What scissor lift height do you need: the calculation before you call

The most frequent question on the phone is “how high does the lift go”. The right question is a different one: at what height is the work done. Everything else follows from it.

The calculation, in two lines

Measure the height of the point where you have to work: the light fitting, the sign, the eaves, the pipe. From that figure, subtract about two metres, because the person in the basket works with their hands above the platform, not at its level.

• Working at 6 m: you need a platform that rises to about 4 m.
• Working at 10 m: a platform at about 8 m.
• Working at 12 m: a platform at about 10 m.

Manufacturers usually quote the working height, that is the platform plus those two metres. If a quote shows a single figure, ask which one it is. Those two metres decide whether you reach the work point or not.

A scissor lift goes straight up, not sideways

A scissor lift raises the platform vertically, directly above the point where the machine stands. It has no boom to reach around an obstacle.

That means you have to be able to place the machine right under the work point. If there is a hedge, a row of parked cars or a tank between you and the wall, a scissor lift will not get there, however high it goes.

Check first what is on the ground, under the point where you have to work.

What stops you, besides height

The ground. The lift has to stand on a level surface with enough bearing capacity. Soil soaked by rain, uncompacted fill or a slope steeper than the machine allows means it cannot be raised safely. On site, a compacted ballast pad is prepared for it.

The access. Measure the width of the gate, of the hall door or of the aisle the machine has to pass through. A lift that fits through the door but cannot turn in the aisle stays outside.

The load. People, tools and materials go up on the platform. Every model has a limit, and exceeding it blocks the lift. Count beforehand: two people and a box of light fittings is not the same as one person with a screwdriver.

The surface underneath. Indoors, the floor matters: electric lifts have wheels that do not mark it. Outdoors, on soil or ballast, you need traction, which means the diesel model.

The wind. Outdoors, every model has a wind limit stated by the manufacturer. Above it, work stops. Indoor lifts are not used outside in wind.

The mistakes that cost money

• Ordering by the height of the building. If the hall is 9 m high but the lamp is at 7, you need less than you thought.
• Not checking where the machine will stand. The lift is unloaded and only then does someone notice the spot is occupied or on a slope.
• Forgetting the transport. The outdoor lift arrives on a trailer, so it needs a place where it can be unloaded.
• Asking for one day for a two-day job. The transport is then paid twice.

What we have

Two Haulotte scissor lifts, both 12 m:

• Haulotte H12SDX, diesel, for rough terrain and outdoor work.
• Haulotte Compact 12, electric, for indoor use: no fumes, no noise.

They are hired with an operator, from a single day, with transport to the site included.

What to tell us when you ask for a quote

• The height at which the work is done, measured at the work point, not at the ridge of the building.
• Indoors or outdoors.
• What the machine stands on: concrete, asphalt, soil, ballast.
• The width of the access, if it has to enter a hall or a closed yard.
• How many people go up, and what materials.
• How many days the job takes.

With that, we tell you the same day whether one of the two lifts covers the job and what it costs. If it does not cover it, we tell you that too.