Tree Surgery Crane Finance

Spread the cost of a tree surgery crane lorry from £40,000 to £300,000+ with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance

Can you finance a tree surgery crane?

Yes, tree surgery cranes 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 £40,000 to £300,000, and most deals are written over 36–84 months with a deposit of around 15–25%. Decisions typically take 5–10 working days. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

Typical Cost

£40k – £300k

Approval Speed

5–10 working days

Larger vehicles require full underwriting

Rates From

6.2% APR

What would a tree surgery crane cost per month?

Tree Surgery Crane price (ex VAT) £120,000

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 tree surgery crane price. Indicative only, not a quote.

Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate: From 6.8% APR
Term: 36–84 months
Deposit: 15–25%
Ownership: Yours at the end
Best for: Tree surgery firms owning a crane lorry as a long-term asset

Finance Lease

Rate: From 6.2% APR
Term: 36–84 months
Deposit: None required
Ownership: Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for: Tax-efficient, claim 100% of payments against profit

Operating Lease

Rate: From 7.5% APR
Term: 48–60 months
Deposit: None required
Ownership: Return at end
Best for: Firms wanting predictable costs on a specialist, high-value vehicle

Representative example

On a purchase price of £120,000: a 10% deposit of £12,000, then 48 monthly payments of £2,531 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £133,488, 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
Crane attachment only, fitted to an existing chassis	£40,000 – £90,000	Crane attachment
Used crane lorry, arborist specification, reconditioned	£50,000 – £120,000	Used crane lorry
New crane lorry, mid-weight chassis (3.5–7.5 tonne)	£90,000 – £160,000	Crane lorry, mid-weight
New crane lorry, heavier chassis with longer reach (18–26 tonne)	£160,000 – £280,000	Crane lorry, heavy

Tax benefits

A tree surgery crane lorry is a commercial vehicle fitted with lifting equipment, and both the crane and the chassis are plant and machinery, qualifying for the Annual Investment Allowance up to £1,000,000 in the year of purchase. This is a more favourable position than the restricted allowances that apply to ordinary company cars, since a crane lorry is a goods vehicle used wholly for the trade rather than for private motoring.

Market context

Tree surgery cranes are bought by specialist arboriculture companies working on large or high-value trees in confined or high-risk locations, residential gardens, historic parks and estates, where dismantling a tree by rope access alone would be too slow or too risky. Buying a crane lorry is often the point at which a tree surgery business moves from purely climbing-based work to being able to tender for larger dismantling contracts, so it represents a substantial step up in capital commitment relative to typical arboriculture turnover, which is why finance is the standard route rather than cash purchase. Replacement is driven by hours logged on the crane and its hydraulics and by the chassis's mileage and age, including whether it continues to meet the emissions standards required to operate in town and city centre clean air zones where much high-value tree work takes place. Because a crane lorry is a bespoke conversion rather than a standard commercial vehicle, the secondhand market is smaller and more specialist than for general plant, and used units are usually sourced through dealers who focus specifically on arboriculture and utility vehicles.

Bad credit?

Some specialist lenders consider businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options may be available. Fundably may use a soft credit check for matching, which does not affect your credit score. A hard check may happen if you choose to proceed with a lender.

Frequently asked questions

Can I finance a crane attachment for a lorry I already own?

Yes, fitting a crane to an existing chassis is a common and more affordable route than buying a complete crane lorry, and can be financed as its own agreement. The chassis needs to be structurally suitable and correctly plated for the crane's weight and reach, so get this confirmed by the crane manufacturer or installer before applying.

What deposit is typical for a tree surgery crane lorry?

Expect 15–25% on hire purchase, reflecting both the specialist nature of the vehicle and its smaller secondhand market compared with more general commercial vehicles. A strong contract pipeline or additional security can help bring this down, since it gives the lender more confidence in the business's ability to keep the vehicle earning. Established firms with several years of dismantling and take-down contracts behind them are generally offered the more favourable end of that range compared with a newer operation.

Does the chassis need to meet clean air zone standards?

It's worth checking before you buy, particularly if much of your work is in town or city centres with emissions-based access restrictions. An older chassis that doesn't meet current standards may face charges or restrictions operating in some areas, which is a factor worth weighing alongside price when choosing between a new and a used crane lorry.

Can I finance a used crane lorry?

Yes, though the market is smaller and more specialist than for general plant, since crane lorries are bespoke conversions rather than a standard vehicle type. Most lenders will finance a used unit from a recognised arboriculture vehicle dealer, and will want to see the crane's service history and load test certification as part of underwriting.