Digger Ticket Cost: What 360 Excavator and Dumper Tickets Cost
A digger ticket typically costs £900–£1,500 for a full 360 excavator course on a machine below ten tonnes, and £950–£1,600 above ten tonnes. A one-day refresher for an operator renewing a card is typically £300–£500. A forward tipping dumper ticket is usually cheaper, at around £280–£900 depending on experience.
This guide explains why the figures vary, how the two excavator ranges published on this site fit together, and how to bring the price per operator down. All figures are typical UK guidance ranges for 2026, not a fixed price list.
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Key points
- Full 360 excavator course: typically £900–£1,500 below 10t, £950–£1,600 above 10t.
- Refresher for a current operator: typically £300–£500 for 1 day.
- Forward tipping dumper ticket: typically £280–£900.
- Card fees are sometimes quoted separately, typically £30–£70 per candidate.
- Logan delivers NPORS training leading to NPORS cards carrying the CSCS logo, not CPCS.
How much does a digger ticket cost?
A digger ticket is the card issued after passing an accredited excavator test. With NPORS, the route Logan Plant Training delivers, that card carries the CSCS logo. The price is driven by days: a novice usually needs 3–5 days, an experienced operator without a card around 2 days, and a current card holder renewing needs 1 day.
That is why you will see two kinds of figure. A full course for a novice or experienced operator below ten tonnes sits at £900–£1,500. Across every route, from a one-day refresher up to a full novice course, the span runs from about £300 to £1,500. Both are correct: the lower number is the refresher, the higher number is the longest novice course.
360 excavator training prices by machine size
Excavator categories are split by size, usually at ten tonnes, and the larger category costs a little more. A ticket earned on a mini digger does not automatically cover a 20-tonne civils machine, so the machine you train on matters as much as the price.
For NPORS 360 excavator training, the main questions behind a quote are the same every time: how many candidates, how much machine time each already has, which size bands are needed, and whether the work includes lifting, which adds a lifting duties endorsement. Wheeled 360s are priced in the same band as larger tracked machines.
360° Excavator
- Foundation and drainage excavation
- Utility trenching
- Tracked or wheeled machines
Dumper ticket cost
Forward tipping dumper training is a shorter course: typically 2–3 days for a novice, 1–2 days for an experienced operator and 1 day for a refresher. That puts the dumper ticket cost at around £280–£900 in total.
Many sites train excavator and dumper operators on the same visit. Because on-site training is priced by the instructor's time, adding a dumper candidate to an excavator booking is often cheaper than booking each separately.
Costs that are easy to miss
Card and registration fees are sometimes included and sometimes added, typically £30–£70 per candidate where they are quoted separately. Ask whether a digger ticket price includes the card.
Some schemes and sites also expect a current CITB health, safety and environment test pass before a CSCS-logo card is issued, so check whether operators need one. Travel to a training centre, time off the job and machine hire can add more than the course itself; on-site training on your own machine removes most of those.
How to lower the cost per operator
Book several candidates together, train on your own machine at your own site, and be honest about experience so nobody pays for days they do not need. An operator who has been digging for years without a card often needs the experienced route, not the novice course.
Logan Plant Training delivers excavator and dumper training on your own site across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and North-East Scotland from our Aboyne base. Call 07867 933 018 or use the enquiry form for a price for your team.
Digger and dumper tickets: typical durations and published price ranges
| Item | Typical duration | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| 360 excavator below 10t, full course | Novice 3–5 days; experienced 2 days | £900–£1,500 |
| 360 excavator above 10t, full course | Novice 3–5 days; experienced 2 days | £950–£1,600 |
| Excavator refresher, any category | 1 day | £300–£500 |
| Lifting duties endorsement | 1 day | £280–£480 |
| Forward tipping dumper ticket | Novice 2–3 days; experienced 1–2 days; refresher 1 day | £280–£900 |
| Scheme registration and card fee | — | £30–£70 per candidate |
Typical UK guidance ranges as published elsewhere on this site. The exact figure depends on candidates, machine and site. Call 07867 933 018 for a quote.
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Related courses
- 360° Excavator
- Plant Operator Training
- Mobile Plant Attachment Training
- Forward Tipping Dumper Training
Covering Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and North-East Scotland.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a digger ticket cost?
Typically £900–£1,500 for a full 360 excavator course below ten tonnes, or £300–£500 for a one-day refresher if you already hold a card.
How much does 360 digger training cost above ten tonnes?
Typically £950–£1,600 for a full course on a larger tracked or wheeled 360.
How much is a dumper ticket?
A forward tipping dumper ticket is typically £280–£900, depending on whether the candidate is a novice, experienced or refreshing.
How much does an excavator cost?
This guide covers the cost of a digger ticket, not the machine. Logan Plant Training does not sell or hire excavators, so a dealer or plant hire firm is the place to price one.
How much is an NPORS 360 excavator course compared with CPCS?
Logan does not deliver CPCS, so we do not price it. We deliver NPORS excavator training leading to NPORS cards carrying the CSCS logo.