How to choose a formwork stripping contractor

Ask how long the crew has been stripping formwork and on which systems. Experienced strippers move faster, damage less formwork and leave a cleaner deck. A crew that has worked on similar buildings to yours will understand the sequence and the pitfalls.

White cards and site inductions are the baseline. Ask for their safe work method statement (SWMS) and how they handle working at height, working under props and around open edges. A contractor who can answer this clearly has thought about it.

Labour-only crews work under your supervision; a supervised crew comes with a leading hand who runs the shift and makes decisions on the spot. Match the supply to what your site actually needs — a supervised crew suits a busy programme, labour-only suits a job you are already running.

Confirm exactly what is being stripped — slabs, walls, columns, cores, beams, edge form — and the formwork system. A crew that understands the scope quotes accurately and hits the programme; a vague scope is where delays and extras come from.

Agree where stripped props, panels, formply and timber will go, and whether materials are re-used on site or returned. Clear stacking keeps the deck clear and stops the next trade waiting on a heap of formwork that is in the way.

Stripping should include de-nailing, sorting and cleaning down the soffit. Confirm clean-up is in the scope so the deck is handed back ready for the next trade — not left for someone else to finish.

Share your pour dates and sequence. A good stripping crew strikes to your programme, not theirs, so curing times and pour dates hold. Ask how they handle short-notice changes and whether weekend or night shifts are available.

Ask for a quote that sets out the area or quantity, the crew size, the duration and the price. The more detail you give up front — plans, system, area, dates — the faster and more accurate the quote. Be wary of a price with no scope behind it.