Scaffolding finance for contractors and hire firms

Yes, some lenders will fund used scaffolding stock, though they may value loose tube and fittings more cautiously than system scaffold or vehicles. Expect to provide a supplier invoice or inventory showing quantities and condition, and possibly a larger deposit on older kit. Buying from an established dealer usually makes the deal easier to place. Our page on used equipment finance explains how lenders approach second-hand assets.

There is no single rule, as many lenders set their own minimum trading period and more options open up with a longer track record. A newer scaffolding firm may still get asset finance on equipment, often with a larger deposit, or a government-backed Start Up Loan. Established firms with filed accounts, steady bank statements and a spread of clients can approach a wider range of lenders. Our guide to start-up business loans covers early-stage options.

Yes, sole traders and partnerships can get scaffolding finance, as well as limited companies. Lenders will ask for bank statements, tax returns and details of your contracts and clients. Finance of £25,000 or less to a sole trader or a partnership of two or three partners can be regulated consumer credit, which affects which lenders can offer it. Hire purchase on tube, fittings and vans is often the easiest starting point because the kit is the security. See sole trader loans for more.

Yes, yard premises and secure storage can be funded, though the product depends on whether you are buying or leasing. Buying a yard usually suits a commercial mortgage or secured loan over a longer term, with the property as security. Fencing, racking and security systems on a leased yard may suit asset finance or an unsecured loan. Lenders will check that repayments are affordable in a quiet winter month. Our page on buying business premises explains the property side.

Often, yes, but construction invoices are harder to fund than most because of applications for payment, retentions and contra charges. Some invoice finance providers specialise in construction and will fund certified applications; others will only fund invoices for completed work. See contract funding.

Yes. Buying an established scaffolding business is usually funded with acquisition finance: a loan sized on the business's recent profits, your own contribution and sometimes part of the price paid to the seller after completion. Lenders look most closely at its contracts and customer spread, the age and quantity of its tube, fittings and boards, the lorries and yard, and whether the experienced crews and supervisors will stay. You can see which lenders on our panel fund purchases like yours with Instant Quotes.

Yes. A scaffold lorry, with or without a crane or hoist, can be bought on hire purchase or leased, new or second hand, and it usually holds its value better than tube and fittings. Lenders ask about the plated weight, the drivers' licences, the operator licence and where the lorry is kept. Smart Funding Solutions, a whole-of-market commercial finance broker, finds lenders that are comfortable with construction vehicles.

Usually, yes. GOV.UK says a goods vehicle operator licence is needed for a vehicle with a gross plated weight over 3,500kg. A firm carrying only its own scaffold normally needs a restricted licence, and carrying other firms' goods needs a standard licence. Drivers need C1 for lorries between 3,500kg and 7,500kg.

It depends on how long the extra stock is needed and how often you run short. Cross hire suits one-off jobs with no upfront cost, while repeated shortfalls and long hire periods can make buying stock on hire purchase cheaper over a year. Compare twelve months of cross hire invoices, including haulage and losses, with the monthly repayment. Smart Funding Solutions, a whole-of-market commercial finance broker, can price both.

Yes. Insurance premium finance spreads the annual cost of employers' liability, public liability and contract works cover over monthly payments, usually arranged through your insurance broker at renewal. It keeps cash free for wages and stock in the month the premium falls due.