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Cable Avoidance Tool Finance

Spread the cost of cable avoidance tools from £500 to £5,000 with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.

Can you finance a cable avoidance tool?

Yes, cable avoidance tools are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £500 to £5,000, and most deals are written over 12–36 months with a deposit of around 10–20%. Decisions typically take 24–48 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

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Typical Cost

£500 – £5k

Approval Speed

24–48 hours

Same-day for < £3k

Rates From

8.0% APR

What would a cable avoidance tool cost per month?

£1,500
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical cable avoidance tool price. Indicative only, not a quote.

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Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
From 8.5% APR
Term
12–36 months
Deposit
10–20%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
Contractors equipping a groundworks or drainage crew

Finance Lease

Rate
From 8.0% APR
Term
12–36 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Fleets replacing units regularly to keep calibration current

Operating Lease

Rate
From 9.0% APR
Term
24–36 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return at end
Best for
Larger contractors standardising kit across several site teams

Representative example

On a purchase price of £1,500: a 10% deposit of £150, then 48 monthly payments of £32 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £1,686, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification Guide price Type
Radiodetection CAT4+ with StrikeAlert Around £700 – £900 new Cable Avoidance Tool
Radiodetection Genny 4 signal generator Around £650 – £750 new Signal Generator
Radiodetection gCAT4+ combined unit Around £1,100 – £1,300 new Combined CAT & Genny
Fleet kit: CAT, Genny and accessories for a groundworks team (specification class) £3,000 – £5,000 Multi-Unit Fleet Kit

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Tax benefits

Cable avoidance tools are moveable plant and normally qualify for the Annual Investment Allowance, letting you set the full cost against taxable profits in the year of purchase up to the prevailing AIA limit, which your accountant can confirm. Given the low individual unit cost, many smaller contractors simply buy these outright once trading is established, but hire purchase still preserves the same allowance for the buyer from day one.

Market context

Cable avoidance tools are bought by every business that carries out excavation near buried services, drainage and groundworks contractors, utility subcontractors, civil engineers and many general builders, since using a CAT and Genny before digging is standard health and safety practice on UK sites rather than an optional extra. Because most site teams need several units, one per excavator or digging team, buyers often finance a small fleet of tools together rather than a single unit, which also helps clear a lender's minimum finance amount on individually low-cost equipment. Replacement is generally driven by damage on site, which is common given how these tools are used daily in tough conditions, or by a policy of retiring and recalibrating units on a fixed cycle for insurance and safety compliance reasons.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

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Frequently asked questions

Is it worth financing equipment this cheap, or should I just buy it outright?
For a single unit, buying outright is often simpler, since many lenders set a minimum finance amount, commonly around £1,000, that a single CAT or Genny may fall short of. Financing becomes more practical when you're equipping several site teams at once, where the combined cost is significant and spreading it protects cash flow better than one large upfront purchase.
Can I combine CAT and Genny units with other groundworks tools on one agreement?
Yes, most lenders will combine cable avoidance tools with other site equipment, compaction plant, breakers, or a jetting unit, on a single finance agreement if they're all on the supplier's invoice, which is a common way to bring smaller items above a lender's minimum threshold.
Do these tools need regular calibration?
Yes, most manufacturers recommend annual calibration to keep the tool detecting accurately, which is a running cost outside the finance agreement itself. Some larger contractors build a fixed replacement cycle around this, retiring units every few years rather than repeatedly recalibrating older kit, particularly where insurance or client site rules specify a maximum tool age.
What deposit is typical on equipment this size?
Hire purchase deposits typically run 10% to 20% when financed as part of a fleet purchase. Given the low unit cost, some lenders will also consider a shorter term with no deposit for straightforward, well-established businesses. Because the ticket size is small relative to most equipment finance, some lenders weigh the strength of your existing relationship and overall credit profile more heavily than the deposit itself when deciding terms, particularly if you're already financing other groundworks equipment with them.

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