Access platform hire means renting a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP), such as a cherry picker or scissor lift, to lift people and tools safely to work at height. Published cost guides put a scissor lift at about £80 to £150 a day, a van-mounted cherry picker at about £150 to £250 a day, and a truck-mounted cherry picker with an operator at about £300 to £600 a day. You can hire self-drive if you have a trained operator, or operated hire where the firm supplies one.
Which access platform do you need?
Boom lift (cherry picker)
An arm lifts a basket up and out, so you can reach over obstacles such as bay windows, conservatories or plant. Articulated booms bend in sections to get up and over; telescopic booms extend straight out for longer reach.
Operators need a harness and short restraint lanyard.
Van or truck-mounted cherry picker
A boom on a road vehicle, driven to site and set up on outriggers. Often hired with an operator for a day's work.
Using it on the pavement or road usually needs a council licence.
Tracked spider lift
A compact boom on tracks that can fit through narrow gateways and doorways, then set up on outriggers.
Check gate widths and floor loadings with the hire firm.
Scissor lift
A wide platform that rises vertically, ideal for ceilings, cladding and fit-out work where you don't need to reach out. Electric slab scissors suit indoor floors; rough-terrain models suit sites.
Usually the cheapest powered access to hire.
What access platform hire costs
These ranges come from published cost guides and hire firms' price lists. Prices vary with height, machine type, hire length and where you are, and most exclude VAT.
| Machine | Typical day rate | Typical week rate |
|---|---|---|
| Scissor lift | £80–£150 | £150–£500 |
| Articulated boom lift | £100–£300 | £400–£800 |
| Telescopic boom lift | £150–£400 | £600–£1,000 |
| Van-mounted cherry picker | £150–£250 | £500–£900 |
| Truck-mounted cherry picker | £300–£600 | £400–£1,100 self-drive, more with an operator |
- Self-drive or operatedSelf-drive hire is cheaper but you must supply a trained operator. An operator adds roughly £200 to £300 a day on top of the machine, or comes built into an operated day rate.
- Working height and reachMachines up to about 10 m are cheapest. Mid-range reach (10 to 20 m) typically costs about £200 to £400 a day, and 20 m plus about £300 to £600 or more.
- Hire lengthA week usually costs about three to four times the day rate, not seven, so longer hires work out cheaper per day.
- Delivery and extrasDelivery, collection and damage waiver are usually charged on top of the hire rate.
- Licences and traffic managementWorking from the pavement or road adds a council licence fee and sometimes barriers or signs.
Check whether each quote includes the operator, delivery and collection, damage waiver, fuel or charging, the council licence and VAT. A low day rate for a self-drive machine can cost more than an operated hire once you add delivery and your own operator's time.
Self-drive or operated hire?
Operated hire
The firm brings the machine and a trained operator. You tell them what needs doing and they position the platform.
One cost guide puts a one-person crew at about £27.50–£32.50 an hour on top of the machine.
Self-drive hire
The machine is delivered and you operate it. The hire firm will usually ask to see the operator's training card for that machine category.
You take on responsibility for planning, rescue and safe use.
IPAF operator cards: which category?
The most widely recognised training for MEWP operators is from IPAF, which issues a PAL Card listing the categories the holder can operate. The card is valid for five years. The Health and Safety Executive says operators should have attended a recognised training course and hold a certificate, card or licence listing the MEWP categories they're trained on.
Vertical personnel platforms that are set up before rising.
Booms on outriggers, trailer-mounted booms and vehicle-mounted platforms, such as van and truck-mounted cherry pickers.
Scissor lifts and mobile vertical personnel platforms.
Self-propelled booms, articulated and telescopic, that can drive while raised.
- PAL+. An optional extra day of training for trained operators in higher-risk settings such as steelwork, confined overhead spaces or challenging terrain. It adds a "+" to the category, for example 3b+, and is also valid for five years.
- Other IPAF categories. These include PAV (push-around verticals), IAD (insulated aerial devices), H (harness use and inspection), LOAD (loading and unloading) and MM (MEWPs for Managers), which suits site managers planning MEWP work.
What to check before you hire
Thorough examination report Every 6 months
Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), equipment that lifts people must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every six months, or under a written examination scheme. Ask the hire firm for the current report.
Operator's PAL Card Right category
Whether you hire self-drive or operated, ask to see the operator's card and check it covers the machine category you're hiring and is in date.
Insurance
Ask the hire firm or contractor for their public liability insurance. Councils that license MEWPs on the highway commonly require £10 million public liability cover, though some accept £5 million.
Pavement or road licence Council
Councils issue licences under the Highways Act 1980 for MEWPs on the highway or over-sailing it. Requirements vary: some ask for at least 10 clear working days' notice, and work can't start until the licence is approved.
Safety on the day
MEWP work is covered by the Work at Height Regulations 2005, which require work at height to be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out as safely as is reasonably practicable, by competent people. The HSE's key points:
- Harness in boom lifts. In boom-type platforms (1b and 3b), IPAF recommends a harness with a lanyard short enough to keep the wearer inside the basket, clipped to the manufacturer's anchor point. It's not normally needed in scissor lifts and other vertical platforms, unless the site or a risk assessment requires it.
- Rescue plan. Have a plan for rescuing someone from the platform and practise it. Someone on the ground should know how to use the ground controls.
- Ground conditions. Use the platform on firm, level ground. Extend and chock outriggers before raising, with spreader plates where needed.
- Overhead hazards. Keep clear of overhead power lines, and watch for the operator being trapped between the basket and steelwork or other structures.
- Wind. High winds can tilt a platform. Set a maximum safe wind speed and stop work above it.
- Traffic and the public. Don't let any part of the arm stick out into a traffic route.
Questions to ask a hire firm
- What working height and outreach do I need for this job, and which machine do you recommend?
- Is the quote self-drive or operated, and does it include delivery, collection, damage waiver and VAT?
- Can I see the machine's current thorough examination report?
- Which IPAF categories does your operator hold, or which category must my operator have?
- Will the machine fit through the access, and what ground conditions does it need?
- Will you apply for the council licence if we're on the pavement or road?
- What is the rescue procedure if the platform fails at height?
Prices in this guide are typical ranges from suppliers' published price lists and cost guides. They change and vary by area, so always confirm the price with the supplier before you book. Rules, fees and tax rates are checked against official sources.