Welfare unit finance
Site welfare is a legal requirement, not an optional extra, which makes a welfare unit one of the few purchases a contractor genuinely cannot avoid.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a welfare unit?
Yes. Mobile welfare units are funded as plant on hire purchase, new or used, and both towable and static jackleg cabins can be covered. Established makes such as EasyCabin, Groundhog and Boss Cabins have a real second-hand market because every contractor needs welfare at some point. The detail to check is towing weight. A fully specified towable welfare unit with a full water tank and a generator can weigh more than the vehicle and licence you have available, and a unit you cannot legally tow becomes a static unit you have to pay to move.
Used kit: Yes. Used welfare units fund well to around seven or eight years, with generator run hours and interior condition mattering more than age.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
What would a welfare unit cost per month?
Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
How lenders treat it
Welfare units are unusually good hire assets and funders who deal with hire companies know it: they go out on long hires, utilisation is high, and demand is underpinned by regulation rather than by construction sentiment. That makes the rental income argument easy. On resale, modern solar and hybrid units with low generator run hours hold value considerably better than older diesel-reliant cabins, because site carbon rules have shifted what main contractors will accept. Towable units are easier to recover and sell than large static cabins, which need a crane or a hiab to move and therefore carry a real disposal cost. Theft and vandalism are the operational risks funders watch. Contractors buying a single unit usually get small-ticket treatment; hire fleets are funded as a block against utilisation figures.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| AJC EasyCabin Ecosmart 12 | Towable eco welfare unit |
| AJC EasyCabin Ecosmart 16 | Larger towable welfare unit |
| AJC EasyCabin Static Ecosmart | Static hybrid welfare cabin |
| Groundhog GP360 | Towable mobile welfare unit |
| Groundhog GP150 | Compact towable welfare unit |
| Boss Cabins SmartSolar | Solar assisted towable welfare unit |
| Boss Cabins EcoSmart | Towable canteen and toilet unit |
| Garic Welfare Unit | Static jackleg welfare cabin |
| Wernick Welfare Cabin | Jackleg canteen and drying unit |
| Elliott Welfare Unit | Anti vandal static welfare cabin |
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Who buys one
Groundworks, utilities and highways contractors who must provide compliant welfare on sites without permanent facilities, and plant hire companies where welfare units are among the highest-utilisation, longest-hire items on the fleet. The trigger for a contractor is usually a principal contractor’s site rules or a run of remote jobs where hiring welfare weekly has become a standing monthly cost with no end.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
We publish the deals we arrange, with no client named and no rate quoted. See what we have funded in plant and construction.
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Welfare unit finance questions
Can I tow a welfare unit with a standard licence and pickup?
It depends on the unit and your licence category. A fully specified towable with a full water tank can exceed what many pickups and licences allow. Check the gross weight against your vehicle and entitlement before ordering, because an untowable unit still has to be moved and that costs money every time.
Are solar welfare units worth the extra cost?
Usually yes on both counts. They cut generator run hours and fuel spend, they meet the low emission requirements many main contractors now impose, and they hold value better second hand. Funders recognise this, and a hire company can generally justify the higher capital cost through better hire rates and longer hires.
Can a static site cabin be financed?
Yes, though funders treat it a little more cautiously than a towable unit because moving it needs lifting equipment and disposal costs more. Anti-vandal jackleg cabins have a solid second-hand market, so it funds. Multiple cabins on one invoice present better than a single unit.
Do hire companies fund welfare units differently?
Typically as a block or a facility rather than unit by unit, assessed against utilisation and the rental book. Welfare is one of the strongest hire assets there is because the demand is driven by regulation, so funders are generally receptive where the fleet figures are there to show it.
What happens if a welfare unit is vandalised on site?
The agreement continues regardless, so insurance matters. A plant policy covering theft, fire and malicious damage with the funder’s interest noted is what is expected. Welfare units are a common target because they are left unattended, so check the policy covers damage on open sites rather than only in a secure compound.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
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Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 07581 364281 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.