Should I hire a professional excavation contractor for my next project or should I do it myself? You might be asking yourself this question when deciding if you should do your next project yourself, or if you should hire an excavation company. In this article, we’ll explore some of the deciding factors in depth, such as equipment operating experience, the true cost of renting equipment, obtaining permits, and the potential for underground utilities to help you make an informed and confident decision on your next project. If you decide that hiring a professional is the best option, we want you to choose the right excavation company to complete your project.
When you decide to hire an excavation company you get experience and expertise that you may not have if you rent equipment to do the job and do it yourself. A competent excavation contractor will be knowledgeable about the project you are working on, and should make sure you do not have any unanswered questions. Projects such as driveway installs, drainage, grading, and trenching all require specific construction procedures to ensure that the investment you have made in your property will last. If you decide to do the job yourself, or even if you hire a contractor, you should do some research to make sure the job is being completed properly as some excavation companies may take advantage of uninformed customers.
Excavation contractors have access to extra equipment such as grade lasers and machine attachments that are needed to complete the project. They will also have competent equipment operators who can complete the job correctly and efficiently, which can be a great benefit over the do it yourself option. The excavating company will work with you to make sure that the proper permits have been obtained if they are necessary, and they will carry insurance in case of an accident while on the jobsite or if underground utilities are disturbed. In the end, you should be confident that you have hired the right company to complete your project and that you are satisfied with the services provided.
Understanding the correct methods to complete a job and selecting the correct materials can make the difference between a good investment and a costly mistake. Even seemingly simple projects that seem like they do not need project planning such as rough grading or land clearing can have large impacts on the success your project and the environment. A professional excavating company can help you make the right decisions and save you from potential problems in the future.
Proper material selection is critical for projects such as driveways, drainage installation, and hardscape construction. Driveways need the right aggregate for the project based on details such as slope, topographic features, and the type of vehicular traffic the driveway will need to support. Drainage installations must have the proper type of pipe, aggregate, and installation procedure to ensure longevity of service. Hardscapes, and retaining walls in particular, need to have a proper base, must be constructed properly, and absolutely must have drainage installed or they will fail. When you hire to be your excavation contractor, you can be sure that we have researched and reviewed the proper material selection and construction methods for your specific project.
If you are thinking about renting equipment instead of hiring an excavation company, equipment operating experience should be one of the first things you consider. If you have past experience operating the type equipment you need then rental may be a cost effective way to complete your project. However, if you have not operated equipment you should consider hiring a professional. Each piece of heavy equipment operates differently, and professional equipment operators know how to get the most performance and efficiency out of the machines they operate.
When you rent a piece of heavy equipment, you can rent by the day, week, or month. A day rental will allow 8 operating hours to be put on a piece of equipment. Likewise, a week will allow for 40 operating hours, and a month will be 160. Many residential customers have jobs that can be completed in 8 hours, and many rental companies offer weekend rentals. A person who is inexperienced with heavy equipment operation may spend 30 minutes or more becoming familiar with a machine, and then will have the remainder of the time to complete their job. If the job is not completed within 8 hours, it will cost another full day for even 1 additional hour of operating time. This is when it becomes more cost effective to hire an excavation contractor.
Renting a piece of equipment may seem to be a cheaper option than hiring someone with a backhoe, bulldozer, excavator, skid steer, or other piece of heavy equipment. The advertised rental rates from many companies are only the base price for a day and do not include any other fees such as damage waivers, tax, delivery fees or trailer rentals if necessary. Here are a couple of examples of wheeled and tracked skid steers from a local equipment company, and what the cost of the rental really adds up to at the end of the job.
A wheeled skid steer is advertised at $225 a day. This price does not include a damage waiver for the equipment which costs $27 per day. This, with tax puts the rental at $268.38. If you have a truck large enough to tow a skid steer on a trailer, a trailer can be rented for $25 a day with the equipment. If you do not, it will cost an average of $150 to have the loader dropped off and picked up at the end of the rental. This puts the rental cost at a total of $418.38 for a day rental. A more capable tracked skid steer is advertised at $325 for one day. With the damage waiver of $39 and tax included, the rental now totals $387.06. If a trailer is rented, the rental cost will be $412.66, and if delivery is needed it will bring the cost of rental to $537.66. These daily rental costs come close to the cost of hiring an excavation contractor to do the work, and they do not include the costs of any attachments such as grapples, augers, forks, or any other necessary work tools.
Precision Excavating provides professional excavation and heavy equipment services to help you complete your next project. When hiring us to be your excavation contractor you’re getting our expertise, project insight, and an unmatched level of quality. Whether it is a large commercial job or a small residential one, we put the same level of thought and dedication into each and every job we do. Our attention to detail and our desire to work with our customers to make sure all of their needs are met is what sets us apart from other companies.
While some companies do it all, from lawn mowing and fertilization to tree work and even home remodeling projects, we believe that by specializing in related fields we can better serve our customers. We take the time to research topics and post articles on our website to help you make more informed decisions and better understand the construction processes required for your project. We want you to be satisfied with the investment you’re making in your property, and know that you have been provided with all the information you need to make the right decision.
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