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Wet hire and dry hire, and which one you actually need
We're Dirt Mechanics, an operated excavation and earthworks outfit based in Kurunjang, near Melton in Victoria, Australia. Wet hire means the machine comes with someone to run it. Dry hire means you take the machine and drive it yourself. We only do the first one, and this page explains the difference.
- Wet hire is machine plus operator.
- Dry hire is the machine on its own.
- We'll tell you if dry hire suits you better.
The costs that don't show up in an hourly rate
Dry hire moves a pile of small jobs onto you. Getting the machine to site and back. A vehicle rated to tow it. Fuel. Whatever the hire agreement says about damage while it's in your care. And the hours, because the first hour on an unfamiliar machine isn't a productive one.
None of that is an argument against dry hire. It's the list to price up before you put an hourly rate next to a quote, because the rate is only the part you can see.
When dry hire is the better answer
We'd rather point you at a hire yard than take a booking you didn't need. These are the jobs where taking the machine yourself is the sensible call.
- You already run machines, so you're not learning on this job
- The site is open, with room to work and room to park a trailer
- The job runs for days, so the travel each way is a small part of it
- You've got a vehicle rated to tow what you're hiring
- You're happy to carry the hire agreement and the fuel
- Nothing on site needs a call made about it while the machine is running
Wet hire and dry hire, side by side
Wet hire is the machine with an operator. Dry hire is the machine on its own. This is what each one puts on you for a normal residential job around Melton, Victoria, Australia. No dollar figures either way, because every job scopes differently.
| What it covers | Wet hire (what we do) | Dry hire (you drive it) |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the machine | We do. The person who quotes the job is the person in the seat. | You do, or someone you organise. |
| Licences and competency | We run the machine, so there's nothing for you to organise. | Ask the yard what they require. A workplace has rules on top of that. |
| Getting it to site | We float it in and take it away again. | You tow it, or you pay the yard to deliver and collect. |
| Fuel and running costs | Part of the job. Nothing to top up. | Yours. The hire agreement will say how it comes back. |
| Spoil and rubbish | Loaded and carted off, or spread on site, agreed when we quote. | Still on your nature strip unless you've booked something to take it. |
| If the ground isn't what you expected | We stop, ring you and tell you what it means before pushing on. | You work it out on the day, with the meter running. |
| How much of your time it takes | The hours the job takes. | The hours the job takes, plus collection, return and learning the machine. |
| When it suits | Tight access, one-off digs, and most residential jobs. | Open sites, long simple jobs, and people who already run machines. |
If dry hire really is cheaper for what you're doing, we'll tell you that too. Ring us on 0466 894 002 and describe the job.
Questions
Read next
The operated side of it, and the questions people ask before they book.
Machine and operator, together
What it means to have the machine turn up with someone who runs it.
Questions we get asked
Access, spoil, ground and what a job takes, answered straight.
Site cuts and site cleans
Cut to level and cleaned up ready for the slab or the next trade.
Soil removal
Excess soil and spoil dug out, loaded and carted away in one go.
Get in touch
Tell us about the job and we'll sort it out
Give us a ring, or send the details through. Where the job is, what needs doing, and a photo if you've got one. We'll come back with what it takes and roughly what it costs.