Upright Scaffolding is a family-owned scaffolding company based in Wigram, Christchurch, that has been operating since 1949 — over 70 years serving the Christchurch area. The company positions safety and professionalism as its key values, alongside a focus on excellent customer service and finding the right scaffolding product for each client's needs.
Upright works across a broad range of sectors, including commercial, industrial, infrastructure, marine, oil and gas, heritage, residential and events scaffolding. The company uses Layher scaffolding systems and has developed its own Upright Safe Site Process, combining teamwork, technology and communication to maintain a safe at-height environment for the duration of a project.
Upright's project history includes work on the Waimakariri Bridge, the NZOSL Nelson Tanks, Lyttelton Engineering Fortunui, St Patrick's in Akaroa, and the Wigram Air Force Museum. The company is also involved in the local community, having partnered with Upstream, a nonprofit organisation supporting young Kiwis in need.
Upright Scaffolding has been part of Christchurch's construction landscape since 1949, making it a family-owned business with more than 70 years of history in the city. From its base in Wigram, the company has built its reputation on two core values: safety and professionalism, backed by what it describes as a commitment to excellent customer service and finding the right scaffolding product for every client's specific needs.
Under the tagline 'Partners at Height,' Upright frames itself as a company that simplifies a genuinely complex part of construction — getting the right crew and the right gear on site, on time. That philosophy is built around four focus areas the company highlights: solutions, support, compliance and safety, each aimed at making project delivery smoother for the trades working alongside Upright's scaffolders.
Upright's scaffolding work spans eight distinct sectors: commercial, industrial, infrastructure, marine, oil and gas, heritage, residential and events. That range reflects a company built to handle very different kinds of access challenges — from a straightforward residential job to the specialised demands of heritage buildings or marine environments. On the equipment side, Upright uses Layher scaffolding systems, a brand the company has specifically chosen for its productivity and reliability on site.
Upright has developed its own Upright Safe Site Process, which the company describes as combining teamwork, technology and seamless communication to maintain a safe at-height environment for the full duration of a project. Rather than treating safety as a one-off checklist, the process is built around ongoing monitoring and planning, giving clients confidence that a site stays safe from the first scaffold pole to the last.
Over the years, Upright's project list has grown to include some genuinely significant Christchurch and South Island landmarks. The company has worked on the Waimakariri Bridge, the NZOSL Nelson Tanks, Lyttelton Engineering Fortunui, St Patrick's Church in Akaroa, and the Wigram Air Force Museum, among other case studies the company has documented on its website. That spread of heritage buildings, industrial infrastructure and public landmarks speaks to the range of technical scaffolding challenges Upright has taken on.
Beyond project work, Upright has stayed connected to its local community, partnering with Upstream, a nonprofit organisation that supports young Kiwis in need. The company describes this partnership as one it's particularly proud of, citing Upstream's unique business model as part of the appeal. Upright has also looked inward at its own team's wellbeing, trialling new muscle recovery technology aimed at easing the physical strain that comes with scaffolding work — a role the company acknowledges as one of the more physically demanding trades on a construction site.
For anyone in Christchurch planning a project that needs scaffolding — whether it's a heritage restoration, an industrial site, or a large commercial build — Upright Scaffolding's Wigram base offers decades of local experience, a broad sector range, and a safety process built specifically around keeping people secure at height.