Had to choose between a full scaffold and a 40-foot ladder for a tricky job

Last week I had this old brick chimney in a tight backyard, maybe 35 feet up. The homeowner wanted it cleaned and inspected but the access was awful. My choice was setting up a full scaffold which would take half a day and cost me $200 to rent, or just using my big extension ladder. I went with the ladder to save time and money, which was a huge mistake. About halfway up with my gear, the ladder started to sink into the soft ground near a flower bed. I had to come down and reset the whole thing on plywood, which took almost as long as the scaffold would have. Ended up rushing the inspection because I lost so much time and I'm not happy with how it went. Anyone else ever get pushed into a bad call by trying to save a few bucks on a job?

3 comments

3 Comments

joel_jones4d ago

Yeah, trying to save time and money is a classic trap. My buddy did something similar on a roof job, skipped the proper staging to finish faster. He ended up slipping and spraining his wrist, which cost him way more in lost work than the setup would have. It's never worth the risk.

gibson.avery4d ago

Been there, done that, got the sinking ladder to prove it.

gibson.avery4d ago

Joel's story about his buddy is a perfect example. That kind of shortcut always seems to backfire, and a sprained wrist is no joke. It's crazy how a small risk can turn into weeks of lost pay and pain. You really do learn the hard way sometimes.

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