How much does a two post lift cost in the UK?
Real published UK prices — and why the “clear floor costs £800 more” rule of thumb is wrong.
A new 3 tonne two post lift starts at about £1,199. A 4 tonne lift runs roughly £1,499 to £2,299 depending on model, and a 5 tonne about £2,450. A 6 tonne clear-floor lift is about £5,895.
All of these are new current stock from UK suppliers. Installation is not included and is dealt with below.
UK two post lift prices, cheapest first
Six published UK supplier prices retrieved on 28 October 2026, sorted by price. Capacity, ram arrangement and whether the lift is baseplate or clear floor are reproduced as the suppliers stated them.
| Machine as listed | Asking price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Automotech As-SG30A, 3.0 tonne capacity, twin hydraulic ram, 2 post lift (new, current stock) | £1,199.00 VAT not stated | automotechservices.co.uk |
| Impact 4 Tonne Two Post Baseplate Lift, Manual Locks (new, current stock) | £1,600.00 VAT not stated | impactgaragesupplies.co.uk |
| BGE Short/Narrow 3500kg 2 Post Lift (new, current stock, price 'from', delivered) | £1,700 VAT not stated | bgelifts.co.uk |
| Redats/GEG L200F 4 Tonne 2 Post Lift, 1 Phase, manual lock (new, current stock) | £1,795.00 VAT not stated | geg.co |
| Automotech AS-6150A, 5.0 tonne capacity, twin hydraulic ram, 2 post lift (new, current stock) | £2,450.00 VAT not stated | automotechservices.co.uk |
| Eurotek UT60EB Clear Floor 2 Post Lift, 6 tonne capacity (new, current stock) | £5,895.00 VAT not stated | geg.co |
Sources named per row: automotechservices.co.uk, impactgaragesupplies.co.uk, bgelifts.co.uk and geg.co, retrieved 28 October 2026. None of these listings states a VAT position. One is a “from” price.
Clear floor does not cost £800 more. It costs £200, or £800, depending which model you buy
The usual rule of thumb is that removing the baseplate — the bar across the floor between the posts — costs you a fixed premium. One maker publishes enough of its range to test that, so we retrieved the whole ladder on 3 November 2026.
| Item | Published price |
|---|---|
| AS-SG30A — 3.0t, twin ram, baseplate | £1,199.00 |
| AS-6140A — 4.0t, twin ram, baseplate | £1,499.00 |
| AS-6240TA — 4.0t, twin ram, CLEAR FLOOR | £1,699.00 |
| AS-6246/H1 — 4.0t, twin ram, CLEAR FLOOR | £2,299.00 |
| AS-6150A — 5.0t, twin ram, baseplate | £2,450.00 |
Read the three highlighted rows. All three are 4.0 tonne twin-ram lifts from the same maker. The baseplate model is £1,499. One clear-floor model is £1,699 — a £200 premium. The other clear-floor model is £2,299 — a £800 premium.
So at identical capacity and identical ram arrangement, clear-floor construction is available for £200 more or £800 more. The model is the variable, not the construction type. Anyone quoting you a flat £800 for going clear floor is quoting the dearer of two options that both exist.
What does move the price predictably is capacity at the top end: the 5.0 tonne baseplate lift at £2,450 is dearer than every 4.0 tonne option, and the 6 tonne clear-floor lift in the main table is £5,895, which is more than double the 5 tonne. Below 5 tonne, though, tonnage barely moves it — the 3.0 tonne lift at £1,199 and the 4.0 tonne at £1,499 are £300 apart.
Clear floor if you work on long-wheelbase vans and want nothing to drive over or trip on, and if your slab suits a lift that takes all its load through the posts. Baseplate if you want the cheapest route to the capacity you need and can live with the bar. Either way, ask the supplier for the specific model code and price it against the rest of that maker’s range, because as above the spread within one construction type is wider than the gap between types.
The costs that are not in the price
- Installation and the concrete under it. None of these prices includes fitting, and a two post lift transfers its whole load into the slab through the posts. Minimum slab thickness and strength are specified by the manufacturer, and if your floor does not meet it the honest answer is a new base. No supplier we checked publishes an installation figure, so get it quoted as a line rather than assumed.
- Statutory thorough examination. A vehicle lift is lifting equipment, so it carries a periodic thorough examination duty by a competent person for as long as it is in service, alongside PUWER duties. The interval depends on the use it is put to — confirm it for your workshop rather than taking a figure off a website, including ours.
- Electrical supply. One of these lifts is specified as single phase, which tells you the others may not be. A three-phase lift in a single-phase unit means an electrical job before it lifts anything.
- Ceiling height. A clear-floor lift carries its cables and hoses overhead, so the gantry needs headroom above the raised vehicle. Measure before you buy, because this is not something you can design out afterwards.
- VAT, unstated. None of these six listings states a VAT position. At 20% a £5,895 lift is nearly £1,180 more than it looks.
What would it cost a month?
Put the installed cost in — lift plus fitting plus any electrical work — since that is what you are funding. The calculator quotes a flat rate with the equivalent APR beside it.
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 £10,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £251 a month; total amount repayable approximately £12,060, of which £2,060 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 will 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.
Common questions
How much does a two post lift cost in the UK?
From UK supplier prices retrieved in October and November 2026, a new 3 tonne two post lift starts around £1,199. A 4 tonne lift runs roughly £1,499 to £2,299 depending on the model and whether it is baseplate or clear floor, a 5 tonne is about £2,450, and a 6 tonne clear-floor lift is about £5,895. These are current stock prices for new equipment and none of them includes installation. None of the listings states whether VAT is included, so assume it is payable on top.
Does a clear floor lift cost more than a baseplate one?
Yes, but not by a fixed amount, and the common £800 figure is misleading. Looking at one maker’s published range at a single capacity — 4.0 tonne, twin hydraulic ram — the baseplate lift is £1,499 and there are two clear-floor models at £1,699 and £2,299. So the premium is £200 on one and £800 on the other, with capacity and ram arrangement identical. The model determines the price far more than the construction type does. Ask for specific model codes and compare them within the same maker’s range.
Does more tonnage cost much more?
Below 5 tonne, surprisingly little. The same maker’s 3.0 tonne twin-ram lift is £1,199 and its 4.0 tonne equivalent is £1,499 — £300 for a third more capacity. Above that it starts to bite: the 5.0 tonne baseplate lift is £2,450, and the 6 tonne clear-floor lift from another supplier is £5,895, more than double the 5 tonne. So if you are choosing between 3 and 4 tonne, buy the headroom. If you are considering 6 tonne, be sure you need it, because that is where the price curve turns steep.
What does installation involve?
More than bolting it down, and it is the cost most often missed. A two post lift puts its entire load into the floor slab through the two posts, so the manufacturer specifies a minimum concrete thickness and strength; if your slab does not meet it, you need a new base before the lift goes in. You may also need electrical work, since not every lift is single phase. Clear-floor models route cables overhead, so you need ceiling height above a raised vehicle. None of the suppliers we priced publishes an installation figure, which is why this page does not either — get it quoted as a separate line, and fund the installed cost rather than the lift alone.
Where to next
- Two post lift finance — terms, deposits and the lender panel for garage equipment.
- Machinery and equipment finance — the main page.
- Asset finance calculator — if you want to model the whole workshop fit-out.
CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and will receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. Prices on this page are third-party published asking and list prices, attributed to their sources and correct at the date of retrieval; they are indicative, are not sold prices, and are not a quote or an offer of finance. VAT basis is stated per row because the sources differ. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. Tax and VAT treatment depends on your circumstances and is a matter for your accountant.
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