Wet Hire or Dry Hire for an Excavator on the Central Coast
On the Central Coast you can hire an excavator two ways: dry hire, where you run it yourself, or wet hire, where our team runs it for you. Wet hire means the excavator comes with an operator, and at Groundbreakers that’s our team. Dry hire suits small, simple digs when you’ve got the time and a bit of confidence. Wet hire suits jobs close to the house or buried pipes, work that has to be level or dug to a set depth, and anyone who’d lose a paid day doing it themselves.
We quote operated jobs after seeing the job. Not sure which suits? Call Johny on 0405 082 750 and tell him what needs digging.
What’s the difference between wet hire and dry hire?
With dry hire you get the machine, a trailer and a walk-through at handover. You dig, you top up the fuel and you bring it back. With wet hire you get the machine and the person running it. You tell us what needs doing, and the digging gets done while you get on with your own work.
When dry hire makes sense
Dry hire is the cheaper way in when the job is small and the site is simple. Good fits:
- Digging out old garden beds or lawn
- A short trench for irrigation or a garden tap
- A pad for a shed or water tank on flat, open ground
- Weekend jobs where you’re happy to take your time
Our Kubota U10-5 mini excavator is $190 a day and the 1.7 tonne U17-3 is $210 a day, both inc GST. Both machines are on our mini excavator hire page. The weekend rate runs from 5pm Friday to 5pm Sunday ($340 and $360). Delivery anywhere on the Central Coast is $85 each way inc GST, or you can collect from our Koolewong yard.
You don’t need a licence to run a mini excavator in NSW, but you do need to be competent on it, and we walk you through it at handover. On a building site you’ll also need a white card. Before any digging, lodge a free Before You Dig Australia enquiry so you know where the pipes and cables are.
When wet hire makes sense
Wet hire earns its money where a mistake costs more than the machine:
- Tight side access beside the house, where one slip takes out a wall, downpipe or fence
- Digging near water, sewer, gas or power lines
- Trenches a plumber or sparky needs at a set depth and fall before inspection
- Footings and pier holes that have to go to depth and stay clean
- Steep or sloping blocks
- Jobs with a deadline, like a concreter who’s already booked
It’s also worth it when your day is worth more than the hire. If you’d lose a paid day to digging, the operated job often works out cheaper. See excavator hire with operator on the Central Coast for the jobs we take on.
What you actually pay for
| Dry hire | Wet hire | |
|---|---|---|
| Who digs | You | Our team |
| Machine | Day, weekend or week rate | In one quote |
| Delivery | $85 each way, or collect from Koolewong | In one quote |
| Fuel | Your cost | In one quote |
| Spoil | Your skip, trailer or tip run | We talk it through when we quote |
| Price | Fixed rate card | Quoted per job after we see the site |
We don’t publish a wet hire rate because no two jobs are the same. The access, the ground and how much has to move all change how long it takes. Send a few photos and the suburb, and you’ll get a quote for your actual job.
Quick check: which one is right for you?
If you answer yes to two or more of these, wet hire is probably the better call:
- Is the dig within a metre of the house, a fence or a retaining wall?
- Are there pipes or cables near where you’re digging?
- Does the trench or footing need a set depth or fall for an inspection?
- Is the block steep or the access tight?
- Would a day off your own work cost you more than the hire?
All no? Dry hire will probably do the job.
Common questions
Do I need a licence to dry hire a mini excavator in NSW?
No. Excavators aren’t on SafeWork NSW’s high-risk work licence list, but you need to be trained and competent for the machine. We run you through it at handover. On a construction site you’ll also need a white card.
Who runs the machine on a wet hire job?
Our team, led by Johny, the owner, who has over 20 years’ experience.
Can I start with dry hire and get our team in if the job gets too big?
Yes, if we’re free. Give us a call and we’ll quote the rest of the job.
How is wet hire quoted?
Per job, after we’ve seen the site or your photos. Send the suburb, a few photos of the area and the access, and what needs doing.
Ready to get it sorted?
For operated work, send us the job through the quote form on our excavator hire with operator page. For dry hire, see the rates on our mini excavator hire page.
One response to “Wet Hire or Dry Hire? How to Choose for Your Excavator Job”
[…] and the work quoted on your actual job rather than a day rate. Not sure which suits your job? Our wet hire or dry hire guide has a quick 5 question […]