Brooklyn Sidewalk Shed and Scaffolding builds pipe scaffolding on site, tube by tube, to fit the wall in front of it, and rents it in all five boroughs.
Most people say pipe scaffolding, and the trade says tube and coupler. They mean the same thing: steel tube that the crew clamps together on site, one joint at a time. We set posts on base plates, tie them together with runners and bearers, brace the whole structure, then lay planks and rails on top. Prefab frames go up faster, but they come in fixed sizes. We build it to whatever the wall needs.
Posts stand upright. Runners tie them together along the wall, and bearers cross between them to carry the planks. A coupler clamps any two tubes where they meet, square or at an angle, so a joint can go wherever the wall calls for one. Diagonal bracing stops the frame from racking, and ties anchor it back to the building. OSHA’s fact sheet on tube and coupler scaffolds says they suit heavy loads and platforms that reach several stories, and it calls them the preferred option where a building’s shape is irregular. OSHA also requires a competent person to supervise every build.
Tell us how many feet, where and for how long, and we quote delivery through pickup.
Pipe earns its place when the building refuses a straight line. Frame scaffolding is the simpler choice when it doesn’t.
| What the building looks like | The system that usually fits |
|---|---|
| Setbacks, bay windows, cornices or projections | Pipe |
| Fire escapes or an odd footprint | Pipe |
| Heavy loads or many working levels | Pipe |
| A flat, straight wall on a low- or mid-rise | Frame |
| Work that hangs from the roof the full height | Suspended |
A site survey makes the final call. If you can’t tell which one your facade needs, send photos and we’ll say. See our other scaffold types for the full range.
You deal with the same people from the site visit to the day it comes down.
Renting it for your own crew instead? Our rental page covers how that works.
DOB requirements determine which permits and filings apply. OSHA sets federal construction safety requirements for scaffold erection and use.
A supported scaffold over 40 feet requires a DOB permit, with filings submitted through DOB NOW: Build. Sidewalk sheds require a separate permit regardless of height.
DOB measures scaffold height from its supporting surface. A sidewalk shed or other temporary equipment counts toward the height, while a scaffold starting on a roof or setback is measured from that level.
29 CFR 1926.452(b) has the rules for tube and coupler. A registered professional engineer has to design any tube and coupler scaffold over 125 feet. Couplers must be structural metal, and OSHA bans gray cast iron. The scaffold needs X-bracing across its width, diagonal bracing along its length, and ties back to the building at the bearer levels.
Near 40 feet or past it? Send the height and your start date, and we’ll tell you whether you need a permit.
Two jobs you can look up by address: a scaffolding rental on the 2400 block of Cambreleng Avenue in the Bronx in 2021, and a scaffold installation at 2 Park Avenue in Manhattan in 2025. Read about the Cambreleng Avenue job and the 2 Park Avenue job.
A scaffold often stands on a sidewalk shed, because people still need to walk underneath. When the work spills into the street, we set barriers between traffic and your crew, and a fence around the lot gives your trades somewhere safe to stage materials. We build all of it, so you only call one company.
Here’s what Brooklyn Sidewalk Shed and Scaffolding brings to the job:
Call us with the address, or send a few photos and your start date. We’ll assess the facade, recommend a suitable scaffold system and outline the next steps.
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