Plate compactors cost from around £800 for a light forward-plate unit to £6,500 for a heavy reversible plate, usually bought outright or bundled with other small tools on finance.
Yes, compactor plates 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 £800 to £6,500, and most deals are written over 12-84 months with a deposit of around 10-20%. Decisions typically take 24–48 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.
Typical Cost
£800 – £7k
Approval Speed
24–48 hours
Same-day for straightforward deals
Rates From
6.4% - 11.9% per annum
Your estimate
Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.
Pre-filled with a typical compactor plate price. Indicative only, not a quote.
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Check EligibilityOn a purchase price of £2,200: a 10% deposit of £220, then 48 monthly payments of £46 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £2,428, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Plate Compactor, up to 90kg | £800 - £1,400 | Light Compaction (Soil/Sand) |
| Reversible Plate Compactor, 90-220kg | £1,600 - £3,200 | Medium Compaction (Sub-Base) |
| Trench Rammer, up to 70kg | £1,400 - £2,400 | Trench and Backfill Compaction |
| Reversible Plate Compactor, 220kg+ | £3,500 - £6,500 | Heavy Compaction (Asphalt/Granular) |
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Check EligibilityA plate compactor is treated as plant and machinery for tax purposes, so it qualifies for the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), letting a business deduct the full cost from taxable profits in the year of purchase, up to the current £1,000,000 annual limit. Companies buying new, unused equipment may also qualify for full expensing, a 100% first-year deduction against Corporation Tax. These allowances apply where you own the asset, so they are available under a Hire Purchase agreement. Under a Finance Lease or Operating Lease you do not own the plate compactor outright, so allowances are not claimed directly; instead the payments are generally deducted as a business expense against profits. Always confirm treatment with your accountant before committing to a structure.
Plate compactors are bought by groundworkers, landscapers, drainage contractors and general builders who need to compact sub-base, backfill or asphalt on almost every job, which makes ownership more cost-effective than repeat hire once a business is busy enough. Because the ticket price is low, many contractors buy outright or finance a compactor as part of a wider small-tools package rather than as a standalone asset. Replacement is usually driven by engine wear and damage to the baseplate rather than obsolescence, and there is a healthy trade-in and used market at the lower end where machines are cheap to recondition.
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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