Finance Assets arranges asset finance for landscaping and grounds maintenance companies, helping UK businesses fund mowers, compact tractors, chippers, mini diggers, tippers and trailers, new or used.
Landscaping equipment finance spreads the cost of machinery over 2 to 5 years, so a contractor can take on a new maintenance contract or replace worn kit without draining the cash that carries the business through winter. We arrange grounds care equipment finance and asset finance for landscaping, grounds maintenance, tree surgery and sports turf firms.
Written by Marcus Wright, founder of Bolton Business Finance Ltd, in financial services since 2008 and a commercial finance broker since 2019. Last reviewed September 2026.
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The short version
- Asset finance lets landscaping and grounds maintenance firms spread the cost of mowers, tractors, chippers, plant and vehicles over 2 to 5 years.
- Some lenders offer seasonal payments, so repayments are higher in the growing season and lower in winter.
- Matching the finance term to a maintenance contract means the kit is paid off by the time the contract is renewed.
- Battery mowers and handheld tools can be financed as a bundle with their batteries and chargers.
- Finance Assets arranges landscaping equipment finance for limited companies and LLPs, and for sole traders and partnerships on agreements over £25,000.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Equipment covered | Mowers, compact tractors and attachments, chippers, stump grinders, mini diggers, dumpers, handheld tools, tippers, vans and trailers |
| Deal sizes | From a bundle of battery tools to a full fleet for a new contract |
| Terms | Usually 2 to 4 years on mowers and handheld kit, and up to 5 years on tractors, plant and vehicles |
| Paid upfront | Hire purchase: often a 10% deposit plus VAT. Leases: usually 1 to 3 rentals in advance |
| New or used | Both, including used machines from dealers and other contractors |
| Who we help | Limited companies and LLPs, plus sole traders and partnerships on business agreements over £25,000 |
Landscaping and grounds care equipment we finance
Lenders will fund most of the machinery and vehicles a landscaping or grounds maintenance firm uses, provided it is professional-grade kit from an established maker or dealer.
| Equipment group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Mowing | Ride-on and zero-turn mowers, out-front rotary mowers, cylinder and gang mowers, and flail and batwing mowers |
| Tractors and attachments | Compact tractors, front loaders, flail hedge cutters, aerators, scarifiers and top dressers |
| Tree work | Wood chippers, stump grinders, tracked access platforms and winches |
| Hard landscaping | Mini diggers, dumpers, tracked carriers, plate compactors and block and slab cutters |
| Handheld and battery tools | Strimmers, hedge trimmers, blowers and chainsaws, with batteries and chargers, usually as a bundle |
| Vehicles and trailers | Crew cab tippers, vans, plant trailers, sweepers and winter gritters |
How landscapers use asset finance
Most landscaping and grounds maintenance firms use asset finance to equip new contracts and to replace kit that works hard every season.
- Equipping a new contract. Winning a council, housing or commercial estate contract often means buying mowers, a tractor and a vehicle before the first invoice is paid.
- Replacing worn kit on a cycle. Mowers and handheld tools run long hours each season, and replacing them every few years keeps breakdowns and repair bills down.
- Moving to battery tools. Many clients now ask for quieter, lower-emission equipment, especially near schools, hospitals and homes.
- Bringing plant in-house. A landscaper hiring a mini digger or dumper most weeks may pay less owning one on finance.
- Protecting winter cash flow. Spreading the cost keeps cash free for the quieter months, when mowing income drops.
Finance options for landscaping and grounds care equipment
Most landscapers buy machinery on hire purchase and use contract hire for vans. Our types of asset finance guide covers each option in more depth.
| Type | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Hire purchase | A deposit, then fixed monthly payments. You own the equipment after the last one | Tractors, chippers, mini diggers and mowers you will run for several seasons |
| Finance lease | Rentals with VAT added to each one. The lender owns the equipment | Keeping the deposit and VAT outlay down on a larger fleet |
| Operating lease | Lower rentals set around the expected resale value. You hand the equipment back at the end | Mowers and tools replaced every few years, or kit tied to a fixed-length contract |
| Contract hire | A fixed rental for an agreed term and mileage, often with maintenance included | Vans, pickups and crew cab tippers |
Hire purchase for grounds care equipment
Hire purchase for grounds care equipment is the most common choice for tractors, chippers and plant, which can work for many seasons with regular servicing. You pay a deposit, often around 10% plus the VAT, then fixed monthly payments, and the equipment becomes yours after the final payment and a small option fee. Several machines can go on one agreement.
Finance lease for grounds care equipment
A finance lease for grounds care equipment keeps the upfront cost down, because VAT is added to each rental instead of being paid on the full price at the start. The lender owns the equipment. At the end of the main term you can usually keep it on a small secondary rental, or sell it for the lender and keep most of the proceeds.
Operating lease for grounds care equipment
An operating lease for grounds care equipment sets lower rentals around what the equipment should be worth at the end, and you hand it back when the term finishes. It suits mowers and tools you plan to replace every few years, and fleets bought for a contract of a fixed length. Lenders offer it mainly on branded commercial machines with a strong resale market.
Contract hire for landscaping vehicles
Contract hire is mostly used for vans, pickups and crew cab tippers. You pay a fixed monthly rental for an agreed term and mileage, often with maintenance included, then hand the vehicle back. It turns the crew fleet into one predictable monthly cost.
Seasonal payments and maintenance contracts
Landscaping and grounds work is busiest from spring to autumn, and many firms earn much less in winter. Some lenders can set up seasonal payment profiles, with higher payments in the growing season and lower or paused payments in the quieter months, so repayments follow the cash coming in. Not every lender offers this, so it helps to ask at the start.
Grounds maintenance contracts with councils, housing associations, schools and commercial estates often run for several years. Matching the finance term to the contract means the kit is paid off by the time the contract comes up for renewal. A copy of the contract also gives the lender confidence that the income is there to cover the payments.
VAT and tax on landscaping equipment finance
Hire purchase means paying the VAT up front and may bring capital allowances, while the lease-based options spread the VAT across the rentals.
| Type | VAT | Tax treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Hire purchase | VAT on the full price is payable at the start, and a VAT-registered company normally recovers it on its next return | The company counts as the owner for tax, so it may be able to claim capital allowances, such as full expensing or the annual investment allowance on new equipment |
| Finance lease | VAT is charged on each rental and recovered through normal returns | Rentals are usually deductible from profits |
| Operating lease | VAT is charged on each rental | Rentals are usually deductible, and the lender takes the capital allowances |
| Contract hire | VAT is charged on each rental, with limits for cars | Rentals are usually a running cost of the business |
Check with your accountant how each option fits your company’s tax position before you commit.
Grounds maintenance fleet finance costs: a worked example
A grounds maintenance package at £95,000, made up of two zero-turn mowers, a compact tractor with a flail and a wood chipper, costs about £2,719 a month over 3 years on hire purchase, or about £2,128 a month over 4 years.
| Item | 3 years | 4 years |
|---|---|---|
| Package price (excl. VAT) | £95,000 | £95,000 |
| Deposit (10%) | £9,500 | £9,500 |
| VAT paid upfront | £19,000 | £19,000 |
| Amount financed | £85,500 | £85,500 |
| Monthly payment | £2,718.88 | £2,127.67 |
| Total interest | £12,380 | £16,628 |
The 4-year term lowers the monthly payment by about £591 but adds around £4,249 of interest. If the kit is for a 3-year contract, the shorter term means it is paid off before renewal. A seasonal payment profile would change the monthly figures, but the total you repay would be similar.
Illustration calculated in September 2026, assuming an interest rate of 9% a year and equal monthly payments. It is not a quote. Your rate depends on your trading history, credit profile and the equipment.
What lenders look for in landscaping companies
Lenders look at the usual financial documents, plus the contracts you hold and how your income changes through the year.
- Accounts and bank statements. The last two years of filed accounts, recent management accounts and business bank statements. Statements covering a full year help show how income changes by season.
- Contracts and customers. Your maintenance contracts, who they are with and when they end, plus the mix of commercial, public sector and domestic work.
- Equipment details. The make, model and supplier and, for used machines, the age, hours and condition.
- Operator’s licence. If you run goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, such as larger tippers, your goods vehicle operator’s licence.
- Existing finance. A list of equipment and vehicles already on finance and what is left to pay.
Related guides
- Asset finance for horticulture businesses, for growers, nurseries and garden centres
- Asset finance for agricultural contractors, for hedge cutting and estate work
- Asset finance for civil engineering firms
- Asset finance for concrete and aggregates suppliers
- Asset finance for dairy farms
- Types of asset finance
- All sectors we finance
Who we can help
We arrange asset finance for landscaping, grounds maintenance, tree surgery and sports turf businesses that trade as UK limited companies and LLPs, and for sole traders and partnerships on agreements over £25,000 that are for business purposes. We are not authorised by the FCA, so we cannot arrange agreements of £25,000 or less for sole traders or partnerships of two or three partners, or finance for garden machinery for personal use.
Landscaping equipment finance FAQs
Can I get seasonal payments on landscaping equipment finance?
Some lenders offer seasonal payment profiles, with higher payments from spring to autumn and lower or paused payments in winter. They are more common on hire purchase with lenders that also fund farming. The total you repay is usually similar, but the timing matches your income more closely.
Can I finance used mowers and tractors?
Yes. Used commercial mowers, compact tractors and chippers from dealers and other contractors are funded regularly. Lenders look at the make, age, hours and condition. Mowers that have done a lot of hours may be offered a shorter term so the agreement ends while the machine still has value.
Can battery mowers and tools be financed?
Yes. Battery mowers, strimmers, hedge trimmers and blowers can be financed, usually as a bundle with their batteries and chargers. Batteries are a large part of the cost, so including them on the same agreement spreads the full price of switching over.
Can I finance equipment for a new maintenance contract?
Yes. A copy of the contract or award letter helps, because it shows the lender the income that will cover the payments. Many contractors match the finance term to the length of the contract, so the kit is paid off by the time it comes up for renewal.
Can a newer landscaping company get finance?
Yes. Lenders look harder at businesses with less than two years of accounts, and may ask for a larger deposit or personal guarantees. Signed contracts and a long record in the trade make an application much easier. Limited companies and LLPs can apply at any amount, and sole traders and partnerships on agreements over £25,000.
Can I finance tippers, vans and trailers?
Yes. Crew cab tippers and vans can be funded on hire purchase or contract hire, and plant trailers on hire purchase. If a vehicle is over 3.5 tonnes, the lender may ask to see your goods vehicle operator’s licence. We can arrange vehicles and machinery at the same time.
Get a landscaping equipment finance quote
Tell us about the equipment
Send us the machines or vehicles, the prices and whether they are new or used, plus a few details about your contracts. We will come back with the options that are realistic and what they are likely to cost.
About the author
Marcus Wright is the owner and founder of Bolton Business Finance Ltd, which trades as Finance Assets. He has worked in financial services since 2008, beginning his career at Santander, and has been a commercial finance broker since March 2019.
He founded Bolton Business Finance in 2020 to give businesses access to the whole lending market rather than one bank’s own product range. The firm is a member of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers and works with a panel of 135+ lenders. Call 0161 546 9128.
Finance Assets is a trading name of Bolton Business Finance Ltd, an independent commercial finance brokerage, not a lender. We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and can only complete non-regulated introductions. All lending is for business purposes only. Registered address: Westgate House, 1 Westgate Avenue, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL1 4RF. Company number 12495909.