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How We Saved Innovia Films a Five-Figure Scaffolding Bill

flagpole refurbishment without scaffolding

When Innovia Films needed their flagpoles fully refurbished, the location of the installation presented an immediate problem. The poles were mounted at the top of an eight-storey building, well beyond the reach of standard access equipment. The conventional solution would have been scaffolding. The quote for that scaffolding ran to a significant five-figure sum before a single component had been touched.

Hampshire Flag Company offered a different approach entirely.

The Challenge

Flagpoles mounted at the top of multi-storey buildings present one of the most common access challenges in commercial flagpole work. A mobile elevating work platform cannot reach that height safely. Erecting scaffold for a refurbishment job of this nature is technically possible but the cost is almost always disproportionate to the value of the flagpole work itself, which can make an otherwise straightforward refurbishment feel unaffordable.

Innovia Films needed the work done properly and needed a contractor who could solve the access problem without the ruinous scaffold cost.

Innovia flagpoles rooftop view

Our Approach

Our steeplejack-trained operatives laddered directly up the flagpoles to carry out the full refurbishment from height. Working from the poles themselves, the team fully stripped each pole back to bare material, removing all existing paintwork before repainting to a high finish. Alongside the cosmetic restoration, all worn components were replaced, corrosion was treated and the flag-flying mechanisms were fully restored to working order — all without scaffolding and in a fraction of the time that erecting and striking a scaffold structure would have required.

This is the kind of job where specialist access training pays for itself many times over. The work that needed doing was not especially complex. Getting to it safely and cost-effectively was the challenge, and steeplejack capability was the answer.

Innovia flagpoles on top of their building

The Outcome

Innovia Films received a set of fully refurbished and repainted flagpoles at a fraction of what the scaffolding quote alone would have cost. The saving compared to the scaffold route ran to a significant five-figure sum, a result that would not have been achievable without HFC’s specialist access capability.

For any building owner or facilities manager who has received a scaffolding quote that seems out of proportion to the flagpole work required, it is always worth contacting us first. In many cases we can access and complete the job for considerably less.

Hampshire Flag Company carries out flagpole refurbishment and servicing at height across the UK, including on multi-storey buildings, rooftops and other locations where standard access equipment cannot reach. Contact our team to discuss your requirements.

Innovia flagpoles rooftop view

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A 12 Metre Flagpole for Quintin Boat Club, Ready in Two Weeks

12 metre flagpole supply and installation

When Quintin Boat Club in Chiswick approached Hampshire Flag Company to supply and install a flagpole for their newly refurbished clubhouse, they needed a supplier who could move quickly, deliver on time and install to the standard that a prestigious riverside venue deserves. The 12 metre fibreglass flagpole was in the ground and flying within two weeks of the order being placed.

The Client

Quintin Boat Club is one of London’s leading rowing clubs, based on the north bank of the Thames at Chiswick. The club sits right at the finish line of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, one of the most iconic stretches of the Thames and a location steeped in rowing history. Following a full refurbishment of the clubhouse, the club wanted a flagpole that would complement the newly improved facilities and make a statement from the riverbank.

Quintin Boat Club Installed Flag & Flagpole

The Requirement

The brief called for a 12 metre ground-mounted fibreglass flagpole, installed as part of the wider clubhouse refurbishment project. The riverside location on the Thames presented some site-specific considerations: ground conditions near the riverbank required careful assessment and the installation needed to be carried out precisely to ensure the pole would perform reliably in the exposed conditions of a Thames riverside setting.

Timing was also a priority. With the refurbishment programme ongoing and the club keen to have the flagpole in place as part of the finished result, a fast turnaround from order to installation was essential.

Quintin Boat Club Flagpole base

Our Approach

Hampshire Flag Company’s in-house stock of fibreglass flagpoles means we are rarely waiting on suppliers. Operating from our 17,000 sq ft warehouse facility, we hold poles across the full range from 4 metres to 20 metres and above, alongside all the fittings and accessories needed for a complete installation. For Quintin Boat Club, this meant we could confirm availability, arrange a site visit and schedule the installation without any of the lead time delays that affect suppliers who do not hold their own stock.

The 12 metre fibreglass pole was installed ground-mounted to the correct specification for the riverside location, with the foundation depth and concrete mix suited to the site conditions. The full installation including pole, halyard system and fittings was completed to a high standard befitting the club’s profile and location.

 

Quintin Boat Club Installed Flag & Flagpole next to Hampshire Flag Van

The Outcome

From order to installation, the entire project was completed in under two weeks. The flagpole now stands at the finish line of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, flying above one of the most celebrated stretches of the Thames. Quintin Boat Club’s refurbished clubhouse has the finishing touch it deserved, delivered on time and to specification.

Our ability to move quickly comes directly from the stock depth we hold. If you need a flagpole installed to a tight timeline, speak to our team about what we have available. In most cases we can offer a faster turnaround than you might expect.

Hampshire Flag Company supplies and installs fibreglass and aluminium flagpoles from 4 metres to 20 metres and above across the UK and internationally. Contact our installations team to discuss your project and get a quotation.

 

 

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Bringing Bath Rugby Club’s Flagpoles Back to Life

Bath Rugby Club sky view

When Bath Rugby Club contacted Hampshire Flag Company in the summer of 2025, their flagpoles had been sitting dormant for the best part of a decade. The poles at the Recreation Ground had fallen into disuse and, after years of neglect, required a full professional service and restoration before they could fly again. It was a straightforward brief on paper. Getting to the poles safely was anything but.

The Challenge

The flagpoles at the Rec are mounted on the stadium roof, which immediately ruled out the most obvious access solution. Bringing a standard access platform to bear on a rooftop installation of this kind was not a practical option, and for most contractors the combination of height and location would have been the end of the conversation.

For Hampshire Flag Company, it was simply a matter of using the right access method for the job.

Bath Ruby Club Poles before HFC servicing

Our Approach

Our steeplejack-trained operatives accessed the flagpoles by laddering directly up the poles themselves, carrying out the full service from height without any need for additional access infrastructure. Working this way, we were able to inspect every component, replace worn parts and restore the poles to full working order efficiently and safely.

The service covered a full structural inspection of each pole and its fittings, halyard examination and replacement where required, pulley and truck servicing, corrosion treatment and a complete operational test of each flag-flying mechanism. After years out of service, each pole needed careful attention to bring it back to the standard expected at a ground of Bath Rugby’s standing.

Bath Ruby club’s re-threaded flagpole 

The Outcome

The flagpoles at the Recreation Ground were restored to full working order in August 2025, flying once again for the first time in almost a decade. The pitch was left completely undisturbed throughout the process and the work was completed in a single visit.

Hampshire Flag Company provides flagpole servicing for sports grounds, stadia and leisure venues across the UK. Whether your poles are rooftop, at height or in any other difficult location, our combination of IPAF-trained operatives and specialist access capability means we can reach them safely and get them flying again.

Bath rugby club’s newly installed cleat and halyard

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A New Flagpole for St Edward’s Church Without Disturbing the Churchyard

A New Flagpole for St Edward's Church

Installing a new flagpole on a church building sounds like a routine job. At St Edward’s Church in Moreton-in-Marsh, the combination of the building’s height and the surrounding churchyard made it anything but. Hampshire Flag Company installed the new wall-mounted flagpole in December 2025 using rope access techniques, completing the job without a single vehicle entering the grounds.

The Challenge

Churches present a recurring access challenge that is not found elsewhere. The desired flagpole position was high on the church tower, well beyond safe reach from the ground. The obvious solution for any access contractor would be a cherry picker. The equally obvious problem was the churchyard.

Driving a cherry picker through a churchyard is simply not something a church would permit, and rightly so. A scaffold structure large enough to reach the desired flagpole position would have been expensive, time-consuming to erect and highly disruptive to the church and its visitors. The job needed a different approach.

Our Approach

Hampshire Flag Company used rope access techniques to reach the desired flagpole position and carry out the installation. Our operatives worked from height to fix the bracket securely to the church tower and complete the full installation, including the pole, halyard system and fittings, without any ground-level vehicle movement and without disturbing the churchyard in any way.

Rope access is particularly well suited to church buildings and heritage sites precisely because it requires no ground-level infrastructure. There are no vehicles, no scaffold tubes, no base plates and no disruption to the surrounding environment. The operatives reach the work face and carry out the job, and when they are done the site looks exactly as it did before they arrived.

The Outcome

St Edward’s Church now has a new wall-mounted flagpole flying proudly from the tower, installed in December 2025. The churchyard was undisturbed throughout the process and the installation was completed cleanly and efficiently.

We carry out flagpole installations at churches and historic buildings regularly and understand the sensitivities involved. If you have been told that a flagpole installation at your church is not possible due to access, it is worth speaking to us before accepting that answer.

Hampshire Flag Company installs flagpoles at churches, heritage buildings and any site where conventional access methods are impractical. Our rope access capability means we can reach positions that defeat standard contractors, without the cost and disruption of scaffolding. Contact our team to discuss your project.

A New Flagpole for St Edward's Church

St. Edwards Church flagpole service site.

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