Equipment for a diagnostic imaging center ranges from about $45,000 for a basic X-ray room to $3.4 million for a new premium 3T MRI. Refurbished systems run 30% to 70% below new across every modality.
The number that surprises people is not the scanner. MRI suite construction alone runs $500,000 to $2,000,000+: shielding, chiller, power, and structure, all before the magnet arrives. An all-in 3T suite commonly lands at $3 million to $6 million. Modalities that do not need a Faraday cage are dramatically cheaper to site.
Five West finances imaging equipment from $20,000 to $5 million+ at 7% to 9% for A credit, on terms of 24 to 84 months. Files are application-only up to $500,000, refurbished and private-party included.
What does imaging equipment cost in 2026?
Imaging is unusual among healthcare verticals because the spread between the cheapest and most expensive purchase in the same building is roughly a hundred to one. An ultrasound cart and a 3T magnet are both “imaging equipment” and they are not remotely the same financial decision.
Here is the 2026 landscape by modality, new against certified refurbished:
Published 2026 market ranges. Refurbished MRI spans widely because a 2012 8-channel system and a current-generation 32-channel wide-bore are both sold as “refurbished 1.5T.”
Why the refurbished range is so wide
On MRI in particular you will see quotes from $200,000 to $850,000 for systems all described as refurbished 1.5T. That spread is real and it tracks four things: generation (software platform and whether the OEM still supports it), RF channel count (8 versus 16 versus 32 changes throughput and image quality), bore size (a 70cm wide bore commands a premium and reduces claustrophobic no-shows), and magnet condition and remaining helium history.
A certified refurbished system typically saves 40% to 60% against new. Older pre-owned inventory saves more and costs more later.
The siting costs nobody quotes you up front
This is where imaging center budgets go wrong. The scanner has a price on a quote; the room does not.
MRI suite construction, excluding the scanner, runs $500,000 to $2,000,000 or more. As a share of that construction budget:
- RF shielding (the Faraday cage): 8% to 15%
- Magnetic shielding: 5% to 15%, required on most 3T installs
- HVAC and mechanical, including scanner cooling and the quench pipe: 10% to 20%
- Electrical: 8% to 12%
- Structural, where floor reinforcement is needed: 5% to 15%
- Interior finishes: 5% to 10%
- Professional fees: 8% to 12%
- Contingency: 10% to 15%, and you will use it
An all-in 3T suite commonly totals $3 million to $6 million, with a 9- to 15-month timeline from initiation to commissioning. Plan the financing around that calendar, not around the delivery date on the equipment quote.
Logistics on a used magnet
If you are buying a pre-owned MRI, three line items appear that are absent from a new purchase: removal from the seller's site at roughly $10,000 to $12,000, domestic transport at $5,000 to $10,000, and installation at $50,000 to $80,000 for a standard 1.5T, plus helium. None of that is in the equipment price, and some lenders treat it as soft cost rather than collateral.
The lower-cost modalities
Not everything needs a shielded vault. Mammography site prep and lead shielding runs $10,000 to $30,000, with installation and rigging at $5,000 to $15,000 and IT and PACS integration at $5,000 to $20,000. X-ray room pricing at $45,000 to $190,000 typically includes delivery, installation, and first-year service. Ultrasound needs a room and a power outlet.
This is why many centers open on ultrasound, X-ray, and mammography, build referral volume and a payer history, and add CT or MRI in year two or three when the financing terms are considerably better.
Service contracts: the cost that outlives the loan
Imaging is not a buy-and-forget asset class. Annual OEM service on MRI:
Across modalities the rule of thumb is 8% to 12% of purchase price per year. On mammography that is $8,000 to $35,000 annually. Longer contract terms lower the per-year cost. Budget it as a fixed operating expense from day one, because it is one. Then add consumable replacements: an X-ray tube runs $30,000 to $60,000 every three to six years, a digital detector $40,000 to $80,000.
What it costs per month to finance
Imaging equipment commonly finances at 7% to 15% APR over 36 to 84 months, with well-qualified centers landing in the 7% to 12% band. Here is a 60-month payment across that band:
Illustrative market ranges as of August 2026, not an offer. Actual rate, term, and structure depend on credit approval.
If you have seen 5% or 6% equipment rates quoted elsewhere, check the date on the page. Much of what ranks was written when prime was 3.25%; it is 6.75% today, and no funder lends below its own cost of money.
On larger scanners an 84-month term is common and meaningfully changes cash flow: $750,000 at 7% is $14,851 a month over 60 months and $11,320 over 84. Whether that is the right trade depends on how long you intend to keep the system, which is the real question behind lease versus buy.
What can and cannot be financed
- Readily financeable: the scanner, injectors, workstations, PACS hardware, patient monitoring, and the chiller.
- Financeable with a strong file: RF shielding, rigging, de-installation and transport, site prep, and installation. These go in as soft costs, usually capped as a percentage of hard collateral.
- Usually separate: real estate, tenant improvements beyond the vault, and working capital for the ramp. An SBA 7(a) loan handles a bundled project better than an equipment facility does.
The bottom line
Price the equipment and the room as two separate projects, because lenders do. Ultrasound, X-ray, and mammography are approachable purchases with modest siting. CT is a step up. MRI is a construction project with a scanner in it, and the construction is frequently the larger number. Get the shielding, chiller, power, and structural scope quoted before you sign an equipment order, and build the service contract into your operating model from the first month rather than discovering it in year two.
Send us the equipment quote and the site scope together, and we will show you what is financeable, at what tier, and over what term. Up to $500,000 it is application-only.
On rates: Any range on this page is illustrative rather than a quote. Your actual rate can come in higher or lower, and it depends on personal and business credit, time in business, the equipment itself, the term you choose, and the size of the transaction. Two files for the same machine can price differently. It is also worth checking the date on anything you read elsewhere. A good deal of the equipment-finance content still circulating was written when prime was 3.25%, and prime is 6.75% today, so if you happen to come across rates like 5% or 6%, it is worth confirming whether the page is current before you plan around it. The surest way to know your number is to let us price your file.
Five West programs at a glance
An imaging project is an equipment quote plus a construction budget, and lenders treat those very differently. We finance scanners and the soft costs a file supports, including rigging, de-installation, transport, and site work. Projects range from a single ultrasound cart to a full multi-modality buildout.
- Rates
- Priced to your credit profile, term, and equipment; competitive with a bank on rate, not on speed
- Terms
- 24 to 84 months, with 10 years on select programs
- Amounts
- $20,000 to $5 million+
- Application only
- Up to $500,000 with no tax returns or financial statements
- Credit
- Established businesses from 600+, startups from 700+
- Equipment
- New, used, refurbished, dealer, and private-party purchases
- Speed
- Same-day options on qualified files, with approvals in as little as a few hours
- Coverage
- Nationwide, U.S. territories, and cross-border
Send the equipment quote and the site scope together and we will show you what is financeable and how it structures.
Free consultation, no obligation. All financing is subject to credit approval and underwriting; rates and terms depend on the complete business and credit profile.
Related imaging center financing guides
More on financing equipment for a diagnostic imaging center.
Imaging equipment cost questions
How much does an MRI machine cost in 2026?
A new 1.5T MRI runs approximately $1.05 million to $1.8 million and a new 3T runs $1.9 million to $3.4 million. Certified refurbished systems typically save 40% to 60%: roughly $200,000 to $850,000 for 1.5T and $850,000 to $1.75 million for 3T. Open and low-field systems run $200,000 to $425,000 refurbished and $475,000 to $800,000 new.
How much does it cost to build an MRI suite?
MRI suite construction excluding the scanner runs $500,000 to $2,000,000 or more. RF shielding accounts for 8% to 15% of construction cost, magnetic shielding 5% to 15%, HVAC and mechanical 10% to 20%, electrical 8% to 12%, and structural work 5% to 15%. An all-in 3T suite commonly totals $3 million to $6 million over a 9- to 15-month timeline.
How much does a CT scanner cost?
Refurbished CT scanners run roughly $90,000 to $400,000 and new systems $250,000 to $900,000 or more, driven primarily by slice count. Entry-level 16-slice systems sit at the bottom of the range and 128- to 320-slice configurations at the top. Refurbished CT typically costs 30% to 70% less than new.
How much does an X-ray room cost?
A complete X-ray room costs $45,000 to $59,000 at entry level for urgent care and single-physician practices, $65,000 to $89,000 for imaging centers and orthopedic practices, and $90,000 to $190,000 for fully digitally integrated premium rooms. These ranges typically include delivery, installation, and first-year service.
What does an imaging equipment service contract cost per year?
Annual service runs roughly 8% to 12% of purchase price. On MRI specifically, OEM contracts run $66,000 to $134,000 for GE, $69,000 to $113,000 for Siemens, $80,000 to $110,000 for Philips, and $42,000 to $60,000 for Hitachi. Mammography service contracts run $8,000 to $35,000 annually. Longer contract terms reduce the per-year cost.
What is the monthly payment on a $750,000 imaging system?
Financed over 60 months at a 7% to 12% APR range typical for established imaging centers in 2026, a $750,000 system runs approximately $14,851 to $16,683 per month. Extending to 84 months at 7% lowers the payment to about $11,320. Actual payments depend on rate, term, structure, and credit approval.
Can imaging suite construction and shielding be financed?
Often yes, as soft costs inside a larger equipment facility, though most lenders cap soft costs as a percentage of hard collateral. The scanner, chiller, injectors, workstations, and PACS hardware are readily financeable because they are identifiable collateral. Real estate, broader tenant improvements, and ramp-up working capital are usually better matched to an SBA 7(a) loan.
Pricing a scanner or a suite?
We finance imaging equipment and the soft costs that come with it. Send us the quote and the site scope.
This article is general information about commercial equipment financing and is not a commitment to finance. All financing is subject to credit approval and underwriting. Rates, terms, and approval depend on the complete business and credit profile. Figures shown are illustrative market ranges gathered from published sources as of August 2026 and are not an offer. Five West Financial is not a tax advisor or an accounting firm; confirm any tax treatment with your CPA before relying on it.