QuickLinks -- Click here to rapidly navigate through this document

EXHIBIT 10.56

AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE
TO THE
UNIVERSAL COMPRESSION HOLDINGS, INC.
EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

        This Amendment Number One (the "Amendment") to the Universal Compression
Holdings, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan") is hereby duly adopted,
approved, ratified and confirmed by the Board of Directors of Universal
Compression Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"). All
capitalized terms used herein but not defined herein shall have the meanings set
forth in the Plan.

        WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company previously adopted the
Plan;

        WHEREAS, Section 9.01 of the Plan reserves to the Company the right to
amend the Plan by action of its Board of Directors; and

        WHEREAS, the Company desires to amend the Plan to allow commissions to
be included in the pay from which stock can be purchased in accordance with the
Plan;

        NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of Directors hereby amends the Plan as
follows:

        1.    Section 2.01, "Base Pay" is deleted, and Sections 2.02, 2.03 and
2.04 are hereby amended by renumbering them as Sections 2.01, 2.02 and 2.03,
respectively.

        2.    Article II of the Plan is hereby amended by adding the following
as a new Section 2.04:

"Eligible Pay" means regular straight-time earnings, including commissions, but
excluding payments for overtime, shift premium, bonuses and other incentive and
special payments.

        3.    Section 5.02 of the Plan is hereby amended by deleting the term
"Base Pay" everywhere it appears and replacing it with the term "Eligible Pay."
In addition, the sentence that begins "In the case of a part-time hourly
Employee" is amended to read as follows:

In the case of a part-time hourly Employee, such Employee's Eligible Pay during
an Offering shall be determined by multiplying such Employee's hourly rate of
pay in effect on the Offering Commencement Date by the number of regularly
scheduled hours of work for such Employee during such Offering and adding any
payments received as commissions.

        4.    Section 5.03 of the Plan is hereby amended by deleting the term
"Base Pay" everywhere it appears and replacing it with the term "Eligible Pay."

        5.    Section 6.02 of the Plan is hereby amended by deleting the term
"Base Pay" everywhere it appears and replacing it with the term "Eligible Pay."

        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, constituting all of the members of
the Company's Board of Directors, adopt and declare effective this Amendment on
Dec. 20, 2001.

    By:   /s/  STEPHEN A. SNIDER      

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stephen A. Snider
Director
 
 
By:
 
/s/  ERNIE L. DANNER      

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ernie L. Danner
Director

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

QuickLinks

AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO THE UNIVERSAL COMPRESSION HOLDINGS, INC. EMPLOYEE STOCK
PURCHASE PLAN