Excavator Rental

An excavator rental gives you the digging power for foundations, trenches, utility work, grading and demolition. Choose the machine by dig depth, weight and how much room you have on site, then compare suppliers by location, delivery and rates for your dates.

What an excavator is used for

Excavators dig footings and basements, cut trenches for water and sewer lines, load dump trucks, clear stumps and break up concrete when fitted with a hydraulic hammer. This category also covers the machines that often work beside them: backhoes, wheel and track loaders, skid steers, dozers, graders and compact tractors. If you know the exact machine, go straight to the mini excavator, skid steer, backhoe or dozer guide.

Types of excavators

How to choose the right excavator

• Start with dig depth. Compare your deepest cut to the machine's listed maximum, and leave some margin.
• Measure your access. Gate width, overhead wires and ground conditions often decide the size before the job does.
• Think about tail swing. Zero or reduced tail swing models keep the rear of the machine close to the tracks, which helps beside walls and in traffic.
• Match the ground. Rubber tracks protect paving and finished surfaces. Steel tracks hold up better on rock and demolition debris.
• Plan your attachments. Buckets, thumbs, breakers and augers can change the job, so confirm the machine has the hydraulics for them.

How to use an excavator safely

1. Have utilities marked before any digging, and hand dig near the marks.
2. Walk the site and check for soft ground, slopes, overhead lines and people in the swing radius.
3. Do a daily check of tracks, hydraulic hoses, fluids and the bucket pins.
4. Use the seat belt, set the machine on level ground where you can, and dig with the tracks square to the trench.
5. Keep spoil piles back from the edge of the trench and keep the load low when you travel.
6. Lower the bucket to the ground and shut the machine down before you leave the seat.

Mistakes to avoid

• Digging before utilities are marked. Striking a gas or power line is dangerous and expensive.
• Swinging over people or trucks. Keep everyone outside the swing radius.
• Undercutting the machine. Digging under your own tracks can collapse the edge.
• Renting too small. A machine that can barely reach depth will be slow and hard on the job.
• Sending workers into an unprotected trench. Deep trenches need protective systems set up by a competent person.

Tips before you rent

• Confirm the delivery route and whether a trailer can reach your unloading spot.
• Ask about damage waivers, fuel and return condition.
• Ask what wear on teeth and tracks counts against you.
• Line up where your spoil will go. Hauling is often the biggest surprise on a dig.

How to find an excavator rental near you

Use the Browse equipment button to search by your city and rental dates on the Derental marketplace. Compare suppliers by location, delivery and rates, check the size and attachments on each listing, and request the rental online. Rates are set by each supplier and vary by machine size, rental length and location.