Cattle shed finance
Funding for new cattle accommodation, split between the building itself and the cubicles, penning, mats and ventilation that go inside it.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a cattle shed?
Partly, and understanding the split saves a lot of wasted time. A steel portal frame shed bolted to a concrete base becomes part of the land the moment it is erected, so an asset funder cannot lend against it in the way they would a tractor; that part is normally borrowed against the farm. What does fund cleanly is the fit-out: cubicles, division gates, feed barriers, mats and mattresses, fans and ventilation controls are all loose or boltable equipment with a real resale market. Split the quotes that way and both halves become straightforward.
Used kit: Yes for cubicles, gates and fittings; second-hand frames are re-erected but funded cautiously
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
What would a cattle shed cost per month?
Asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what the buttons show, with the equivalent APR beside it. Your exact rate depends on the asset, the term, the deposit and the lender.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £628 a month; total amount repayable approximately £30,150, of which £5,150 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.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
How lenders treat it
This is where farmers most often expect asset finance to do something it cannot. A funder lends against things they could recover and sell, and nobody is going to dismantle a portal frame to recover a debt. Consequently the shell leans entirely on the strength of the farm and, critically, on whether you own the land. An owner-occupier can borrow against the holding; a tenant on a short farm business tenancy has no security to offer and may also need landlord consent to build at all, which is a genuine obstacle rather than a formality. The internal equipment is a different conversation altogether: cubicle divisions, gates and mats are chattels, have a national secondhand trade, and fund readily on hire purchase.
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 |
|---|---|
| IAE cubicle divisions | Cubicle loops and neck rails |
| IAE feed barriers | Diagonal and locking feed barriers |
| Ritchie penning and gates | Galvanised gates and pen dividers |
| Bateman cattle gates | Field and yard gates for stock |
| EasyFix cow cubicle mattresses | Rubber beds and mats for cubicles |
| Wilson Agri cubicle beds | Mats and bedding systems for dairy sheds |
| Galebreaker ventilation curtains | Side curtains and air inlet systems |
| Creagh Concrete slats | Precast slatted flooring for cattle |
| Shufflebottom steel portal frames | Steel framed livestock buildings |
| A C Bacon Engineering farm buildings | Design and build steel cattle sheds |
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Who buys one
Dairy farms with cows lying in accommodation designed for a smaller, lighter animal, beef finishers who have run out of covered space, and farms under pressure from a vet or an assurance inspection on ventilation, lying comfort or air space. The trigger is frequently a herd expansion, a bad winter for pneumonia, or slurry storage rules forcing a rethink of how the yard is laid out anyway.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
We publish the deals we arrange, with no client named and no rate quoted. See what we have funded in agriculture.
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.
Cattle shed finance questions
Why can I not put the whole shed on hire purchase?
Because a funder needs to be able to identify and recover the thing they paid for. A frame bolted onto a concrete base becomes part of the land, so there is nothing to take back. The equipment inside is a different story, which is why most shed projects end up funded in two halves.
I am a tenant on a farm business tenancy. Can I still build?
It depends on your agreement and your landlord. Many tenants have no right to put up a permanent building without consent, and even with consent the structure generally belongs to the landlord. That is not a finance problem we can solve, but it is far better discovered now than after you have paid a deposit.
What parts of the fit-out can go on asset finance?
Cubicle divisions, head rails, feed barriers, gates, mats and mattresses, fans, lighting and ventilation controls. Essentially anything that could be unbolted and sold to another farm. Ask your supplier to quote the equipment separately from any concrete or steelwork so the two can be funded through the right routes.
Do grants change the picture?
They can, in two ways. Grant money reduces what needs funding, but several schemes also require the equipment to be owned outright at the point of claim, which excludes hire purchase. Read the conditions before you order anything, because unwinding a finance agreement to satisfy a grant is painful.
Is a demountable building any different?
Yes, materially. A building designed to be dismantled and re-erected keeps the character of equipment rather than becoming part of the land, and some funders will lend against one on that basis. If you are weighing up a permanent frame against a demountable structure, the funding route is one of the differences worth pricing.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
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See everything we fund in rural and agricultural finance →
Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Get your quote
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 0333 772 4864 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.
Specialist agricultural funding
Machinery, livestock and land — each with its own page, because each is assessed differently.