Spencer has used LOBO across conveyors, automated guided vehicles and monorail systems in automated distribution. - At Miller Brewing, a site spending about £98,000 a year on scaffolding invested about £15,000 in LOBO and saved about £82,000 in the first year. - LOBO says that investment was recovered within months. - On a three-year view, the site would have spent about £294,000 on scaffolding hire versus about £18,000 for LOBO including training, a saving of about £276,000. - LOBO says results vary by site, but the recurring-cost pattern remains the same. - The company says hire still makes sense for one-off projects, major construction and specialised scaffolding.

Between the lines: - The message is aimed at budget holders who see scaffolding as a routine operating expense rather than a strategic cost decision. - The pitch is less about replacing all hire and more about identifying when repeated maintenance work makes ownership cheaper over time. - The article frames reusable access as a way to reduce downtime, not just direct spend.

What's next: - LOBO is asking sites to review the last 12 months of scaffolding and access spend before setting next year's budget. - The review should include total hire spend, the number of call-outs, the areas accessed and time lost waiting for access to be installed. - LOBO says it can review current access needs, identify suitable applications, develop initial platform designs and provide an indicative investment figure. - The company is offering a free 15-minute online demonstration at more information.

The bottom line: - For sites with repeated maintenance access needs, LOBO argues the bigger cost is not the hire invoice itself but the cycle of repeat labor, delay and downtime that comes with it.