A rope access company that grew into a specialist group
Vertex started with one idea: most work carried out from scaffolding can be done faster, safer and more simply on ropes. More than a decade on, that idea sits behind five specialist divisions supporting commercial and infrastructure clients across the UK.
Who we are
Specialist access. Commercial thinking.
Vertex Access is a Chesterfield-based group delivering inspection, access and remedial works at height. We supply the construction, facilities management and infrastructure industries with safe, cost-effective answers to difficult working at height problems.
Rope access is where we started and it remains the method we reach for first, but it is not the only one. Where a task calls for a MEWP, confined space entry or a drone in place of a technician, we use it. The method is chosen around the asset, the task and the risk rather than the other way round.
Every project is supported by experienced project managers from first enquiry to handover, so clients get a single point of responsibility and work completed with the smallest possible footprint on site.
Our vision is to be the UK's leading integrated rope access specialist.
How we grew
One rope access team.
Five specialist divisions.
Each division was added to solve a problem our clients already had, and each one still works rope access first.
01 / Rope access
Where it started
Vertex began as an industrial rope access company, sending qualified technicians down buildings and structures instead of wrapping them in scaffolding. Lower costs, quicker set-up and less disruption made the case on their own.
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02 / Drone surveying
Inspecting from the air
A simple question followed: why send a technician down a building to inspect it when a drone can see it first? Vertex Air now delivers roof and building surveys, thermal imaging, LiDAR and digital twins.
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03 / Rail & Road
Working on national infrastructure
As the rope access team grew, so did its infrastructure work. Our rail and road division now supports Network Rail, National Highways and their tier-one contractors.
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04 / Roofing
Repairs without the scaffold
Rope-access-first roofing means reaching a defect through a roof hatch or anchor point, repairing it and leaving site, often without any scaffolding at all.
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05 / Façades and glazing
Looking after the building envelope
Our façades team maintains, removes and installs cladding, glazing and curtain walling, using rope access to reach the work directly.
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How we work
Faster. Safer. Simpler.
Our tagline is about more than rope access. It describes how we run every project, whichever division is on site.
Faster
Quick to mobilise
Specialist teams and minimal set-up mean work starts sooner and fits into a tighter programme, with less time spent on site.
Safer
Safety you can see
Every Vertex operative wears orange high-visibility PPE. It is a simple rule that makes our teams instantly recognisable and keeps everyone to the same standard.
Simpler
One group, one contact
Clients work with one group rather than separate survey and works contractors, with a named contact and clear reporting throughout.
Accredited and audited
Accreditations clients can check.
Our accreditations cover health and safety, rail supply, drone operations and construction pre-qualification, so procurement teams can approve Vertex with confidence.
Our people
Skilled trades, qualified surveyors.
Our teams combine experienced rope access technicians with specialist trades, including stonemasons, electricians, cladders and glaziers. The person who reaches the defect is qualified to fix it.
Surveys and inspections are carried out by our own in-house team of rope access building surveyors and structural examiners, all professionally qualified. Condition information comes from the people who have been on the structure, not from a subcontracted third party.
We are always keen to hear from qualified, safety-minded people who want to build a career at height.
Common questions
Getting to know Vertex
Anything else you'd like to know? Our team is happy to talk it through.
Urgent enquiries
Urgent site issue?
Storm damage, a loose panel or a safety concern that can't wait. Call our response line and we'll get a team moving.