How to become a mobile tyre fitter
No licence, no qualification requirement, and a lower entry cost than recovery. Mobile tyre fitting is one of the most accessible routes into working for yourself on the road.
To become a mobile tyre fitter in the UK you need a van, a mobile tyre changer and balancer, TPMS tools and torque equipment, plus hire and reward and public liability insurance. There is no mandatory licence or qualification, though IMI accreditation helps. Realistic startup cost is £8,000 to £25,000.
Mobile tyre fitting occupies a useful middle ground. It costs less to enter than vehicle recovery, the work is more repeatable than general breakdown assistance, and unlike man and van it does not depend on heavy lifting, which extends the working life of the operator considerably.
There is no legal requirement to hold a qualification to fit tyres in the UK. That surprises people. What exists instead is a competence expectation: British Standard AU159 governs when a tyre may be repaired rather than replaced, and getting that judgement wrong is both a safety issue and a liability issue. Most serious operators pursue IMI accreditation or manufacturer training even though nobody compels them to.
The equipment is the main capital decision. A mobile setup needs a tyre changer and a wheel balancer that can run off the van, a compressor, a torque wrench and a TPMS tool. That last one has become non-negotiable: tyre pressure monitoring systems are fitted to most cars sold from around 2014 onward, and a fitter who cannot service or reset a sensor cannot complete the job.
Low profile and run-flat fitments are the technical challenge. A short, stiff sidewall is harder to break and seat, and run-flats have reinforced sidewalls that punish a careless machine operator. Equipment that handles them properly costs more, and the areas where they are most common, London in particular, are also where the rates are best.
The commercial appeal is that tyre work is high-frequency and low-drama. Punctures, blowouts and worn tyres happen constantly and predictably, the jobs are short, and the customer usually needs it done today. Where recovery work is unpredictable and physically demanding, tyre fitting is steady.
It is also worth understanding the seasonal shape of the work. Demand rises sharply from January to March as freeze-thaw damage opens up road surfaces and pothole impacts produce sidewall failures, and again in autumn when the first cold weather exposes tyres that have quietly lost pressure through the year. Summer brings blowouts from heat and load rather than impact. The work never stops entirely, but the type of failure changes, and carrying stock that matches the season improves first-visit completion rates.
What it costs to start
Ranges reflect used versus new equipment. A second-hand mobile setup bought as a package is usually cheaper than assembling one piece by piece.
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Used panel van | £4,000 to £9,000 | Needs payload for the machines, a compressor and stock. Racking out costs extra. |
| Mobile tyre changer | £2,000 to £6,000 | Van-mounted or portable. Low profile and run-flat capability costs more. |
| Wheel balancer | £1,000 to £3,000 | Needed for anything above basic fitting. Customers notice an unbalanced wheel immediately. |
| TPMS tool and sensor stock | £300 to £1,200 | Essential for most cars from about 2014. Without it you cannot finish the job. |
| Compressor, torque wrench, jacks | £500 to £1,500 | Torque matters: alloy wheels and modern hubs are unforgiving of guesswork. |
| Hire and reward plus public liability | £1,200 to £3,000 a year | You are working on customer vehicles at the roadside, often on the public highway. |
| IMI or manufacturer training | £400 to £1,500 | Not mandatory, but it is what separates you from an untrained competitor. |
| Realistic total to trade | £8,000 to £25,000 | Lower than recovery, higher than man and van. Equipment dominates. |
Step by step
Decide mobile-only or mobile plus stock
Carrying common sizes lets you complete more jobs on the first visit but ties up capital and payload. Fitting customer-supplied tyres or collecting from a local factor keeps costs down but adds a trip. Most start collecting and add stock once they know their local size mix.
Buy the machine before the van
The tyre changer and balancer determine the payload and space you need, so choosing them first tells you what van will actually work. Doing it the other way round is how people end up with a van that cannot carry the kit safely.
Get TPMS capability from day one
Most cars sold from around 2014 have tyre pressure monitoring. A fitter who cannot read, reset or replace a sensor leaves warning lights on and jobs unfinished. The tool pays for itself in completed callouts.
Sort the insurance
You are working on other people's vehicles, frequently at the roadside on public highways. Hire and reward for the van, public liability for the work, and cover that contemplates damage to the vehicle you are working on.
Get trained even though nobody requires it
There is no mandatory qualification, but British Standard AU159 governs when a tyre can legally be repaired. Knowing where the repairable area ends, and refusing work outside it, protects both the customer and you.
Find the work
Fleets, private hire operators and garages produce repeat volume. Roadside emergency work pays best per job but is unpredictable. Platform work delivers pre-priced callouts without advertising spend, which fills the gaps while trade relationships build.
Do you need a qualification?
Legally, no. There is no licensing body for tyre fitting in the UK and no mandatory certificate. What exists is a professional standard: the IMI offers accreditation, and tyre manufacturers run their own training. The reason to do it despite nobody requiring it is competence around repairs. British Standard AU159 defines the central repairable area of a tyre and the conditions under which a repair is permissible, and a fitter who plugs a sidewall or repairs a run-flat that has been driven flat has created a hazard and a liability. Accreditation is also increasingly asked for by fleet and contract customers.
TPMS: the thing that stops jobs
Tyre pressure monitoring systems are fitted to the large majority of cars sold in the UK from around 2014 onward. Direct systems use a sensor inside each wheel with its own battery and a service life of roughly five to ten years. Any tyre change on such a vehicle may need the sensor serviced, reset or replaced, and the car will display a warning until it is. A mobile fitter without a TPMS tool and a stock of universal sensors will regularly leave jobs unfinished, which is both a lost sale and a reputational problem.
Run-flats and low profiles
Run-flat tyres have reinforced sidewalls that let them be driven on briefly while deflated. They are common on German saloons and SUVs and concentrated in higher-income areas. They are harder to fit, require equipment that will not damage the reinforced sidewall, and generally cannot be repaired once driven on while flat. Low profile fitments, with very short sidewalls, are similarly demanding. Both are worth learning to handle properly, because the areas where they dominate are the areas with the best rates.
Where tyre work comes from
Fleet and private hire contracts give predictable volume: vehicles covering high mileage need tyres often, and operators value someone who comes to the depot overnight. Garages subcontract mobile work they cannot do themselves. Roadside emergencies pay the best per job and arrive unpredictably. Platform work sits between the two, providing pre-priced public callouts without you spending on advertising. The strongest businesses build a base of contract work and use platform jobs to fill the gaps.
What the work actually involves
Torque is not optional
Modern alloy wheels and hubs have specific torque figures, and both under and over-tightening cause real failures. A calibrated torque wrench, used properly on every wheel, is the difference between a professional operation and a claim. It is also the thing fleet customers check.
The job is short, so density matters
A tyre change is often twenty to forty minutes. That means travel time between jobs is a large share of your day, and clustering work geographically matters more than in trades with longer jobs. Operators who accept scattered work across a wide radius earn far less per hour than the rate suggests.
Disposal is regulated
Old tyres are controlled waste. You cannot simply take them to a tip or leave them behind, and disposal has a cost per casing. Building that into your price, and using a licensed disposal route, is part of running the business properly.
Weather is your working environment
Unlike a garage fitter you work outdoors year round, often at the roadside in poor conditions. Lighting, wet weather gear and safe positioning are daily concerns rather than occasional ones, particularly for any work on or near a live carriageway.
Stock decisions define your margin
Carrying the right sizes means completing jobs first time at full margin. Carrying the wrong ones ties up cash in casings that sit. Most operators learn their local size mix within a few months and adjust, so start light and let the data tell you.
It is kinder to your body than removals
Compared with man and van work, tyre fitting involves far less heavy lifting and far fewer stairs. For operators thinking about a decade rather than a season, that difference is worth weighing seriously.
The parts people get wrong
Repairing outside the safe area is dangerous
British Standard AU159 restricts repairs to the central area of the tread with the damage close to perpendicular. Sidewall damage, bulges and run-flats that have been driven on while deflated are replacements, not repairs. Doing otherwise creates a tyre that can fail at speed.
No TPMS tool means unfinished jobs
On most cars from around 2014 a tyre change without sensor service leaves a warning light on the dashboard. Customers reasonably regard that as an incomplete job, and it is entirely avoidable with a tool that costs a few hundred pounds.
Roadside work needs real caution
Working on a vehicle at the side of a live road is the most dangerous part of this trade. On motorways and all-lane-running sections it should not be attempted at all without the carriageway being managed. Knowing when to decline a location is part of the job.
Figures here are guidance, not quotes
Equipment prices, insurance premiums and training costs vary by supplier, region and history. Standards and requirements change. Verify with equipment suppliers, an insurance broker and the IMI before committing money.
Payload is easy to exceed
A tyre changer, balancer, compressor and a rack of casings adds up quickly, and a van loaded past its plated weight is both illegal and uninsured. Check the payload figure on the VIN plate against the real weight of your kit before buying.
Common questions
Do I need a qualification to be a mobile tyre fitter?
No. There is no mandatory licence or certificate for tyre fitting in the UK. IMI accreditation and manufacturer training exist and are worth having, particularly for fleet and contract customers, but nobody legally compels you. Competence around British Standard AU159 repair limits matters more than any certificate.
How much does it cost to start mobile tyre fitting?
Realistically £8,000 to £25,000. The tyre changer and balancer dominate at roughly £3,000 to £9,000 combined, with a used van at £4,000 to £9,000 on top. That is meaningfully less than starting a recovery business and more than starting man and van.
What equipment do I actually need?
A mobile tyre changer, a wheel balancer, a compressor, a calibrated torque wrench, jacks and a TPMS tool with universal sensor stock. The TPMS tool is the one people underestimate: without it you cannot finish jobs on most cars built from around 2014.
Can I fit run-flat tyres?
Yes, with the right machine. Run-flats have reinforced sidewalls that are harder to break and seat and are easily damaged by unsuitable equipment. They are common on German saloons and SUVs, and the areas where they dominate tend to pay better, so the capability is usually worth the extra equipment cost.
How do I get customers?
Fleets and private hire operators give the most predictable volume because their vehicles wear tyres fast and they value overnight depot visits. Garages subcontract mobile work. Roadside emergencies pay best per job but arrive unpredictably. Platform work provides pre-priced callouts without advertising spend.
What do I do with the old tyres?
They are controlled waste and must go through a licensed disposal route, at a cost per casing. You cannot leave them with the customer or take them to a household tip. Build the disposal cost into your pricing from the start.
Is mobile tyre fitting better than man and van?
They suit different people. Tyre fitting has higher equipment costs but far less physical strain, shorter jobs and more predictable demand. Man and van has a lower entry cost but heavy lifting and stairs, which shortens working life. If you are planning a decade rather than a season, the physical difference is worth weighing.
Is there enough demand for another tyre fitter?
Demand for mobile fitting is growing because the convenience is genuinely valuable: customers avoid a garage trip, congestion charges and waiting rooms. The gap is largest for out-of-hours and roadside work, where most fixed garages simply do not compete.
How long does a mobile tyre change take?
Typically twenty to forty minutes per wheel once you are on site, depending on the fitment. Run-flats and low profiles take longer because the sidewall is harder to break and seat. Because the jobs are short, travel between them is a large share of the working day, which is why clustering work geographically matters more in this trade than in most.
Already have the vehicle? Skip the hard part
Finding customers is the slowest and most expensive part of starting out. TowManVan brings the jobs to you: you keep 90 percent of every fare in year one, with no weekly subscription, no lead fees and no bidding against other operators for the same work. We are signing up drivers now, ahead of the 1st of October 2026 launch.
Apply to driveTom Hargreaves - Head of Recovery Standards
Tom spent 12 years patrolling UK motorways with the AA before joining TowManVan. He reviews every price, licensing and safety claim on this page. Questions? Email tom@towmanvan.co.uk.
Last updated 19 August 2026. Figures are guidance, not a quote. Check current requirements with the relevant authority before acting on them.