# Plumber van leasing, payload, security, boilers > Payload-first advice for boilers, cylinders and copper, with the spec confirmed in writing. Van leasing for plumbers and heating engineers, direct from FleetMe. Source: https://fleetme.co.uk/business/plumber-van-leasing --- For plumbers & heating engineers # Van leasing for plumbers and heating engineers **Yes, plumbing and heating firms that are limited companies or LLPs lease vans from FleetMe on business contract hire, normally a medium panel van chosen for payload rather than load volume. Sole traders hire over terms up to 12 months.** Updated 14 October 2026 · your agreement is with FleetMe Plumbing is a heavy trade. A combi boiler, a couple of radiators, a cylinder, lengths of copper and a full toolkit will fill the weight allowance of a small van long before they fill the space. That is why payload, not cubic metres, is the number that matters when a heating engineer picks a van, and it is the number most leasing sites never mention. ## Why does payload beat load volume for plumbing work? Payload is gross vehicle weight minus the weight of the van itself, and it is the legal limit you can be stopped for exceeding. Plumbing loads are dense: water weighs a kilogram per litre, a cylinder full of anything is heavy, and copper and cast iron add up quickly. A small van can look roomy and still run out of weight allowance with a boiler, a bag of fittings and two people on board. Work out a realistic worst-case load, compare it against the van's actual payload with your racking fitted, and leave headroom. Our [payload guide](https://fleetme.co.uk/guides/choosing-van-size-payload) shows how to do the arithmetic properly. ## What does the 3.5-tonne ceiling mean for you? A standard car licence taken from 1 January 1997 covers vehicles up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (GOV.UK, driving licence categories, 2026). That is the hard ceiling almost every trade van is built to, and it is why manufacturers work so hard to shave kerb weight. Go over it and DVSA can stop you at the roadside, issue a penalty and prohibit the van from moving until the load comes off, and your insurer may take a view too. If your loads genuinely need more, the next step up needs a further licence category that a driver who passed a car test from 1 January 1997 does not hold automatically, a bigger decision than a bigger van. ## How do you keep a plumbing van secure and earning? Boiler and cylinder theft from vans is common enough that deadlocks and a ply-lined, bulkheaded load area are worth specifying from the start rather than retrofitting after an incident. The other risk is downtime: if you are a one-van business, a van off the road is a week of cancelled appointments. A maintenance package rolls servicing, tyres and wear items into the monthly rental so a big bill never lands in a bad month, see [what a maintenance package covers](https://fleetme.co.uk/guides/maintenance-packages-explained) before you decide either way. ## Not a limited company? Business contract hire is for **limited companies and LLPs**. If you trade as a sole trader, or you want the vehicle in your own name, what we can supply is **vehicle hire of up to 12 months** instead. Incorporating is the step that opens up business contract hire over terms up to 12 months, which is why plenty of tradespeople do it before taking on a van. ## Get a written quote Tell us the vehicle, the mileage and how long you need it for. We come back with a written quote, and we aim to do that the same working day. We confirm which agreement applies before anything is signed. - ✓ Your agreement is with FleetMe - ✓ We confirm your quote in writing - ✓ Business rentals quoted ex VAT, with VAT shown How many vehicles do you need? Takes a minute. No obligation. ## Enquiry received, one step to go. We can put a guide figure together from what you ve told us. To confirm the vehicle, the monthly rental and a delivery date **in writing**, we need your business details and the underwriting information. Next step · about 5 minutes Complete your business application It s pre-filled from your answers. Nothing is committed until we confirm your quote and you sign. No obligation · About 5 minutes Prefer to leave it there? We ll still be in touch about your enquiry. ### The bigger picture: UK van market figures Source: [SMMT](https://www.smmt.co.uk/van-market-shrinks-in-2025-despite-ev-growth/), 2025 Source: [SMMT](https://www.smmt.co.uk/van-market-shrinks-in-2025-despite-ev-growth/), 2025 Source: [BVRLA Leasing Outlook](https://www.bvrla.co.uk/home/discover/news-and-analysis/growth-continues-but-pressure-builds-for-uk-leasing-sector), 2026 UK market figures from the sources named on each card, not FleetMe's own results. ## Common questions ### What payload does a plumber need? It depends on your worst-case load rather than your average one, a boiler, a cylinder, a radiator or two, tools and a mate. Work that out in kilograms, then check it against the van's payload after racking. Most heating engineers land on a medium van for this reason. ### Is the manufacturer payload figure the one I can use? Not quite. It is quoted for the van as built. Racking, ply lining, a bulkhead, a roof rack and any fitted equipment all come out of it, and so does a second person. Weigh the van once it is set up. ### Can I lease a van as a heating engineer trading as a limited company? Yes, limited company business contract hire is our main product. Newly formed companies with no filed accounts are genuinely considered on the strength of the business, its directors and affordability. ### What if I am a sole trader rather than a company? As a sole trader the route is van hire of up to 12 months, not contract hire. It puts a van on the road quickly; it will not give you a boiler-carrying van specified and held for four years. Incorporating is what changes that. ### What happens if my van is off the road? That is what a maintenance package is for: servicing and wear items are covered in the rental. Ask us what the arrangements are before you sign, so you know exactly what applies rather than assuming. Business van leasing → How the monthly rental is built, what is included and what is not, and who it is for. Browse the van range → Guide rentals across small, medium and large vans, pickups and conversions. ## You might also look at