A bespoke motorsport flight case from VMEP costs £95 to £13,965 ex VAT depending on size and contents, and the median starting price across our 249 published cases is £1,050 ex VAT. Half the range starts between £646 and £1,752, so £650 to £1,750 is the realistic budget for a normal one-off case, with tool storage from £825, data stations from £550, hospitality units from £580 and full multi-case pit kits running to £13,965.
Those are real published prices from our own catalogue, not estimates, and bespoke work is quoted against the same build standards and the same materials on the same machines. Most case makers will not publish a number because the honest answer depends on size, contents, hardware and finish. So rather than give one figure, this page gives the actual bands by case type, then explains exactly which decisions move a quote up or down. All prices are ex VAT and exclude delivery. Bespoke builds run 3 to 14 days from signed-off specification, made at our workshop in Bidford-on-Avon.
What does each type of case cost?
Current published starting prices and top-of-range prices, ex VAT, by category:
- Simple boxes and storage cases: £275 to £4,115
- Stackable cases: £345 to £1,185
- Stanley FatMax and Euro container cases: £495 to £3,060
- Euro container cases: £545 to £10,995
- Fuel transport cases: £165 to £1,135
- Set-up equipment cases: £250 to £9,895
- 19in racking and network cases: £550 to £1,275
- Engine and gearbox cases: £95 to £2,070
- Air jack cases: £385 to £5,750
- Tool storage cases: £825 to £7,620
- Data station cases: £550 to £8,915
- Hospitality cases: £580 to £11,990
- Workshop equipment cases: £985 to £7,620
- Pit perches: £6,600 to £7,645
- Combined multi-case kits: £765 to £13,965
If your case does not exist in the range, these bands are still the right guide. A bespoke case of a given size and complexity lands close to the equivalent standard build, because it is made on the same machines from the same materials.
What actually drives the price?
In rough order of how much they move the number:
- Size. Panel area drives material cost and machine time more than anything else
- Internal complexity. An empty box is cheap. Drawers on self-closing runners, shelves, dividers, hinged doors and internal pockets each add build hours
- Bought-in hardware. Fridges, screens, water boilers, power distribution and vices are the single biggest jump. A hospitality case with two fridges and a coffee machine is a different product from an empty case of the same size
- Loaded weight. Heavier contents mean heavier frames, bigger castors and more tie-down provision
- Finish. Black or blue hexaboard is standard. Blue smooth and red smooth cost more. Ultra Lightweight construction costs more again and is the option to take when transport weight matters
- Foam. Routed foam inserts and shadow foam are priced by the layout, not by the case
- Removable protective cover. A priced option on most builds
- Branding. Fibre laser marked plaques, team names and contents labelling
As a worked example, the Tool Box VME-TB1 runs from £825 to £1,860 ex VAT across its 30 variants. Same case, same drawers, same external size of 880L x 550W x 1025H mm. The whole spread is cover type, protective cover and panel finish.
What is not included in the price?
- VAT. All prices quoted here and on product pages are ex VAT. UK VAT is added at checkout
- Delivery. Charged by weight band and destination. Cases are heavy and bulky, so this is not a rounding error on a large unit. See the shipping policy for the full table
- Bought-in items with their own lead time. Screens, fridges, castors of unusual spec and finishing work such as embroidered covers are quoted separately and stated on the quote before you commit
How does the quote actually work?
You send a brief, we come back within 1 working day with a firm price and a lead time. The price is firm before you commit, and the lead time is written down, not implied.
The single thing that speeds this up is dimensions. Send the size of what is going in the case, its weight, and how it travels. A photo with a tape measure in shot is more useful than a long email. The custom case checklist lists everything that goes into a first-time-right quote.
How long does a bespoke case take to build?
3 to 14 days from signed-off specification. A straightforward hexaboard storage case is at the short end. A large multi-screen pit perch or a hospitality unit with a fridge, power distribution and drawers on runners is at the long end, and you are told which before you pay.
The clock starts at signed-off specification, not at first enquiry. The days between the first email and an agreed spec are scoping days. Full detail is on the lead times page.
Is a bespoke case worth it over a standard one?
Often not, and it is worth saying so. The 249 cases in the standard range exist because those sizes and layouts cover most of what teams actually carry. If a standard case fits your kit, buy the standard case. It is cheaper and it is quicker.
Bespoke earns its money when the contents are genuinely awkward: a specific gearbox, a set of brake discs, an unusual truck aperture, a screen layout nobody else uses, or a case that has to work as a bench as well as a box.
Why we can quote this way
Design, CNC routing, fibre laser marking, CNC milling and turning, 3D printing on a Stratasys F170, fabrication and assembly all happen at Unit 20 Bidavon Industrial Estate, Bidford-on-Avon. There is no subcontractor margin stacked into the middle of the job and no third-party schedule to fit around, which is why a firm price and a short lead time can be given at the same time.
Request a bespoke case quote with dimensions, weight and your required date, or browse the 249 standard cases first.