Six Things to Think About Before You Decide to Rent Construction Equipment
Are you a big do-it-yourselfer? Doing your own home renovation projects has a lot of benefits. DIYing it can be really enjoyable, gives you a great sense of accomplishment after you’ve finished, and can save you a bundle of cash when compared to paying a contractor to do the work. However, depending on the nature of the project, sometimes you end up needing tools that cost more than you save doing your own work. This is especially true when your project involves large equipment such as scaffolding and backhoes. We’re going to give you a little secret that will get you past this roadblock in your DIY home project: look into equipment rentals.
When you need big equipment to get your home project done, but purchasing it outright is out of the question, equipment rentals are the way to go. There are a variety of providers of big and small construction equipment rentals, from hardware stores to private providers. Figuring out the best equipment rental for your particular situation depends on your own needs. However, there are few distinctions that make one equipment rental provider better than another, that you might not realize without reading through the entire fine print. A few of these factors includes:
- Reservation acceptance. If your project involves a variety of tools, you do not want to take them all out at the same time. Each tool you rent is costing you by the hour, so you only want to be paying for the one you’re actually using. However, you don’t want to get to a critical step in your work just to realize the tool you need is unavailable. Using an equipment rental provider who allows you to place reservations for each item you need, in succession, will ensure that you’ll have what you need, when you need it.
- Deposits. Most rental equipment providers are going to require a security deposit, to ensure you aren’t going to hit the road with their expensive asset. Just look into how much the provider wants you to put on the line in order to take their equipment home, and how quickly they return the money to you after you return the equipment in good shape. Although you’ll ultimately get the deposit back, it can create a cash flow issue. You might need to factor this into your budget.
- Insurance. You’ll probably be putting some extensive wear and tear on the rental tools and equipment you’re using. Chipping in a little extra for insurance is a good idea, so that you don’t get stuck paying the whole bill if the tools you rented are damaged or stolen while in your care. Just double check and make sure this is an option before choosing a rental equipment provider.
- Additional fees. Obviously, if you are renting equipment instead of purchasing it, cost is an important factor to you. When you are getting quotes for the equipment you need, make sure you ask about any other applicable fees you’ll be subject to, to ensure you can make an apples-to-apples comparison. Some rental providers add on fuel surcharges, administrative fees, and other such expenses.
- Safety precautions. Heavy construction equipment can be extremely dangerous to operate, especially if you are not trained on it. It is important to use a rental provider who takes safety seriously, and includes safety training with the rental. Bonus points if they make safety equipment available to you when you take their tools home.
- Customer service. Even the most experienced home DIYer hits a roadblock every now and then, particularly when operating rental equipment you aren’t familiar with. It is so important to have access to a human who can provide guidance when your rental equipment isn’t doing what you think it should be doing, or your project isn’t going as you’d hoped. This is an important consideration to make when choosing an equipment rental provider.
We want to hear from you! Have you ever rented tools or equipment to do a DIY project? How was your experience? Do you have any tips to share to others? Please contribute your wisdom in the comments!
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