Hiring a contractor to excavate land at your home can be expensive and time-consuming. Paying a contractor to prepare your site, excavate and haul away your soil can lead to a project’s cost spiralling out of control.
Today, many people choose to do the work themselves, saving time and money through micro excavator hire. Most hire companies will have vehicles for all types of projects – from midi to mini and micro excavators.
But how does hiring a micro excavator save you money? Here we will list the ways in which you can save serious cash by hiring an excavator and getting your hands dirty.
Stay Local
Try to find a hire supplier that’s local to you. It’s natural that you will have to pay more for the digger to be delivered if you are further away – so do your homework.
Most micro excavator suppliers will have a map on their website showing the areas where they deliver. They will also have a section outlining their delivery cost, whether it is per mile or a banding system. Anyone who lives within ten miles of the hire company shouldn’t pay more than £30 for delivery.
Hire the Right Size of Micro Excavator
You may be tempted to get the biggest digger you can get your hands on;however, this can be a waste of money. Micro excavator hire pricing usually depends on the size of the machine. It’s best to hire a digger that is slightly smaller, as the rate is likely to be less. For example, you could hire an eight-tonne JCB digger, although these are only suitable for large excavation projects; alternatively, a one-tonne micro digger is perfect for small jobs around the home.
Work Out How Long Your Project Will Last
Most hire firms will charge a fixed day rate for their diggers. They’ll normally require you to decide how long you want the digger for in advance of the delivery. You may be tempted to underestimate the duration of your dig to try to save some money, although it is better to rent the micro excavator for an extra day. Having to rent the machine for a second time will cost you more through two lots of delivery fees.
Look After the Micro Excavator
Before hiring a digger, you should consider the fact you will be expected to pay a refundable deposit. The deposit could be fairly high due to the expensive nature of the machine you are hiring. In most cases, the deposit is taken from a debit card and the money is refunded back on to the card upon safe return of the digger. So, take care of the digger when you are using it, as damage caused by you during its hire will come out of your deposit!
There are a number of ways you can save money when hiring a micro excavator. Make sure you’ve done your homework and are realistic when hiring the digger.