Film crew hire/Edinburgh/Set builders
Hire set builders in Edinburgh. Walls, floors and fronts, built, painted, shot, and gone by morning.
Set builders, carpenters and scenic painters for adverts, music videos, brand films and drama across Edinburgh and the Lothians. They build to the art director’s drawings in a workshop or on a stage in Leith, paint it, and strike it at wrap. From £341 a day per builder, paid in full.
- 54 five-star Google reviews
- 2 hrs for our team to read your brief, in working hours
- £10m employers’ liability on every crew member we book
- 2,800+ freelance crew on our books, across the UK
Photos: Ali Mkumbwa, Ryno Marais, Callum Hill and Adam Wilson
The role
What set builders do on your shoot
Set builders make the parts of the world the location can’t give you: walls with windows in the right place, a shop counter, a stage, a room that comes apart so the camera can get in. Carpenters build it, scenic painters age and finish it, and the same team takes it down and clears the stage.
A set build runs in four stages: design, construction, dressing and strike. The art director designs it, the builders make it, the dressers fill it, and everyone helps clear it.
In Edinburgh the build goes up on a hired stage, from a smaller studio for a product set to the stages at FirstStage in Leith, or on location under the council’s Code of Practice for Filming, which wants scaffolding, staging and lighting towers on the street agreed four weeks ahead (checked October 2026). We’re a crew agency with 2,800+ freelance crew on our books across the UK, so we can scale from one carpenter for a day to a construction crew for a fortnight. Builders who live in or near Edinburgh come first; when the build or the date needs someone else, they come from elsewhere in Scotland (Glasgow is about 45 minutes by train), the north of England or London, with the travel on the quote before anything is booked.
- Built to drawings. Dimensions, finishes and camera positions agreed with the art director first.
- Made to move. Wild walls and flying pieces, so the camera and the lights can get in.
- Finished for camera. Paint, ageing and textures that hold up at 4K.
- Struck and gone. The stage or location cleared, and waste taken away.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
Per builder, per day
- An 11-hour day per builder, including an hour for lunch
- Building to the art director’s drawings
- Painting and finishing
- Wild walls and flying pieces where needed
- A standby carpenter on the shoot day, if booked
- The strike, and the space cleared
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- Materials, at cost
- Workshop space, transport and waste disposal
- A cherry picker on the street, £63 a day per location, or a crane, £126 a day, plus VAT through Film Edinburgh (checked October 2026)
- The stage, and any repaint the studio charges for
- Travel from outside Edinburgh, and mileage and parking where the day needs them, at cost
How our rates work, and the two ways to book: crew rates in Edinburgh.
Two ways to book
Crew hire or full production: who’s the producer of record?
One question sets the price: who’s the producer of record? Book builders for your own Edinburgh production, or have us take the whole film on.
Crew hire
You run the shoot.
10% + 2% booking fee and insurance, on everything we book for you: crew, kit and travel.
We do
- Find, book and brief the crew, and pay them
- Book kit, travel and hotels too, if you want them
- Send the full price before anything is booked
- One person to call all day
- Employers’ liability for the crew we book, and insurance on kit we hire in
You do
- Run the shoot, or your producer does
- The plan, the schedule and the call sheet
- The location, its permission and its public liability
- Responsibility for the production: you’re the producer of record
What the 2% insures: employers’ liability for every crew member we book, and the kit we hire in for you. Nothing else on the shoot. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote.
Full production
We’re the producer of record.
15% + 5% production fee, plus insurance and contingency, on the whole production budget. Quoted as a production.
We do
- Our producer plans it with you and runs the day
- Locations, permits, kit, studio, travel and hotels, booked and paid in our name
- Insurance for the whole shoot, public liability included, plus the risk assessment and the call sheet
- One contract and one invoice, so overseas teams need no UK company
You do
- The creative calls
- Signing off the plan and the budget
What the 5% pays for: our production insurance across the whole shoot, £10m public liability included, and the contingency.
Not sure which you need? If your own producer or director will run the day, it’s crew hire. If you want us to take the production on, it’s a full production quote.
On the day
A set build, from drawings to strike
A kitchen set for an advert, built in a workshop and stood up on a hired stage in the city. Days are an example; the schedule sets the real ones.
- Week 1 Drawings The art director’s plans agreed: the room, the window, the walls that come out for the camera, and what fits in the van and through the studio doors.
- Day 1 Workshop Flats and units built in the workshop, the window frame made to size, everything numbered for the load-in.
- Day 2 Load in Pieces driven across the city on a tail-lift van that meets the Low Emission Zone, then stood up, braced and fixed on the stage.
- Day 3 Paint The scenic painter’s base coats, then the ageing: a kitchen that has been lived in.
- Day 4 Dress The dressers fill it; the builders hang the doors and fix what the camera finds.
- Shoot Standby A standby carpenter on set to pull a wall, fix a hinge or make a quick change.
- Strike Clear Everything down and out, materials recycled where they can be, the stage handed back as the studio wants it.
Which kind
Which construction crew do you need?
The team grows with the build. Card rates are per person, per 11-hour day.
Carpenter Builds the set Card £341–512
Builds flats, platforms, units and pieces, from the workshop to the stage.
Best for any set build, from a single wall to a room.
Master carpenter Runs the build Quoted on the brief
Runs the carpenters, solves the tricky pieces and signs off what’s safe.
Best on builds of more than a couple of days.
Scenic painter Paint, ageing and finishes Quoted on the brief
Paints and ages the set: wood, plaster, metal and dirt, all convincing on camera.
Best when the set has to look old, used or expensive.
Standby carpenter On set on the day From £341 a day
Stays with the set during the shoot to move walls, fix things and make changes.
Best on any built set.
Props, models and effects Specialist workshops Quoted on the brief
Models, miniatures, moulded props and physical effects such as fire, smoke and weather, made by a specialist workshop.
Best when the set needs something no carpenter would make. On an Edinburgh location, the filming code puts every special effect under a JIGS-graded supervisor, with the council, Police Scotland and the emergency services consulted first.
Construction manager Big builds Quoted on the brief
Plans and runs the construction department, the budget and the workshop on large builds.
Best for drama and big adverts.
What it’s for
What people book set builders for in Edinburgh
Adverts
A kitchen, a shop or a living room built on a hired stage, with walls that come out for the camera and the lights.
Music videos
A look built in a warehouse in Leith, or pieces in front of a green screen.
Conferences and exhibitions
Stages, sets and backdrops at the EICC, from the revolving Pentland Auditorium to the Lennox Suite, built for the cameras as well as the room.
Drama
Fronts, rooms and period pieces, in a city whose stages at FirstStage Studios in Leith have hosted The Rig, Anansi Boys and Department Q.
Locations that need help
A false wall in a New Town office, a fake window, or a shop front over a real one on Victoria Street, with the owner’s permission.
Recent work
How we crew a build in Edinburgh
How we crew it · Edinburgh
Building on a stage in Leith
FirstStage Studios, on Bath Road in Leith, has over 100,000 sq ft of shooting space across five stages up to 25 metres high, a 60-tonne gantry crane across Stage B and a 25-metre pit that can work as a tank (Film Edinburgh, checked October 2026). Smaller studios are hired by the day for product and interview sets. Before a build is drawn, we ask the studio for its load-in times, door sizes and floor rules, and whether anything needs a repaint after. Anything it charges goes on the quote as its own line. More on film studios in Edinburgh.
How we crew it · Edinburgh
Building on an Edinburgh street
On location, the paperwork sets the schedule. Edinburgh’s Code of Practice for Filming wants scaffolding, staging and lighting towers on the street agreed with the council four weeks ahead, on a temporary structure permit. Film Edinburgh charges £63 a day per location for a cherry picker, £126 a day for a crane and £158 for hoarding, plus VAT, and a road closure of under five days needs two weeks’ notice and £675 (checked October 2026). Sets are built to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the owner hears about the build first, and everything comes out at wrap, with the place put back as it was.
Before you book
Things to know
Planning
- A build needs drawings and a schedule: tell us the shoot date and work back.
- Load-in times at the stage, and the van’s height and weight, agreed before the build starts.
- Edinburgh’s Low Emission Zone has no daily charge: a van below Euro 6 diesel or Euro 4 petrol is sent a £60 penalty, so we only book vans that meet it (checked October 2026).
Building on location
- Private property: the owner’s consent first.
- On the street: scaffolding, staging and lighting towers need the council’s temporary structure permit, with four weeks’ notice (checked October 2026).
- Closing the road for the build: under five days, two weeks’ notice and £675 plus VAT; five days or more, at least ten weeks (checked October 2026).
Paying and changes
- Nothing to pay until you confirm the builders.
- 50% by card when you book, 50% on receipt of the final rushes.
- Every line on the quote: day rate, booking fee, kit, travel.
- Cancellation terms are on every quote.
What our insurance covers
- Employers’ liability for the builders we book: £10m.
- Kit we hire in for you is insured. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote.
- Nothing else on a crew hire. Public liability, the location and your own kit stay with you, and your venue will want your certificate. When we’re the producer of record, our policy covers the shoot.
- Film Edinburgh asks for at least £10m public liability on every application, with a risk assessment where the shoot needs one.
£341 a day
APA/Bectu card: £341–512 a day, carpenter to master carpenter.
| Per builder, 11 hours | £341 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £34.10 |
| Insurance, 2% | £6.82 |
| One builder, one day, before materials | £381.92 + VAT |
The 2% is employers’ liability for the builders we book, and cover on kit we hire in. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the build.
- 50% by card at booking, 50% on the final rushes
- Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours
- Every line on the quote before anything is booked
Or call us on 07412 543822.
Reviews
What clients say about our crews
Straight from our Google Business Profile.
Book set builders in Edinburgh.
Tell us what needs building, where, and when it has to be ready. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Check availability
The whole crew
Every role in Edinburgh, booked the same way
One brief, one quote, every role on its own line. Our day rates in Edinburgh, paid to the crew member in full:
Production 06
- Director From £500
- Producer From £450
- Production manager £504–627
- 2nd AD £355–448
- Production assistant £400
- Runner £245
Camera 07
- DOP From £850
- Camera operator £529–656
- Focus puller £461–575
- Clapper loader £355–448
- Steadicam operator From £950
- Gimbal operator £529–656
- Drone operator From £750
Data and playback 02
- DIT £527
- Video playback £334–518
Sound 01
- Sound recordist £550
Hair, make-up and costume 02
- Hair and make-up £398
- Costume £519–694
Art department 02
- Art director £675–878
- Set builders This page £341–512
Post-production 01
- Editor From £350
How our rates work: crew rates in Edinburgh. Or start from a set-up: interview crews and units in Edinburgh.
Production support
Everything around the crew
A build needs a stage, materials, a van and sometimes a permit for the street, so here’s how each works in Edinburgh.
01
Kit rental
Kit houses in Leith and out towards the airport, the crew’s own kit, and what comes from Glasgow or London.
02
Locations and permits
Film Edinburgh, Historic Environment Scotland, Waverley, the kirkyards, the trams and the drone rules.
03
Studios and set builds
FirstStage in Leith, smaller studios for interviews and product, and set builds.
Questions
Hiring set builders in Edinburgh: questions
How much does a set build cost in Edinburgh?
It depends on the build. Builders are priced per person per day, at £341–512 on the APA/Bectu card from carpenter to master carpenter, paid in full; materials, workshop and waste are at cost. Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance go on top. A simple wall can be a day for two; a room set, a week for a team. Our rates are national, so Edinburgh builders cost the same through us as anywhere else, and anything Film Edinburgh charges for the street goes on at cost.
What does the insurance on a crew booking cover?
Two things. Employers’ liability for every crew member we book, up to £10m, and insurance on the kit we hire in for you. That’s what the 2% pays for. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote. The 2% doesn’t insure the rest of the shoot: public liability, the location, your own kit and anything you book yourself stay with you, because you’re the producer of record. If you’d rather we were, it’s quoted as a full production, and our insurance covers the whole shoot, public liability included.
Do I need an art director as well?
Yes, for anything more than a simple piece: the art director designs it and draws it, the builders build it.
Where can we build a set in Edinburgh?
On a hired stage, or on location with permission. FirstStage Studios, on Bath Road in Leith, has hosted The Rig, Anansi Boys and Department Q: over 100,000 sq ft of shooting space across five stages up to 25 metres high, a 60-tonne gantry crane across Stage B, and a 25-metre pit that can work as a tank (Film Edinburgh, checked October 2026). For product and interview sets, smaller studios are hired by the day. Ask the studio about load-in and its floor before the build is drawn. See film studios in Edinburgh.
Can you build on an Edinburgh street?
With permission, yes. On private property the owner says yes first. On council land, scaffolding, staging and lighting towers need the council’s temporary structure permit, with four weeks’ notice, and Film Edinburgh charges £63 a day per location for a cherry picker and £158 for hoarding, plus VAT (checked October 2026). The Old Town, the New Town and Leith are conservation areas, where the filming code warns of added restrictions. Pieces fix without damage and come out cleanly at wrap.
Can the build use fire, smoke or other effects?
Yes, with a specialist and notice. Edinburgh’s filming code puts every physical, atmospheric or pyrotechnic effect under the direct supervision of a JIGS-graded effects supervisor, or someone of similar experience, with a risk assessment and method statement, the council, Police Scotland and the emergency services consulted in advance, and the neighbours told. Rain, snow, mist or a wet-down on location also needs the location’s approval, after a look at the forecast (checked October 2026).
How far ahead should I book a set build?
Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours, and the build sets the rest: a small build needs about a week from drawings to shoot, a room set two or three. On location, add the council’s notice: four weeks for scaffolding, staging or a lighting tower, two weeks for a road closure of under five days, and ten weeks for a longer one (checked October 2026).
Are your set builders from Edinburgh?
We book builders and scenic painters who live in or near Edinburgh first. We’re a crew agency with 2,800+ freelance crew on our books across the UK, so for a bigger build, a specialist or a date when the local crews are booked, they come from elsewhere in Scotland, the north of England or London, with the travel on the quote before anything is booked. Our base is London, at 124 City Road, with bases in Manchester, Bristol and Cornwall.