5 Steps to Renting an Excavator

If it’s your first time renting an excavator, or any other kind of construction equipment, you may have a lot of questions. What is a reasonable price to pay? How does delivery work? What happens if it breaks down? Who do you rent from? What type of information do you need to provide when renting?

Renting construction equipment doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating. Here are some step-by-step tips and tricks when you’re renting an excavator – or any other type of construction equipment.

Step 1: Confirm the Equipment Type – Or Types – You Need to Rent

Before you even start looking to rent an excavator, you must make sure that an excavator is what you need. Studies have shown that using specific equipment for specific jobs not only increases efficiencies on the job site, but it can reduce budget costs, improve workflow and increase on-site safety. 

The first step in renting a machine is to decide what machine is best for the job. If you immediately think backhoe, for example, you may want to consider if renting a mini ex and a skid steer would better serve your project. 

In the same way that project planning and organization is done with purpose, so should the selection process of choosing what machine you need. Every machine is best used for something different. It’s important to be honest with the strengths and weaknesses of each machine and choose the machine that best fits your job – not the machine you’re more comfortable with. That being said, you should always have proper training when operating any type of machine and should rent with that in mind, too.

Step 2: Determine how long you need the machine for. 

Let’s say that for your project you confirm that you need to rent an 18-ton excavator with a trench bucket. In order to successfully rent that machine, length of time or dates for the rental are needed. Daily, weekly and monthly rents are available. 

Of course, rental extensions or getting an additional machine at the end of the set rental period is easy when you use a larger marketplace platform such as DOZR, but getting one machine for the length of time you need it is obviously ideal.

Step 3: Source Your Machine

Now that you know your machine type and for how long you need it, it’s time to source a machine. Heading over to DOZR.com to search the Marketplace is a great way to compare prices, view real-time availability and see what suppliers out there have the machine you need. Makes, models, suppliers and locations can all impact the range of prices out there. 

The biggest change in equipment rentals over the past 5 years is the ability to go to one place to view pricing and availability from a wide range of suppliers. Traditionally, you would have to call or email a variety of suppliers and see what quote they gave you. After waiting for a phone call back, you’d have to compare those quotes, counteroffer, apply for an account, and then, finally, you’d get your rental. Bypass this telephone-tag game by leaning on the latest in Marketplace rentals to make sourcing machines, comparing pricing and viewing suppliers easier than ever.

The DOZR Marketplace gives you as a contractor way more control over what machine you want, who you want to rent it from and does it with the simplicity of a single account.

Step 4: Gather the Information

Now that you’ve compared pricing, found your machine and are happy with the one you’ve selected to rent on DOZR, there’s a few pieces of information that you will need in order to confirm your rental. 

Site location, contact information, company name, email address and whether you want the equipment delivered or not are the basic pieces of information you will have to supply at the time of booking.

Step 5: Enjoy a Stress-Free Equipment Rental

Once you’ve reserved your machine, the DOZR team is there along the way from delivery to off rent to make sure that everything moves smoothly. 

Nervous about booking equipment online? Another benefit of renting on DOZR is that our Team Members are always here to support you. After you book equipment online, a member of the DOZR Team will reach out to you to confirm your booking and ensure that we have everything we need to get you your machine. 

Changes to your rental can also be made by reaching out to a team member here at DOZR after you’ve confirmed your equipment. 

Experience the DOZR difference yourself, today.