Plant & Machinery Hire in the UK
A micro digger through the side gate for the footings, a mini digger and dumper for the drive, a roller for the base, a telehandler for the site, a breaker attachment, or an operator who has done it a thousand times: find a local plant hire company people rate.
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Finding a good plant hire company in the UK
Plant hire puts a machine and, if you want, the person who knows how to drive it on your job for the day or the week: micro and mini diggers that fit through a garden gate, one-to-three-tonne dumpers, rollers and compactors, telehandlers and forklifts, larger excavators and, from many depots, the access platforms and site accommodation a build needs. Local independents compete with the national chains on price, delivery distance and knowing the ground round here; the best ask about access, what you are digging and what is under it before anything is loaded.
Hiring self-drive puts the machine and the risk in your hands: you need a way to get it off the lorry, insurance or the depot's damage waiver, and enough competence to dig safely, which for a mini digger most practical people can manage with the depot's briefing. Operated hire — machine plus driver — costs more per day and is usually cheaper per job on anything beyond a garden, because an operator digs twice as fast and does not hit the water main. Underground services are the thing to check first, whoever is driving.
The listings here show each company's reviews, fleet, delivery area and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who hires operated or self-drive, and whose machines turn up on time and working.
What plant hire companies offer
Diggers: micro diggers under a tonne that fit through a 700mm gate, mini diggers of one to three tonnes for drives, footings and drainage, and larger excavators for groundworks, with buckets, breakers and augers.
Moving and compacting: tracked and wheeled dumpers, rollers and wacker plates, skid steers and loaders.
Lifting and access: telehandlers and forklifts, scissor lifts, cherry pickers and boom lifts, with the IPAF training some require.
Site: generators, lighting, welfare units and site cabins, fuel bowsers and pumps.
Operated hire: machine and driver by the day, and groundworks crews from companies that do both.
Before you hire plant
- Measure the access: gate width, ground condition, and where the lorry can drop the machine.
- Check for underground services before digging, with plans from the utilities and a cable detector.
- Decide self-drive or operated; for anything beyond a garden, an operator is usually cheaper per job.
- Ask what the rate includes: delivery and collection, fuel, damage waiver, buckets and a breaker.
- Ask about insurance; the depot's waiver covers damage to the machine, not what you damage with it.
- Book diggers by the week where you can; the weekly rate is about three days' worth.
What plant hire costs in the UK
As a rough guide, self-drive rates run £80 to £130 a day or £220 to £380 a week for a micro digger, £100 to £160 a day or £280 to £450 a week for a 1.5-tonne mini digger, £150 to £250 a day for a three-tonne, £60 to £110 a day for a one-tonne dumper, £80 to £150 a day for a roller and £150 to £300 a day for a telehandler, plus delivery and collection at £40 to £90 each way locally, fuel and damage waiver of 10 to 15 per cent. Operated hire is £300 to £450 a day for a mini digger and driver, £400 to £600 for a larger excavator. Attachments such as breakers add £40 to £90 a day.
Three days of a self-drive mini digger for a job an operator would do in one is not the saving it looks; ask the depot which way round is cheaper.
Plant & Machinery Hire — frequently asked questions
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How do I find a good plant hire company near me?+
Look at the plant hire companies listed for your town, check the fleet and whether they offer operated as well as self-drive, and read reviews about machines arriving on time and working. Ring with the job and the access, and ask for the all-in price including delivery, fuel and waiver.
How much does mini digger hire cost?+
Typically £100 to £160 a day or £280 to £450 a week self-drive for a 1.5-tonne mini digger, and £80 to £130 a day for a micro digger, plus delivery of £40 to £90 each way, fuel and a damage waiver of 10 to 15 per cent. With an operator, £300 to £450 a day all-in.
Can I hire a digger without a licence?+
Yes, on private land: no licence is needed to hire or drive a mini digger for your own garden or drive, and the depot briefs you on the controls. On a construction site an operator needs a CPCS or NPORS card, and access platforms need IPAF training. Insurance and competence are your responsibility.
Self-drive or operated plant hire?+
Self-drive suits a garden or a small drive with easy access and a practical hirer; operated is usually cheaper per job on anything larger, because a good operator digs faster, levels better and does not hit services. Many companies price both for the same job; ask.
Will a mini digger fit through my gate?+
A micro digger of under a tonne folds to 700 to 750mm wide and fits most side gates; a 1.5-tonne mini digger is about a metre wide and often needs a fence panel out. Measure the gap and tell the depot; they will size the machine and the lorry drop accordingly.
What do I need to check before digging?+
Where the gas, water, electricity and drains run: get plans from the utilities, use a cable avoidance tool, and hand-dig near anything marked. Hitting a service is dangerous and expensive, and the hire waiver does not cover it. An operator does this as a matter of course.
How do I get my business listed?+
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