Which lift should I use for roofing work?

For work on the roof and at the eaves, a rough terrain articulating boom lift 4×4 is used most often: it stands on the ground around the building, and the jointed arm lets you lift the platform above the roof edge and work over the roof slope. For tall buildings and large distances from the wall, a telescopic boom lift works well. A rough terrain scissor lift is suitable where vertical access to the eaves from hard, level ground is enough.

Can you get onto the roof with a lift?

A lift is for working from the platform, not an elevator to the roof. Stepping from the platform onto the roof is permitted only if the machine manual provides for it and fall protection is provided on both sides; in practice this requires separate work organisation, anchor points and the consent of the site manager. As standard, the work is done from the platform.

Which lift should I use to replace gutters and flashings?

For gutters, soffits and flashings at the eaves, a machine whose working height is matched to the height of the eaves with a margin of about 2 m is usually enough. Horizontal outreach is often more important: around a house there are fences, thuja hedges and paving, so the machine cannot always stand right by the wall and has to reach sideways with its arm.

Will a lift damage the paving around the house?

A rough terrain machine weighs several tonnes, and the load is concentrated on the wheels and the feet of the outriggers. On paving, a drive and above services, load-spreading plates are laid down. Before driving in, it is worth checking the route: the gate, the width of the passage, manholes, culverts and the place where the trailer will unload the machine.

Do I need a UDT licence for roofing work?

Yes. Operating a mobile elevating work platform requires a qualification certificate from the Office of Technical Inspection (UDT), whether the job lasts a day or a month. A roofing crew can be trained, or you can rent the machine with an operator, who either does the work from the platform or operates the machine for the roofers.

Knowledge base

Lift for roofing work: gutters, flashings, roof

Work on a roof from a lift instead of scaffolding: a rough terrain 4×4 articulating boom lift around the building, a telescopic boom at tall walls. How to work out eaves height and horizontal outreach, what to check before driving onto paving and why you do not step from the platform onto the roof.

Updated: 9 October 2026 · Published: 24 September 2026 · Author: RK Rental team

Replacing gutters and flashings, fitting soffits and panels and repairing roof covering: roofing work can be done from a cherry picker (aerial work platform, MEWP) instead of from scaffolding. The machine stands for a day, is repositioned around the building as the work progresses and needs no erecting or dismantling. The choice comes down to three things: what the machine will drive over, how high the eaves are and how far from the wall it has to stand.

A rough terrain articulating boom lift: the default choice for a roof

Around a building the ground is rarely a level hard standing: lawn, fresh soil after construction, paving, a narrow passage between the fence and the wall. That is why a rough terrain articulating boom lift 4×4 is most often chosen for roofing work. The jointed arm lets you lift the platform above the roof edge and position it over the roof slope, and the 4×4 drive copes with uneven ground. For tall buildings, or when the machine has to stand far from the wall, a telescopic boom lift with greater reach works better.

Eaves height and horizontal outreach

Working height is matched to the highest place of work (for work on the roof slope, the ridge; for gutters, just the eaves) increased by a margin, because the roofer works with their hands about 2 m above the platform floor. The second figure is horizontal outreach: if there are thuja hedges, a fence, a pergola or paving by the wall, the machine will stand further away and has to reach sideways with its arm, and the platform capacity falls at full reach. Both values are read from the load and reach chart of the specific machine.

Access, paving and space for the machine

A rough terrain lift weighs several tonnes, so before driving in you check the gate and the width of the passage, the load capacity of the paving and the drive, manholes and culverts, and the place where the trailer will unload the machine. Load-spreading plates are laid under the wheels and the feet of the outriggers. We have collected the full list of things to check before delivery in the article how to prepare the site for delivery of the machine.

Safety at the roof

Work from the platform, not stepping onto the roof — moving from the platform onto the roof is permitted only if the machine manual provides for it and fall protection has been arranged on both sides.
Harness and anchoring in the platform — mandatory on boom lifts; the anchor point is in the platform, not on the structure of the building.
Wind — for most platforms the limit is 12.5 m/s. On a roof there is also the sail effect when carrying sheet metal and panels, so in stronger gusts the work is stopped.
Overhead lines and the zone under the platform — a distance is kept from conductors, and the ground under the platform is fenced off, because tools and material can fall from above. More in the article on the rules of safe work at height.

Frequently asked questions

Which lift should I use for roofing work?: For work on the roof and at the eaves, a rough terrain articulating boom lift 4×4 is used most often: it stands on the ground around the building, and the jointed arm lets you lift the platform above the roof edge and work over the roof slope. For tall buildings and large distances from the wall, a telescopic boom lift works well. A rough terrain scissor lift is suitable where vertical access to the eaves from hard, level ground is enough.
Can you get onto the roof with a lift?: A lift is for working from the platform, not an elevator to the roof. Stepping from the platform onto the roof is permitted only if the machine manual provides for it and fall protection is provided on both sides; in practice this requires separate work organisation, anchor points and the consent of the site manager. As standard, the work is done from the platform.
Which lift should I use to replace gutters and flashings?: For gutters, soffits and flashings at the eaves, a machine whose working height is matched to the height of the eaves with a margin of about 2 m is usually enough. Horizontal outreach is often more important: around a house there are fences, thuja hedges and paving, so the machine cannot always stand right by the wall and has to reach sideways with its arm.
Will a lift damage the paving around the house?: A rough terrain machine weighs several tonnes, and the load is concentrated on the wheels and the feet of the outriggers. On paving, a drive and above services, load-spreading plates are laid down. Before driving in, it is worth checking the route: the gate, the width of the passage, manholes, culverts and the place where the trailer will unload the machine.
Do I need a UDT licence for roofing work?: Yes. Operating a mobile elevating work platform requires a qualification certificate from the Office of Technical Inspection (UDT), whether the job lasts a day or a month. A roofing crew can be trained, or you can rent the machine with an operator, who either does the work from the platform or operates the machine for the roofers.