Scaffold banner sizes: fitting a banner to lifts and bays

Getting scaffold banner sizes right starts on the scaffold, not in the design software: the banner has to fit between the tubes it will be tied to, so measure the lifts and bays before choosing a size. A banner that matches the scaffold grid can be tied at every eyelet and sits flat; one that does not ends up folded, gapped or flapping.

This guide covers the standard sizes, how to measure, the material question and the conversation to have with your scaffold contractor before anything goes up.

Standard scaffold banner sizes #

Our scaffold banners come in three standard sizes, or any custom width and height you enter:

Size	Good for
9 ft 10 in × 6 ft 7 in (3000 × 2000 mm)	One lift high, a domestic job or a single bay run
13 ft 1 in × 6 ft 7 in (4000 × 2000 mm)	One lift high across a wider frontage
16 ft 5 in × 9 ft 10 in (5000 × 3000 mm)	Commercial frontages and taller scaffolds

They are printed on 260gsm mesh or 440gsm PVC, full colour. All three standard scaffold banner sizes are over 3 m on one side, so they count as oversize for delivery (more on that below).

Measuring the scaffold #

A scaffold is a grid. Horizontal tubes (ledgers) run along each lift, and upright tubes (standards) mark each bay. Lifts on access scaffolds are commonly around 2 m apart, which is why 2 m high banners are so common, but every scaffold is different, so measure yours or ask the scaffolder for the lift heights and bay lengths.

1. Pick the section of scaffold facing the road or the approach.
2. Measure the distance between the ledgers you will tie the top and bottom of the banner to.
3. Measure the width across the bays you want to cover.
4. Take off a little from each measurement so the eyelets sit just inside the tubes and the ties have room.
5. Check nothing is in the way: ladders, loading bays, hoists, rubbish chutes and debris netting.

If you are covering several bays with more than one banner, choose one size and repeat it. Matching banners look deliberate; a patchwork of sizes does not.

When to use custom scaffold banner sizes #

The three standard scaffold banner sizes cover most jobs, but custom sizes make sense when the scaffold is unusual: a short return on a corner, a single narrow bay beside a hoist, or a lift height well away from 2 m. Type your own width and height on the product page and the price updates as you go. Custom sizes can be anything up to 16 ft 5 in × 9 ft 10 in (5000 × 3000 mm) on our mesh banners range.

Common scaffold sizing mistakes #

• Measuring the building, not the scaffold. The banner ties to the tubes, so the tube spacing is what counts.
• No room for ties. A banner exactly the same size as the gap between ledgers has nowhere for the ties to go.
• Forgetting the boards and toe boards. Boards and toe boards at each lift can hide the bottom of a banner. Check the view from the street.
• Mixing sizes. Different scaffold banner sizes side by side look untidy. Pick one and repeat it.

Mesh or PVC on a scaffold #

Any sheeting on a scaffold adds wind load, and a scaffold is designed for a certain load. Mesh is the default because wind passes through it, which reduces that extra load; from the street the print still looks solid. PVC is solid, so treat it like sheeting: only use it where the scaffold contractor has agreed it, typically on smaller, sheltered or lower sections.

When in doubt, choose mesh and let the scaffolder decide whether PVC is acceptable. The print cost is similar, and the conversation is much easier before the banner is made.

Talk to the scaffold contractor first #

Before you order, ask the scaffold contractor (or the principal contractor on a larger site):

• Can a banner go on this scaffold, and where?
• Is mesh required, and is there a maximum area?
• Who will fit it, and when? Many scaffolders prefer to fit banners themselves.
• What are the lift heights and bay lengths on the section you want?

The HSE’s construction guidance sets out who is responsible for what on site. A banner is a small part of that, but it is attached to a temporary structure somebody else is responsible for, so get their agreement in writing.

Fixing a banner to scaffold tube #

Scaffold banners are fixed through the eyelets, which run round the edge at regular intervals and in every corner. Use heavy-duty cable ties or bungee ties round the tube.

• Tie the top corners first, then the bottom corners.
• Work along the top ledger, then the bottom, then any intermediate tube.
• Tension evenly. Flat, not drum tight.
• Use every eyelet. A loose section flaps and wears the banner and the ties.
• Keep ties and banner edges clear of fittings people could catch themselves on.

Artwork for scaffold banner sizes #

A scaffold banner is read from the road or from across a street, often while people are moving. Keep it short: company name, trade, phone number or web address. Build artwork at full size or an exact scale, and keep all text at least 5 cm in from the edges. Large, bold lettering matters more than detail; on mesh, very fine lines and small text lose sharpness because of the holes in the weave.

If you are a contractor branding your own sites, design one layout and reuse it across every job so the banners become recognisable. Our guide to construction site signage covers the safety signs that often go alongside.

Other site banners #

Scaffolds are not the only place for your name on a job. Heras fence mesh banners are sized for a full fence panel, and our site safety banners carry standard safety messages such as PPE and site entrance warnings on the same mesh material.

Delivery for scaffold banners #

Banners over 3 m on any side are oversize and add £15 once per order, however many oversize banners are in it, so ordering all your scaffold banner sizes together is cheaper than ordering them one at a time. UK mainland delivery is £7.95 per order and free when your goods total is £99 or more after discount codes. Mainland Scottish Highlands postcodes add £10, and Northern Ireland, the islands, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight are quoted first. Our delivery page has the full details.