National Tool Hire

What National Tool Hire does

National Tool Hire is a UK-based online marketplace that aggregates 2,000+ independent tool and equipment hire depots into a single self-serve booking platform. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Liverpool, the company operates as a booking platform rather than a depot — it does not own equipment, employ operators, or run physical stores. Customers browse categories spanning tools (climate, concrete, decorating, electrical, floor care, landscaping, plumbing, power tools), plant (diggers, dumpers, rollers, telehandlers), access equipment (scaffold towers, powered access, ladders), lifting and handling, events/site/welfare infrastructure, and building supplies; they then select dates and pay online without opening a trade account or undergoing a credit check. Every booking includes kerbside delivery and collection arranged by the matched partner depot, plus Hire Shield — an accidental damage protection product bundled at no extra cost, with a 48-hour incident reporting window.

The underlying technology is a marketplace booking platform that aggregates dispersed depot inventory and surfaces a single price across the network regardless of which partner fulfils the order. The product surface also includes a Trade Account Program offering premium pricing for professional customers and a Knowledge Hub content engine targeting top-of-funnel organic demand. The company holds Cyber Essentials certification as its principal compliance asset.

Revenue is generated via marketplace commissions on each booking fulfilled by a partner depot, with prices displayed to customers including VAT and Hire Shield coverage, and delivery calculated at checkout by postcode. Go-to-market is exclusively digital and self-serve: no sales team, no trade account onboarding, no physical locations. The customer base is split between DIY/homeowners undertaking one-off projects and trade professionals/contractors seeking recurring access to equipment, with the platform positioned against traditional hire companies that require trade accounts, credit applications, and depot visits.

Name

National Tool Hire

Legal name

National Tool Hire

Website

https://nationaltoolhireshops.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Tool Hire is a UK online marketplace aggregating 2,000+ independent tool and equipment hire depots into a single self-serve booking platform, serving DIY consumers and trade professionals with pay-as-you-go rentals and bundled accidental damage cover.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equipment Rental Marketplace

NAICS

Construction, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532412)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Services & Gigs C2C Marketplaces (CRAFAKAI)

Keywords

• Tool hire marketplace
• Equipment rental platform
• Plant hire services
• Construction equipment hire
• DIY tool rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Tool Rental Transaction Fees: National Tool Hire charges transaction fees on tool rental bookings made through its marketplace platform. As a booking platform (not a depot), the company takes a commission on each booking fulfilled by partner depots. Prices shown to customers include VAT and Hire Shield coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

National Tool Hire operates a UK-wide online marketplace that aggregates 2,000+ independent tool hire depots into a single booking platform. Customers browse equipment, select dates, and pay online without needing a trade account, credit check, or depot visit. The platform takes a commission on bookings fulfilled by partner depots, with kerbside delivery, collection, and accidental damage protection included as standard.

Product overview

National Tool Hire operates a marketplace platform that aggregates 2,000+ independent tool hire depots across the UK into a single booking system. The core National Tool Hire platform enables customers to search, book, and pay for equipment online without accounts or credit checks. Every booking includes Hire Shield accidental damage protection as standard. The platform offers diverse equipment categories: Tools (climate, concrete, decorating, electrical, floor care, landscaping, plumbing, power tools), Plant (heavy machinery, operated plant), Access Equipment (scaffolding, ladders, powered access), Lifting & Handling, Events/Site/Welfare infrastructure, and Building Supplies. A Trade Account Program provides premium pricing for business customers. The Knowledge Hub offers project guides and expert advice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Book in under 3 minutes vs 72+ hour traditional account setup
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 2,000+ UK Depot PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal tool hire companies across the UK fulfill customer orders sourced through the National Tool Hire marketplace. These depot partners provide equipment, handle delivery, perform maintenance and testing, and collect equipment after rental. National Tool Hire matches customer orders to nearest available partner depot in its network. The company has a 'Become a partner' program for depots wanting to join the network.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• HSS Hire: One of the UK's largest tool and equipment hire operators with a national depot network spanning tools, plant and access. Direct comparator for breadth of catalogue and UK coverage, though it operates owned-fleet depots rather than a pure marketplace.
• Speedy Hire: Major UK equipment rental provider offering tools, plant, powered access and lifting equipment through a national branch network. Comparable on product taxonomy, UK geography and customer mix of trade plus infrastructure clients.
• Brandon Hire Station: UK tool and equipment hire company with branches across the country, serving construction, industrial and DIY customers. Direct overlap in product range (tools, access, plant) and UK trade customer base.
• GAP Hire Solutions: UK equipment hire specialist with divisions covering tools, plant, powered access, lifting and welfare. Overlaps heavily with National Tool Hire's category mix and its reliance on the UK trade and infrastructure customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Travis Perkins (Tool Hire): UK builders' merchant with a dedicated Tool Hire arm positioned as an add-on to its core building supplies distribution. Overlaps with National Tool Hire on equipment categories and trade customer base, but is bundled within a much larger merchant platform.
• Jewson Tool Hire: UK builders' merchant offering tool hire alongside timber, building materials and civils supplies. Competes for the same trade and DIY customer, leveraging merchant branch density rather than a standalone marketplace model.
• Sunbelt Rentals: Large North American equipment rental operator (with UK presence) offering tools, plant and access equipment. Comparable on catalogue breadth and trade/industrial customer base, but operates an owned-asset depot model at materially larger scale.
• Ashtead Group (Sunbelt UK): FTSE-listed parent of Sunbelt Rentals in the US and A-Plant in the UK, one of the largest equipment rental operators globally. Comparable on equipment hire scale and trade/industrial focus, though anchored on large-contract customers rather than DIY.

Regional players

• Boels Rental: Europe's largest equipment rental brand with operations across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK. Comparable on equipment hire breadth and trade customer base, but primarily serves continental Europe rather than the UK market National Tool Hire targets.

Emerging players

• Kennards Hire: Australian equipment hire specialist with a strong DIY and trade offering. Closely comparable business model ethos — friction, transparency and broad equipment access for non-account customers — though operating in Australia rather than the UK.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/toolhireshops

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Tool Hire