Nest box installation

[Cally Smith Huntly & District Swift Group]

Hi all

Wondering who people are getting to install their nest boxes?  I used to have insurance for one of our guys but it has now risen to over £400 and that's only to cover 3.5 mtr height.  Basically i am stuck!  

I guess asking a local friendly man and a ladder or getting funding to cover a qualified person at their hourly rate are the only options unless i can find an insurance company to cover what's required.

Grateful for ideas!

Cally

[Zoe Crossley]

Hi Cally,

I use chap who installs cctc and tv aerials. Fully insured for ladder work and to drill into peoples properties. Hope that helps.

Zoe 

Framlingham swifts 

On 28 Mar 2026, at 11:48, Cally Smith Huntly & District Swift Group <huntlysw...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi all

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[Machynlleth & District Swift Group]

Hi Cally,

Find yourself a nice man like me to put them up! It’s a job not many like doing. It’s a risky business. I haven’t got insurance. What we all need is a rich benefactor who will buy us a cherry picker!

An ideal person would be a retired builder or similar. Good luck.

Elfyn

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[Dick Newell]

We have used a scaffold tower on a number of occasions

e.g here and here.

More expensive than a ladder, but nowhere near the cost of a cherry picker.

I don't know what insurance costs would be, but they are inherently safer than a ladder. Could be a sensible option for a group putting up a lot of nest boxes.

Dick

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[Gill Stacey]

Hi Cally

We use an aerial installer. He’s put up lots of boxes for us now. He’s also got insurance and long ladders. Photo of Peak boxes going up on a local chapel in 2024. Swifts were checking them out in the first year!

Gill

Stroud Swift Group

[Cally Smith Huntly & District Swift Group]

Excellent idea Zoe thank you!

Cally

[Cally Smith Huntly & District Swift Group]

Thanks Dick yes a better option by far.  They can be moved along too i think.  

Cally

[Cally Smith Huntly & District Swift Group]

Thanks Gill i need this chap!!  Thats a very high one indeed!  I will see if i can find such a chap :)

Best wishes

Cally

[Swifts (SOS)]

Hi Cally

Our project here doesn’t install nest boxes, no ladder work at all for this very reason. 

We provide the free surveys and guidance and can supply the nest boxes too. We then suggest a number of installers they can ask to install for a small fee if they’re not fitting themselves. 

We have chimney sweeps, a window cleaner, painter decorators, tree surgeon and an aerial chap amongst the DIY handy folk we can recommend, people who work with ladders and have their own insurance. 

Very best of luck

Eddie

SuffolkBirdGroup.org

On 28 Mar 2026, at 12:14, Machynlleth & District Swift Group <machs...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Cally Smith]

That's a good idea Eddie and a great alternative thank you!  

Cally

Cally Smith 

Founder of NES Swifts (formerly Huntly Swift Group)

T: 07411 808 573
E: huntlysw...@gmail.com
Facebook/huntlyswiftgroup | Instagram/huntlyswiftgroup

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[Heidi Collishaw]

Evening Cally,

Might it be worth asking your local fire station staff if they'd like to help? Could be a useful publicity event for both parties! 

Heidi

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[amboyce...@gmail.com]

Hi Cally

Our paid installers are a landscape gardener/handyman and an electrician. They have public liability insurance, and as a requirement of the grant funding we received, we had to provide a copy of the cert.

Best

Annie & Barry

banstea...@gmail.com 

[Cally Smith]

Many thanks Annie and Barry, i need to go find people!  Its probably easier to find someone once you have specific funding in place to pay them rather than finding people to just be there for odd installations as and when.

Thank you!

Cally

Cally Smith 

Founder of NES Swifts (formerly Huntly Swift Group)

T: 07411 808 573
E: huntlysw...@gmail.com
Facebook/huntlyswiftgroup | Instagram/huntlyswiftgroup

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[Cally Smith]

Hi Heidi That's a very good idea thank you.  I will approach them :)

Cally

Cally Smith 

Founder of NES Swifts (formerly Huntly Swift Group)

T: 07411 808 573
E: huntlysw...@gmail.com
Facebook/huntlyswiftgroup | Instagram/huntlyswiftgroup

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