IPAF vs PASMA — which ticket actually pays off for roofers and scaffolders

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Two cards. Same wallet pocket. Different purposes — and a lot of working trades end up with both because nobody told them what each one actually authorises. We've watched a roofer turn up to a Tier 1 site with PASMA only and get sent home because the job was scissor-lift work. £190 down the drain for the day. So here's a clear breakdown for 2026.

What each card actually means

IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) certifies you to operate motorised access equipment — scissor lifts, boom lifts, cherry pickers, vertical mast lifts. The card you'll see is the PAL Card (Powered Access Licence). Valid five years, internationally recognised, with categories that name exactly which platform classes you're qualified to drive.

PASMA (Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers' Association) certifies you to assemble, alter, dismantle and inspect mobile aluminium towers. Different equipment entirely — you're building it, not driving it. Card lasts five years.

So the core test is: do you climb in and drive it up, or do you assemble it on the deck? Powered access = IPAF. Static or mobile tower = PASMA.

The course content — what you actually do

IPAF

A typical IPAF course is one day. Half theory, half practical. You'll cover machine selection, pre-use inspection, ground assessment, emergency descent procedure, and harness use on booms. The categories you'll encounter most:

• 1a — Static Vertical (scissor lifts on outriggers).
• 1b — Static Boom (truck-mounted booms, outrigger-stabilised).
• 3a — Mobile Vertical (scissor lifts, the most common rental).
• 3b — Mobile Boom (the orange Niftylift / JLG you see everywhere).

Most roofers and external contractors take 3a + 3b together — it's the same course day, same fee, and they cover 95% of what you'll be sent up in.

Cost: £200-£280 for the combined 3a/3b course, including the card. Half-day refresher is £120-£160.

PASMA

Also typically one day. Practical-heavy: you're literally building a mobile tower, working at the platform, dismantling. You'll cover stability calcs (tower height to base ratio), ground conditions, stabilisers, and the three-point hold rule. Course types:

• Towers for Users — the standard course, qualifies you to assemble/alter/dismantle and use towers up to working height limits.
• Towers on Stairs — extension for the stair scenarios, common for painters and decorators.
• Low-Level Access — separate course for podiums and low-level platforms.

Cost: £180-£240 for Towers for Users, including the card. Half-day refresher is £120-£150.

Which one pays better — the honest economics

The answer depends entirely on what you do. We'll go trade by trade.

Roofers

IPAF wins by a margin. Commercial roofing work — flat roofs on warehouses, schools, retail parks — is now overwhelmingly delivered from boom lifts and scissor lifts rather than scaffolding for short-duration jobs. Without IPAF 3a/3b you're shut out of about 60% of commercial repair callouts.

PASMA is still useful for chimney work, residential edge work, gable end repairs where a tower is cheaper than scaffold for two days. Get IPAF first, PASMA second.

Scaffolders

Neither, primarily — your main card is CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme). But if you do mobile tower fit-out alongside traditional scaffolding, PASMA pays. IPAF is occasionally useful if you're transporting scaffolders up to high-level access positions on big jobs.

Painters and decorators

PASMA wins. The mobile tower is the painter's natural habitat. Most commercial paint work — schools during summer break, retail unit fit-outs, factory ceiling repaints — uses towers because they're flexible and cheap. Add Towers on Stairs if you do residential exterior work.

IPAF only matters if you do industrial paint work (warehouse ceilings, structural steel painting). Worth it for that niche, otherwise no.

Electricians

Toss-up. Commercial fit-out electricians use scissor lifts almost daily for high-bay light fittings, cable tray work, smoke detector installs — IPAF earns its money fast. PASMA is the cheaper second card for one-off domestic exterior work.

Domestic-only sparkies? Neither, usually. A step ladder and a hop-up get you through 95% of residential ceiling work.

Cladding installers and external contractors

IPAF first, no question. Scissor lifts and boom lifts dominate cladding installation. Most agencies and Tier 1 contractors won't even read your CV without 3a/3b on it.

HVAC and ventilation

IPAF for the rooftop plant work, PASMA for indoor ductwork in commercial buildings. Both pay back fast.

The cost-vs-return numbers

Quick maths on three typical scenarios.

A roofer with no card: average day rate £180-£220, weather-dependent work, mostly residential. Adds IPAF 3a/3b at £260 cost. Within six months the card's typically generating £40-£60/day on commercial sites — about £8,000 extra income in year one for a working roofer who shifts even part-time to commercial.

A painter with PASMA: residential rate £160-£200, commercial £230-£280 with tower work. The PASMA card itself doesn't change the day rate, but it opens up the commercial pool. Most reckon £4,000-£7,000 of additional billable work per year for an active painter.

An electrician adding IPAF: opens up commercial fit-out subbie work. Day rates £240-£320 with the card vs £200-£260 without on commercial. Couple of grand extra per year minimum if you take even a third of your work commercial.

Refresher rules — don't lose the card to laziness

Both schemes require refresher training every five years to keep the card current. Miss the refresher window and you can't just take a shorter top-up — you do the full original course again. We've watched lads waste £400 on a re-do because they let the card lapse three months past expiry.

Set a calendar reminder for four months before expiry. Book the refresher in months 4-5 of year five, before expiry. Most training providers will renew the card on the spot.

Where to do the training

The big national providers (Boss Training, Layher, Total Access, IPAF themselves) are consistent and accept on-site delivery for groups of 6+. Local training centres are cheaper but check the trainer's own credentials before paying — there have been a couple of cowboy outfits selling 'training' that doesn't actually issue a recognised card. The card itself is issued by the federation, not the trainer, so verify on the IPAF or PASMA online checker before assuming you're certified.

Booking lead times in 2026 are running 2-6 weeks for the busy training centres. April-June and September-November are the peaks because of construction industry hiring cycles. Book January or July if you can — it's quieter and trainers often discount.

What to wear on the day

The trainer expects you to turn up in full PPE because half the day is practical. Bring:

• Safety boots (steel toe and midsole, EN ISO 20345 S3 minimum).
• Hi-vis vest or jacket — orange or yellow.
• Hard hat (some providers loan, but bring your own if you have one).
• Cut-resistant gloves — they'll lend if you forget but bring some cut-level gloves.
• A harness if you're doing 3b boom training — providers usually supply but check.

The summary, blunt version

For most roofers, cladders, external contractors, and commercial fit-out electricians — get IPAF first. For painters, decorators, and HVAC ductwork lads — get PASMA first. For scaffolders — get CISRS first, then think about whether you actually need either of these.

And if you're doing both motorised access AND tower work regularly, get both. £400-£500 of training for £10,000+ of extra commercial work in year one is the easiest return-on-investment most trades will see this year.