Total Hire & Sales

What Total Hire & Sales does

Total Hire and Sales Ltd is a privately held UK equipment hire operator headquartered in Derby, founded in 1968 (originally as City Plant Hire Ltd) and rebranded under its current name in 1997. The company rents tools, plant, powered access equipment, site accommodation, and lifting and handling equipment on flexible terms ranging from one day to twelve-plus months, serving construction businesses, professional landscapers, site managers, and DIY customers through five depots across the Midlands (Derby Central, Derby South/Powered Access, Huthwaite, Ripley, and Site Accommodation in Little Eaton), with same-day local collection/delivery and nationwide UK delivery. Its core technology is a standard equipment-hire and rental management stack supporting depot counter, phone (0800 254 5993), WhatsApp, email, and online quote channels, augmented by trade-account workflows with dedicated account managers and monthly invoicing. Revenue is generated primarily through usage-based hire tariffs (day/weekend/week rates), supplemented by equipment sales, paid delivery and collection fees, and recurring trade-account services; pricing follows unit-based pay-as-you-go billing with deposits waived for approved trade accounts.

Name

Total Hire & Sales

Legal name

Total Hire and Sales Ltd

Website

https://totalhireandsales.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Total Hire and Sales is a privately held UK tool, plant, and equipment hire company operating five Midlands depots, serving construction firms, landscapers, site managers, and DIY customers with same-day delivery and trade accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tool & Equipment Hire: Short-term and long-term rental of tools, plant, and equipment including excavators, powered access, site accommodation, and lifting equipment. Flexible hire terms from one day to 12 months or longer. Revenue generated through daily, weekend, and weekly rental rates.
2. Equipment Sales: Sale of tools and equipment to customers who prefer purchasing over hiring. Contact via email for purchase pricing.
3. Delivery & Collection Services: Delivery and collection services from £15.00 each way plus VAT. Same day delivery available in Midlands for calls by 11am.
4. Trade Account Services: Trade accounts offering Monday to Friday charges (weekends included), dedicated account managers, straightforward monthly invoicing, and access to exclusive discounts and offers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Total Hire & Sales rents and sells tools, plant, powered access, site accommodation, and lifting & handling equipment to construction businesses, tradespeople, landscapers, site managers, and DIY consumers from five Midlands depots, with flexible hire terms from one day to over 12 months and same-day collection or delivery across the region (and nationwide delivery on request). Revenue is generated primarily through daily, weekend and weekly hire rates, complemented by outright equipment sales, paid delivery/collection services, and a Trade Account program offering Monday-to-Friday flat charges, monthly invoicing, and dedicated account management.

Product overview

Total Hire & Sales is a tool, plant, and equipment hire company operating multiple depots across the Midlands. The offering is organized as a unified hire service platform with the following main product categories: Tool Hire (including Gardening & Landscaping, Heating & Cooling, Cleaning & Decorating, Access, Concrete & Compaction, Cutting & Sawing, Drilling & Breaking, Fixing & Woodworking, Plumbing & Pipework, Power & Lighting, Support, and Welding), Plant Hire (Excavators/Diggers, Telehandlers, Compressors & Rollers, Dumpers, and Bowsers), Powered Access (Articulated Booms, Electric Scissor Lifts, Diesel Scissor Lifts, Push Around Verticals), Site Accommodation (Site accommodation units, Fencing & Barriers), Lifting & Handling (Chain Hoists, Rubble Trucks, Plasterboard Trolleys, Material Lifts, Slings, Hoists), and PPE & Consumables. They also offer Trade Account services for business customers. Equipment can be hired on flexible terms from one day to over 12 months, with same-day delivery available in the Midlands. Specific named products include the Bluebird SHL 1200 Wood Chipper, Kubota K008-5 mini excavator, and Genie Material Lift range.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tool Hire Short- and long-term hire of professional tools spanning gardening/landscaping, heating & cooling, cleaning & decorating, access, concrete & compaction, cutting & sawing, drilling & breaking, fixing & woodworking, plumbing & pipework, power & lighting, support, and welding categories for trade and DIY customers.
• Plant Hire Hire of construction plant including excavators/mini diggers, telehandlers, compressors & rollers, dumpers, and bowsers for building and landscaping projects on flexible terms from one day to 12+ months.
• Powered Access Hire Hire of powered access equipment (MEWPs) including articulated booms, electric scissor lifts, diesel scissor lifts, and push-around verticals, with local and national coverage from the dedicated Derby South / Powered Access depot.
• Site Accommodation Hire Hire of site accommodation units (cabins, canteens, portacabins, welfare units) plus fencing and barriers from the dedicated Little Eaton depot, with nationwide delivery.
• Lifting & Handling Hire Hire of lifting and handling equipment including electric chain hoists (0.5–3 ton), rubble trucks (750kg/400 litre), Genie material lifts (SLA10/SLA15/SLA20/SLA25), plasterboard trolleys, slings, and hoists.
• Trade Account Service Trade account program offering same-day approval (usually within 2 working hours), no ID or deposits required, Monday-to-Friday charges with weekends included, monthly invoicing, exclusive discounts and offers, and a dedicated account manager for regular business customers.
• Equipment Sales Outright sale of tools and equipment for customers who prefer purchasing over hiring, with pricing available on enquiry via email.
• Delivery & Collection Service Local and nationwide delivery and collection of hired equipment from £15.00 each way plus VAT, with same-day delivery available in the Midlands for orders placed by 11am.
• PPE & Consumables Sale of personal protective equipment and consumables including signage, high-visibility clothing, safety glasses, hard hats, boots, drill bits, diamond cores, sanding discs, floor varnish, wood stains, blades, and nails.

Quantifiable outcome

• Same day approval for trade accounts (usually within 2 working hours)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Boss CabinsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2025Collaboration with Boss Cabins to provide comprehensive site accommodation solutions, combining Total Hire's accommodation units with Boss Cabins products.
• Hire Association Europe (HAE)coreOthersMembership in the Hire Association Europe, the lead trade body for the hire industry, providing industry representation, best practices, and the SafeHire certification scheme.
• Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA)coreOthersMembership in the Construction Plant-hire Association, representing the plant hire industry and providing guidance on standards and best practices.
• Stafford CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Stafford College to offer apprenticeship opportunities in various disciplines including electrics, engineering, mechanics, customer service, business management, accounts, and administration.
• North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) Harrowbrook CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NWSLC Harrowbrook Campus to provide apprenticeship training, particularly for powered access engineering and other technical roles.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hewden: UK plant and tool hire company focused on construction customers with a depot network supplying excavators, access equipment and site facilities — comparable in customer base and core plant offering.
• Speedy Hire: One of the UK's largest tool and equipment hire companies with a national depot network offering tools, plant, powered access and lifting equipment to construction and industrial customers — directly comparable to Total Hire's full-service hire offering.
• Sunbelt Rentals: UK arm of Ashtead Group, operating a national network of hire depots supplying tools, plant, powered access and site accommodation to construction and infrastructure customers — a direct scale competitor to Total Hire's core offering.
• HSS Hire: UK national tool and equipment hire specialist serving construction, trade and DIY customers across tool hire, plant, access and cleaning categories — overlapping directly with Total Hire's product categories and customer segments.
• Boels Rental: European-headquartered equipment hire group with a significant UK depot footprint offering tools, plant, powered access and site accommodation to construction trades — a direct competitor in Total Hire's core product lines.
• GAP Group: UK plant, tool and powered access hire specialist with depots across the country serving construction and industrial customers — overlapping with Total Hire's plant hire, powered access and lifting categories.
• Brandon Hire Station: UK-wide tool and equipment hire chain with a depot network covering tools, plant, access and cleaning equipment for trade and construction customers — directly comparable in product breadth and target customer.

Broad incumbents

• Travis Perkins: UK builders' merchant group with a tool and equipment hire division serving trade customers — a broader incumbent that competes with Total Hire on the hire side alongside its merchant business.
• Ashtead Group: FTSE-listed parent of Sunbelt Rentals, one of the largest equipment rental groups globally with extensive UK operations — a broad incumbent whose UK subsidiary competes directly with Total Hire across plant, tool and powered access hire.
• Vp plc: UK-listed equipment rental group operating multiple specialist hire brands (including Groundforce and TPA) across tools, plant, access and infrastructure solutions — a broader incumbent with overlapping categories to Total Hire.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/totalhire
• Facebookfacebook.com/totalhireandsales
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/total-hire-&-sales
• Instagraminstagram.com/totalhireandsales

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Total Hire & Sales