Scaffold loss and damage after a shutdown: how to count it and back-charge it fairly

Updated 7 Nov 2026

What sources say, and do not

A Scaffolders Forum thread of 12 May 2015 (4 posts, anecdotal, read 7 Nov 2026) is the only direct answer we found. Some firms price no loss allowance. One former employer budgeted 2-3% of turnover for losses. Contributors expect main contractors to pay full replacement for damage in place, such as a forklift strike. The main damage source named is loading bay gates, and the cheapest control named is not overstocking the site. None of this is sourced data, so treat it as opinion. NASC's yard article (17 Feb 2026) adds that material should be inspected for damage before it leaves the yard, which gives you a baseline (see the yard guidance map).

The reconciliation, step by step

1. Opening count at the yard before issue, by item code, with the condition noted.
2. Record every issue against a request or tag number.
3. Count and inspect returns at demobilisation.
4. Compute. Expected return = issued - still on site. Missing = expected return - actual return.
5. Classify each difference: lost (not found), damaged and repairable, damaged scrap, or found later.
6. Attach evidence: issue and return documents, photos, tag numbers, date of last inspection.
7. Agree the list with the other party before any invoice.

Worked example (invented numbers for illustration only, not a benchmark)

Issued 2,000 couplers, 1,940 returned, 20 still on site by agreement. Expected return = 1,980. Missing = 40. After inspection: 25 not found, 10 scrap (bent or cracked), 5 found in another yard. The back-chargeable difference is 35 only if the contract says who pays for each category.

Who pays?

That is a contract question: read the clauses on hire versus sale and on damage caused by others. AL-YASSIN does not give contract advice, and it is not taking paid work at this time.

Common mistakes on site

• Issuing against names, not numbers.
• Counting once at the end and arguing about the opening balance.
• Back-charging scrap that was already worn at issue.

Questions

Is 2-3% a standard loss rate?

No. It is one forum contributor's remembered budget figure from 2015, not a standard or a benchmark.

Does the field app help?

The free field app has a take-off and a tag register. Recording issue and return against a request number is the discipline that makes differences visible.

Who inspects returns?

A competent person, independent of the party being charged where the contract requires it.