Compare base-pay scenarios for scaffolding under the Finnish building construction agreement. Tell us what you erect, how independently you work and which shift you want to explore.
Scope: erection, alteration and dismantling of scaffolds and access platforms at a construction contractor. Scaffolding at an industrial insulation firm may fall under a different agreement.
What could my pay look like?
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Collective agreement for the building construction sector 2025–2028, rates valid from 1 June 2026; rates and agreement checked 26 September 2026. Next scheduled rate change: 1 June 2027.
On what basis is this figure calculated?
On the pay table of the Collective agreement for the building construction sector 2025–2028. The parties to the agreement are Rakennusliitto ry, Talonrakennusteollisuus ry. We read the agreement text itself and checked the figures on 26 September 2026; the source and the date are repeated next to every rate below.
The monthly figure is one scenario: the table rate of a pay group times 160 hours in one shift pattern, minus the employee contributions and the tax percentage you enter. It does not contain the personal pay component and the separate component paid on top of the table wage; overtime, Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday pay; the holiday bonus; daily allowance, accommodation and travel.
Two things stay preliminary until we have your documents. Which agreement applies is decided by the employer and the subject of the contracting work, not by the name of the trade. And the pay group is set by a description of the work you carry out independently: the result is a pair of adjacent groups for checking, never a single figure presented as final.
We show gross pay. Take-home depends on your tax card, the length of your stay, your tax residence and the country of your social insurance. A valid A1 certificate from another EU country excludes the corresponding Finnish employee contributions (7.30 % pension and 0.89 % unemployment in 2026) — but not income tax and not the contributions of the A1 country, so it is not simply 8.19 % more in hand. For a stay of six months or less, tax at source of 35 % with the deduction your tax card allows (510 € a month or 17 € a day in 2026) or progressive taxation on application may apply; a stay longer than six months is taxed progressively from its start. Sources: Vero and the Finnish Centre for Pensions, checked 26 September 2026.
This is a scenario calculation based on the details you entered and the rates valid from 1 June 2026. The pay grade shown is preliminary and will be confirmed after we check your documents and skills. The applicable collective agreement, hourly rate, agreed minimum hours, housing and expense reimbursements are confirmed only in a written offer. Tax depends on your status and Finnish tax card. This is not a job offer, not a term of employment and not a guarantee of a residence permit.
Which hourly rates does the calculator use?
It uses the table hourly wages of the building construction agreement by pay grade, I–VI. Two things sit on top of the table under this agreement: a separate 7.7 % pay component (section 7 — compensation for weekday public holidays and accrued days off, paid with every wage), which the calculator adds to the table rate in this scenario (in real pay it is calculated on the whole pay for time worked, including the personal component and overtime), and a personal pay component (section 22), which is agreed per person and is not included. The result is an estimated take-home amount from the base-pay scenario, not a calculation of your complete contractual pay.
Building construction TES · table hourly wages valid from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027
Building construction TES · table hourly wages valid from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027
Pay grade
Table hourly wage (€/h)
With the 7.7 % separate component (€/h)
I
12.59
13.56
II
14.19
15.28
III
15.55
16.75
IV
17.12
18.44
V
18.64
20.08
VI
19.93
21.46
Source: agreement text 18 § and the 2026 wage settlement (Rakennusliitto / Talonrakennusteollisuus, 2025–2028) and the Rakennusliitto 2026 summary, checked 26 September 2026; the 1 June 2026 rise was 2.9 %, the next rise (2.4 %) is scheduled for 1 June 2027. The third column is arithmetic (table wage × 1.077), shown so that the calculator's gross can be checked by hand. Supplements from 1 June 2026: evening shift 1.38 €/h, night shift 2.58 €/h. Holiday pay (lomaraha) of 18.5 % of the pay of the holiday year is paid separately — 14 % before the summer holiday, 4.5 % before the winter holiday; workers sent from abroad get it with every wage — and is not in the calculator's monthly figure.
Which pay grade does a scaffolder get in Finland?
The agreement describes six grades by the work a person does (section 19): I beginner without practical experience; II some experience, assisting work without constant guidance; III beginning professional doing varied work independently below full skill; IV professional — independent, versatile work of a trade, and scaffolders are named there (beginners already in grade III); V experienced professional doing demanding work; VI highly experienced, with special skill, planning, high responsibility and possibly supervision of others.
Section 21 adds the rule that matters most for an arriving professional: a worker with professional skills must be placed at least in grade IV, and grades I and II require specific grounds. A Finnish vocational basic qualification gives at least grade II, a further vocational qualification (ammattitutkinto) at least grade IV, a specialist qualification grade VI — a foreign diploma is assessed by the employer against the same criteria — no automatic grade, and an OPH decision is usually not required for a non-regulated trade. Nationality or language proficiency may not be used to determine the grade.
The grade is reviewed at least once a year and may be lowered only for a classification error or a permanent inability to do the work of the grade. The written offer names the agreement, the grade and the rate.
What is deducted from gross pay in 2026?
Employee pension contribution 7.30 % and employee unemployment insurance 0.89 % (ETK, Työllisyysrahasto and Vero decisions for 2026), plus tax according to your Finnish tax card — or an illustrative 20 % if you have none yet. If you stay in Finland six months or less, tax at source is usually 35 % with a possible deduction; a progressive option exists. The calculator shows gross pay for 160 hours including the 7.7 % separate component and a take-home range; overtime, weekend rates, piece rates, the holiday bonus and the personal pay component are not calculated.
What is not included?
Daily allowance, accommodation and travel are checked separately for the assignment. Two questions must be answered: is a payment due under the agreement, and does it meet the conditions for tax exemption? A site is a temporary special place of work for at most three years; travel from accommodation to the site does not by itself create a daily allowance.
2026 domestic full daily-allowance maximum: 54 €/day (Vero); the agreement pays the daily allowance at this maximum
Accommodation allowance under the agreement: 57 €/day; overnight allowance 16 €/day (2026 summary)
Daily travel compensation home–site by distance band from 1 January 2026: over 5 km 2.41 € … over 100 km 32.64 € per working day
Own-car business-travel tax-free maximum: 0.55 €/km, plus 0.04 €/km per passenger (Vero)
These are conditional amounts (agreement 2026 summary; Vero decision of 7 November 2025), not automatic additions to your pay; the agreement's amounts are revised on 1 January 2027 and 1 January 2028. Meal provision may reduce the tax-free amount. The written offer states what applies to your assignment.
Accommodation under section 39: temporary accommodation set up for a specific project (majoitustyömaa) is arranged by the employer free of charge — one person per room, about 10 m²; on jobs shorter than a month two persons in about 13 m². Where the employer provides it, no accommodation compensation or overnight allowance is paid. The written offer states whether the assignment is such a site.
What do we check before a scaffolding assignment?
We check your experience with scaffold systems, erection from plans, load-bearing and suspended scaffolds, inspections, work-at-height authorisations and the site's safety requirements.
Questions scaffolders ask before an assignment
Do I need the Finnish scaffolder card (telinekortti)?
Kiwa's personal scaffolder certification is valued by employers and sites but not required by law (the telinekortti of Decree 205/2009 is the scaffold's own inspection card): at least 16 hours of approved training before certification; a matching course is published at 450 € + VAT, Kiwa does not publish a certification price (checked 25 September 2026). We tell you before you travel what the site asks for.
I am a professional with years of independent work. Can I really start below grade IV?
Section 21 says a worker with professional skills must be placed at least in grade IV, and grades I–II need specific grounds; scaffolders are named in grade IV. Our calculator compares your own description of your work with the grades; if it describes a professional's work, the check we make before the offer starts from grade IV, not below it.
Is there a height supplement?
No universal height supplement exists in the agreement; the grade and the personal pay component carry the demands of the work. Conditions such as standby work outside site hours have their own supplements in the agreement.
Do I need Finnish?
The working language on the sites we staff is English. The requirement of the work is English at B1 level for site instructions and safety briefings. Finnish is not required for these roles.
How soon after arrival can I start?
Typically 1–2 weeks: the tax number takes 1–10 working days after a Vero appointment, the Valtti card 1–2 days to activate plus delivery, and the Occupational Safety Card is done online before travel.
I do not have the right to work in Finland yet. Can I still send my profile?
Yes. If a permit is needed, the route and timing depend on the assignment and your circumstances: a residence permit for an employed person (TTOL) requires at least 1 600 €/month gross in 2026, the state fee is 750 € online, and a labour-market test applies unless your occupation is exempted regionally (Migri, checked 25 September 2026). We consider mobilisation only against a confirmed order, and we do not place general labourers from outside the EU.
What could improve your pay or access to assignments?
A safety card does not raise the rate by itself. Some steps enable site access; others support a more demanding role or a higher grade under the agreement.
Needed for access — Check site identification, safety training and the work-at-height and lifting authorisations the task needs.
Opens more qualified work — Demonstrate erection from plans, load-bearing and suspended scaffolds, inspections and responsibility for complete scaffolding packages.
May affect TES pay — The personal pay component and a recognised Finnish vocational qualification (grade floor under section 19) are assessed separately.
Useful preparation — Prepare a concise list of scaffold systems, heights and project responsibilities.
Practical skills: cost and timing are assessed individually; no standard course price or completion time is available.
What you need to work in Finland as a scaffolder
Before you travel
Occupational Safety Card (Työturvallisuuskortti) — online course in English, 4–8 hours, valid 5 years. Have scans of your ID, scaffolder training certificates and trade documents ready for the process we agree with you; do not send them with the form.
On arrival
Tax Administration (Vero) visit by appointment: personal identity code, tax number (veronumero) and entry in the public register — 1–10 working days, free. Tax card. Valtti photo-ID card: activation 1–2 days, delivery 1–5 days.
First weeks
Site induction, access card, tools; the employer's written authorisation for work at height and lifting where the task needs it. With documents in order a scaffolder is typically on site 1–2 weeks after arrival.
Cards and documents for a scaffolder — time, cost, before arrival?
Cards and documents for a scaffolder — time, cost, before arrival?
Document
Why
Time
Cost (provider prices, checked 25–26 September 2026)
Before arrival?
Occupational Safety Card (Työturvallisuuskortti)
Required on practically every site
Course 4–8 h; valid 5 years
Depends on the provider, roughly 54–127 € + VAT; replacement card 20 €
Yes — online in English
Tax number (veronumero) in the public register
Required by law on construction sites
Vero visit by appointment; 1–10 working days
Free
No — in person in Finland
Valtti card (photo ID with tax number)
Site access in practice
Activation 1–2 days, delivery 1–5 days
32 € on Starter or 29 € on a paid service plan, plus 8.20 € per order and VAT (Vastuu Group)
Order yes; issued after the tax number
Personal scaffolder certification (Kiwa)
Valued by employers and sites; not a legal requirement in itself
At least 16 hours of approved training before certification
Course example 450 € + VAT; Kiwa certification by quotation
Training yes; certification through a Finnish provider
Lifts, telehandlers, slinging, working at height
Employer's written authorisation after a check of your skills (equipment-specific training where the employer requires it)
0.5–1 day
Arranged by the employer
Theory yes
Finnish further vocational qualification (ammattitutkinto)
Gives at least grade IV under section 19 (specialist qualification grade VI)
Recognition of a foreign qualification: OPH/EDUFI advisory statement 2–4 months
OPH advisory statement 277.36 €
Application yes
Swipe the table sideways on a phone.
Provider prices as published, VAT as stated by each provider. We tell you in writing before you travel which cards we arrange and pay for on a given assignment; onboarding is charged to the hiring company, never to the worker. Full guide with the order, timelines and typical mistakes: Documents and cards.
Building construction TES: table wages valid from 1 June 2026. Next scheduled rate change: 1 June 2027. Rates and agreement checked: 26 September 2026. Scenario rules: GW-CALC-1.0. Sources: building construction TES and the 2026 summary — see below.
Would you like us to review your profile?
Send your experience and contact details. We review profiles within one working day and contact you about the next step. Your calculation is attached automatically so that we check it against the same numbers.
Thank you. Your profile has been submitted.
What happens next
We review your profile within one working day.
We arrange a short call in English.
When there is a suitable assignment, you receive a written offer.
A confirmation email has been sent to the address you gave. Please also check your spam folder.
If it does not arrive within a few minutes, keep your application ID and write to [email protected].
Free for workers — always. Finnish law (Act 380/2023) and Google's Supplier Code of Conduct prohibit charging workers any recruitment fee. We never ask for money, deposits or your passport before a signed contract.
Sources
Building construction TES 2025–2028, agreement text (PDF) — separate component 7 §, shift supplements 8–9 §, pay tables 18 § and the wage settlement, pay grades 19 §, placement 21 §, personal component 22 §; checked 26 September 2026
If you print or save this page: Gene-Works Oy, Business ID 2198820-6, Tommolankatu 9, c/o Prismakeskus, 45130 Kouvola. The disclaimer above stays on the printout: this is a scenario, not an offer of employment, not a term of a contract and not a guarantee of a residence permit. Figures on this page and their sources were checked on 26 September 2026; questions to [email protected].
