WET HIRE EXCAVATOR — GOLD COAST & BRISBANE

Wet hire excavator is the most flexible way to get earthmoving done — machine plus experienced operator, by the hour or by the day, no commitment to a fixed scope. Suits builders, developers, owner-builders, landscapers and acreage owners who know what they need but don't want to manage a separate operator and a separate machine hire.

Our directly-owned fleet runs 1.0T (sub-hired), 1.7T and 5T. For bigger work — 8T, 13T, 20T, 30T — we sub-hire from regular partners on demand. Same operator quality, same insurance, same service. We don't drop you onto a stranger's machine.

What 'wet hire' actually means: the machine arrives on a tilt-tray with the operator already in the seat. You point at the work, the operator does it, and at the end of the day you get an invoice. No machine-hire paperwork, no operator-finding, no insurance cross-checking. One bill, one supplier, one accountability.

Hourly wet hire rates: 1.7T $150–$180/hr, 5T $190–$230/hr, 5T with breaker $230–$280/hr, 8T $230–$280/hr, 13T $290–$360/hr. All include the operator, all include public liability insurance, all have a 4-hour minimum. Day rates (8 hours on site) save 5–15%.

Best uses for wet hire by the hour: variable-scope jobs where a fixed quote isn't honest. Examples: rock breaking on a hinterland block where rock volume is uncertain, drainage trenching on an acreage where the actual layout depends on what the operator finds, demolition where the structure has hidden steel, or rough-terrain clearing where the operator's experience drives the speed.

Best uses for wet hire by the day: full-day predictable jobs where the operator can plan the workflow. Examples: house pad bench cut, pool excavation, driveway prep, big land clearing pushes, dam excavation, arena base build. Day-rate hire is usually 5–15% cheaper than the equivalent hourly rate and the operator can plan the day for maximum efficiency.

Insurance, paperwork and SWMS: every wet hire job is covered by full public liability insurance plus workers comp on the operator. SWMS supplied to builder sites. Daily insurance certificates supplied on request. Tilt-tray delivery and pickup is included in the rate within Gold Coast / Brisbane.