How to Make DIY Scaffold Board Shelves (Step-by-Step Guide)

DIY scaffold board shelves are one of the easiest ways to add rustic character to a kitchen or living space. Using reclaimed scaffold boards and steel brackets, you can create strong, beautiful shelving that looks far more expensive than it costs to build.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to make scaffold board shelves, prepare reclaimed boards, and install them securely on your wall.

Where to Buy Scaffold Boards for Shelves

Reclaimed Boards

Using reclaimed boards for a project like this is a great option as they are easy to source and cost far less than new boards. They also hold a lot of rustic charm, which showcases the dents and stains from years of use on a building site. You can pick these types of boards up from a local scaffold company or shop around on eBay for a local supplier. Expect to pay about £15 for a 3m board.

New Scaffold Boards

New boards can be found in most builders’ yards, including Travis Perkins, Jewsons and Wickes. I find Travis Perkins to stock the best prices. B&Q also sell scaffold boards, but I find their pricing to be unreasonably high. You should be paying around £30 for a 3m board (2026).

Tools Required for this Project

For this project I’ve used a basic list of tools:

• Laser Level
• Dewalt GG107 18v Combi Drill
• Drill Bit Set
• Dewalt Circular Saw
• Roofers Square
• Tape Measure
• Pencil
• Bosch Truvo Detector

Materials Required to Install a Rustic Industrial Shelf

Here’s a list of materials I’ve used to complete this beautiful rustic shelving

• Scaffold Boards – 3m x2
• White Metal Powder Coated Brackets x 6
• 80mm concrete/brick wall plug x 12
• 30mm Wood Screws x 12

I purchased my brackets here on Amazon, but you can also find them on eBay and Etsy Marketplace.

The type of wall plug or anchor will depend on the type of wall you are securing the brackets to. The weight of the items placed on the shelving will also dictate the type of fixings used.

For a solid brick wall, I’d recommend something like a 50mm or 80mm concrete/brick wall plug.

For a dot and dab plasterboard wall, I’d suggest a 100mm plug and screw.

For a hollow plasterboard wall, I’d suggest a metal cavity anchor screw.

How to Prepare Scaffold Boards for Shelving

Removing the Metal End Bands

The first job will be to remove the metal bands from the end of the boards. To do this, simply pry them off with a large flathead screwdriver. A chisel will also do the trick.

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Cutting the Boards to Size

I then cut each board to the correct length using my circular saw. I used a roofing square to achieve a perfect 90-degree angle cut. You can also use a mitre saw or hand saw to cut the boards.

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Sanding the Scaffold Boards

Sanding the boards is essential to remove any splintered wood and leftover materials on reclaimed boards. I’ve used a 125mm random orbital sander with a variety of grits from 80-250 to get the best finish. Starting with an 80-grit paper I removed any heavy stains and rough parts of the board. I then moved to a 120-grit to further smooth over the boards, whilst paying close attention to edges. A final sand with a 250-grit sandpaper help leave an ultra-smooth finish rad for painting or staining.

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Staining or Finishing the Boards

Staining the boards is the final job before installation. I’ve used a Ronseal interior varnish, which helps protect the board and creates a lovely matching colour to our wooden worktops. I opted for a medium oak varnish, which you can find here: Ronseal Medium Oak Varnish.

How to Install Scaffold Board Shelf Brackets

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to installing the scaffold boards once they have been prepared. Before you start, you’ll need to know what type of wall you have, the best fixings for the wall and understand how far apart to place the brackets.

How Far Apart Should Shelf Brackets Be?

Getting the spacing of your shelf brackets correct is important, especially when working with heavy items like plates and other kitchenware. If brackets are placed too far apart, the shelf can begin to sag over time.

A good general rule is to place shelf brackets between 800mm and 1200mm apart, depending on the thickness and length of the board. Because scaffold boards are typically around 38mm thick and very strong, they can span a larger distance than most standard shelving materials.

Mine are spaced 1130mm apart for this project, which provides a strong shelf for all the heavy items you can see. I’ve used strong steel brackets and solid brick wall fixings.

For my installation, I used three brackets for each 3-metre scaffold board. One bracket was positioned in the centre of the board, with the outer brackets mounted approximately 100mm in from each end of the shelf. This provides strong support while keeping the brackets evenly spaced along the wall.

If you plan to store heavier items such as plates, cookware or jars on your shelves, it’s always a good idea to add an extra bracket for additional support. Solid walls with proper fixings will also help ensure the shelves remain strong and secure.

Taking a few extra minutes to measure your bracket spacing carefully will make sure the finished shelves are level, sturdy and built to last.

Step One. Measuring and Marking the Wall

I started by measuring the wall and finding the centre point. I lightly marked the wall with a pencil to mark where the centre bracket will be mounted. The bracket holes are exactly 100mm apart, so it was easy to find the two hole centres.

Using my tripod and Laser Level, I aligned the horizontal laser line to the bottom hole. The vertical line was set on the centre point for the middle bracket. I set the laser level to auto level, which is a great feature of this laser level. This pendulum feature makes it quick and easy to find perfectly horizontal and vertical lines anywhere on a wall.

This would allow me to easily mark each bracket drill point, ensuring each bracket is perfectly aligned horizontally. It also makes it simple to find the next bracket holes above and to each side.

My boards are three meters long, so each end bracket will need to be mounted 100mm from the end of the scaffold boards. Therefore, I measured along the laser level line 1400mm to find the centre point for the left and right brackets.

I repeated this process for the upper shelf by adjusting the height of the laser level and marking on the wall with a pencil.

Step Two. Drilling Holes in the Wall

Before I started any drilling, I checked that the wall didn’t have any wires or pipework inside. I used a Bosch Truvo digital detector for this purpose. Luckily, I did as I discovered some electrical wiring in the wall and had to adjust my left-hand bracket by 30mm.

Using a 6mm masonry drill bit and my Dewalt hammer action drill, I drilled all the marked holes. Read here about how to use a hammer action drill properly. Some of the wall was solid, which meant some different fixings were required. For the solid part of the wall, I drilled a hole that was approximately 40mm deep so that I could insert red rawl plugs.

For the hollow parts of the wall, I used an Easyfix Hollow Wall Anchor. These will ensure a strong hold for these heavy shelves.

Step Three. Fixing the Brackets

Fixing the brackets is easy once the wall fixings have been installed into the wall. But before I do this I want to ensure all the fixings are aligned correctly. One more check with the laser level and we’re good to go.

Simply hold the bracket in place and insert the top screw first. Don’t tighten just yet. Now insert the bottom screw and tighten both screws, ensuring the bracket is straight with the laser level.

Attach each bracket one by one. For the perfect finish, you could opt to spray the screw head white. (Or the same colour as the brackets you have chosen).

How to Fit the Scaffold Board Shelf

The final stage of this project is to install the wooden shelf. Simply place the board onto the bracket and align them so that they both sit equally and centrally on the wall. You can use the laser level again to ensure everything is perfectly level and aligned.

Now we can secure the boards to the brackets using 30mm wood screws into the underside of the bracket and shelf.

How Much Weight Can Scaffold Board Shelves Hold?

I’ve worked with scaffold boards for many different projects, including shelving, tables, desk and benches. They are designed to take extensive weight, so it’s not the board that concerns me; it’s the brackets and fixings that really matter. A standard scaffold board is usually around 38mm thick and 225mm wide, meaning it can support a significant amount of weight when properly installed.

The amount of weight your scaffold board shelves can hold will largely depend on how far apart the brackets are spaced and the type of wall fixings used. When brackets are securely fixed into solid masonry or strong cavity wall anchors and spaced correctly, scaffold board shelves can comfortably support everyday kitchen items such as plates, jars, cookbooks and small appliances.

In my example project above, I’ve used a typical 3 metre scaffold board. I’ve placed three well-spaced steel brackets that will provide more than enough support for normal household storage. If you plan to store particularly heavy items, adding an extra bracket or reducing the spacing between brackets will help distribute the load more evenly and prevent any sagging over time.

As with any wall shelving project, ensuring the brackets are properly fixed into the wall to create a strong and long-lasting shelf.

Final Thoughts on Installing Scaffold Board Shelves

Overall this turned out to be a really satisfying little project. The shelves tie in nicely with the wooden worktops and give the kitchen a much warmer feel compared to standard off-the-shelf shelving. Scaffold boards work particularly well for this sort of job because they’re thick, sturdy and full of character. The reclaimed boards especially have all the dents and markings from years of use, which adds to the rustic look once they’ve been sanded and finished.

Preparing the boards probably takes the most time, especially if you’re working with reclaimed timber. Removing the metal end bands, sanding everything smooth and applying a good varnish makes a big difference to the final result. Once that part is done though, the actual installation is fairly straightforward.

One thing that really helped during this build was using the laser level. Trying to line up multiple brackets by eye can be frustrating, particularly when you’re working with long boards. The LG-30x made it very easy to mark everything out so each bracket lined up perfectly across the wall.

In total the project only took a few hours to complete, but the end result looks like something that would cost a lot more if you bought it ready-made. The shelves are strong, practical and add plenty of character to the kitchen.

If you’ve got a spare wall and like the industrial or rustic style, scaffold board shelves are definitely a project worth trying.