Decontamination Unit Finance

Spread the cost of a decontamination unit from £5,000 to £60,000+ with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance

Can you finance a decontamination unit?

Yes, decontamination units 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 £5,000 to £60,000, and most deals are written over 24–60 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

£5k – £60k

Approval Speed

24–48 hours

Longer for fixed or mass casualty systems

Rates From

7.5% APR

What would a decontamination unit cost per month?

Decontamination Unit price (ex VAT) £18,000

Deposit 10%

Agreement term 60 months

Annual interest rate 9%

Balloon payment £0

Your estimate

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

Pre-filled with a typical decontamination unit price. Indicative only, not a quote.

Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate: From 8.0% APR
Term: 24–60 months
Deposit: 10–20%
Ownership: Yours at the end
Best for: Private fire and emergency response contractors wanting to own their kit

Finance Lease

Rate: From 7.5% APR
Term: 24–60 months
Deposit: None required
Ownership: Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for: Tax-efficient for industrial sites installing a permanent decon station

Refinance

Rate: From 8.5% APR
Term: 12–36 months
Deposit: None, releases equity
Ownership: Retained throughout
Best for: Releasing cash from an existing unit to fund a second or mobile unit

Representative example

On a purchase price of £18,000: a 10% deposit of £1,800, then 48 monthly payments of £380 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £20,040, 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
Portable Decontamination Shower Unit	£5,000 – £15,000	Portable Decon Shower (specification class)
Mass Casualty Decontamination Tent System	£15,000 – £40,000	Mass Casualty Decon System (specification class)
Fixed Decontamination Station, industrial site	£20,000 – £60,000	Fixed Decon Station (specification class)

Tax benefits

A decontamination unit usually qualifies for Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), letting a business deduct the full cost from taxable profits in the year of purchase, up to £1,000,000. HP agreements allow capital allowances to be claimed by the business making the payments. Lease payments are generally deductible against profits as a business expense rather than qualifying for AIA directly.

Market context

Decontamination units are bought by chemical and process industry sites, private fire and emergency response contractors, pharmaceutical and laboratory operators, and event or major incident planning services that need to manage exposure to hazardous substances. Finance is used because both a portable shower unit and, more so, a mass casualty tent system or fixed industrial decon station represent significant specialist purchases that most buyers don't need in volume, making it more practical to spread the cost than fund it outright. Replacement is usually driven by the equipment reaching the end of its useful life after infrequent but demanding use, or by a site's process changing to introduce a new category of hazardous substance requiring updated provision, rather than routine wear. The used market is small and specialist, since buyers generally need confidence in a unit's service and testing history for what is safety-critical equipment, so most decontamination units are bought new.

Frequently asked questions

Who typically needs to finance a decontamination unit?

It's mostly chemical and process sites, laboratories and pharmaceutical operators with an ongoing exposure risk, and specialist contractors providing emergency response or event standby cover to industry. For most of these buyers a decontamination unit sits alongside other safety equipment such as breathing apparatus and gas detection, so it's often financed as part of a wider safety equipment package rather than in isolation.

Can I finance a mobile and a fixed decontamination unit together?

Yes, provided they're on the same supplier quote, though it's worth flagging to your lender that you're financing two distinct pieces of equipment, since a mobile tent system and a fixed station serve different purposes and are priced very differently. Some businesses start with a portable unit and add a fixed station later once their site or contract requirements grow, financing each separately as the need arises.

What deposit is typical for decontamination equipment finance?

Hire purchase deposits are usually 10–20%. Given how specialist this equipment is and how thin the resale market is, new businesses without an established trading history should expect a deposit at the higher end of that range, or a request for a personal guarantee. Established industrial sites and contractors with a clear ongoing need typically get more flexible terms.

How quickly can decontamination unit finance be approved?

Most applications under £20,000 are approved within 24 to 48 hours. Larger fixed installations or mass casualty systems can take longer, particularly if the lender wants more detail on how the equipment fits into the site's wider safety and emergency response provision before approving the finance. It's worth having a clear specification from your supplier, including how the unit will be used and maintained, ready before applying, since this is often what determines how quickly the lender can decide.