MEWP rental market stagnates in 2025 IPAF report finds

The UK mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) rental market stagnated in 2025 due to a reduced fleet size, according to a report from the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF).

The MEWP Rental Market Report 2026 found a 1% drop in rental revenue to £477m last year, with rental rates also slipping slightly by 0.6% for the period. Fleet size in 2025 was down 1.1% to 9,702, while average utilisation of MEWPs remained consistent at 64%.

The report predicted a market recovery in 2027, with revenue predicted to increase by 4% to £496m.

The report said: “Despite continued pressure on rental rates and subdued fleet growth, the market remained broadly stable. Looking ahead, rental companies remain cautious about expanding their fleets, as wider instability continues to affect the number of new projects undertaken by clients.”

The use of cross-hire in the industry grew by 7.5% in 2025, up from 3.9% in 2024. The report said this growth “points to an increasingly competitive environment, with providers seeking to optimise their fleets and improve utilisation and reduce equipment downtime”.

In terms of MEWP usage, the report found slightly higher use in construction compared to 2024 – up 3% to 52%.

Last year, the average fleet retention period fell to nine years and two months, down from 10.5 years in 2024. The report said this indicated “that companies have started to renew or dispose of older machines after extending retention periods” and this also reflected “the penetration of Asian-imported MEWPs with flexible payment terms and often at a lower price compared to their European alternatives, therefore making company fleet management keener to replace, rather than renew”.

The report was written in partnership with Ducker Carlisle. IPAF has been producing these reports since 2009.