For starting contractors, a major decision you need to make is whether to buy or rent equipment. Both have their respective advantages and disadvantages. Let's examine some of the financial incentives of construction equipment rental. Typically, you'll save more money in the long haul by renting.

The Cost Savings of Excavator Rental

The standard excavator costs between $100,000 and $200,000, though some customized models can be as much as $500,000. With buying and owning also comes additional recurring costs, such as insurance, licensing fees, maintenance, storage, etc.

Renting an excavator runs an average of $3,433 for a 30-day rental period.

Other Construction Vehicle Rental Fees

Here are the buying/renting comparisons of other construction equipment. All rental fees are for a 30-day period.

• Scissor lift--to buy: $22,000; to rent: $399
• Skidloader--to buy: $20,000-$30,000; to rent: $2,367
• Forklift--to buy: $11,000-$13,000; to rent: $1,640

Additional Cost Considerations

Buying equipment entails multiple overhead costs. Here are some of the fees compiled by the construction equipment site Equipment World. The figures are more or less a ballpark estimate.

• Construction vehicle use consumes 12.5 gallons of fuel per hour.
• Construction vehicles incur $4 in maintenance cost per operating hour. Excavators and similar equipment have an estimated 12,000 to 15,000-hour lifespan.
• Insurance costs about 2% of the equipment's purchasing price per year.

Furthermore, not maintaining your equipment can result in premature wear and lead to emergency repair, requiring labor and new OEM parts. This leads to a yearly 400 to 800 hours of idle time for every vehicle. This results in a $1,560 to $3,120 loss in downtime.

Reduce Costs with Construction Equipment Rental in Edmonds

Cut back on ownership costs by renting an excavator and accompanying breakers from Active Excavator Rentals. Learn about us and our ever-expanding inventory. With few exceptions, construction equipment rental is the more economical pathway for construction companies and contractors in and around Edmonds.

Construction Equipment Rental in Edmonds

Serving Monroe, Anacortes, Arlington, Bellingham, Bothell, Burlington, Mt. Vernon, Stanwood, Sedro-Woolley,  Marysville, Granite Falls, Everett, Mukilteo, Edmonds, Snohomish, Lynnwood, Woodinville, Mountlake Terrace, Mill  Creek, Shoreline, Seattle, Redmond, Woodinville, Bellevue, Sammamish, Issaquah, Renton, Kent, Des Moines, Fife, Tacoma, Milton, Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley, Burien, Tukwila, Olympia, Lakewood, Lacey, Kenmore

Posted on August 30, 2021 | Published by Ignite Local | Related Local Business

Workers typically tow an excavator from company premises to the worksite. An excavator on a trailer presents a safety risk for the transport driver. Excavator trailer safety is imperative due to the large weight of the cargo. Here is some advice for safe transportation.

Excavator Trailer Safety Tips in Puyallup

The most vital procedure is ensuring that the excavator is firmly fastened to the trailer bed. The chains and straps you use must be OSHA-approved. Riggers must also secure all chains against the tow bar. On the issue of the tow bar, be sure it has a rating suitable to handle the excavator’s weight. Underweight tow bars may potentially detach while the transport truck is in commute.

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A construction site is inherently quite messy given the nature of the work being done. However, crew members do have to keep the construction zone tidy to some degree. This ensures better organization and safety when utilizing excavators, large machinery, and spoil piles. Learn how to maintain a safe and clean construction site.

Use Secure Storage

It’s not unusual to leave equipment at the construction zone overnight. To minimize theft and vandalism, keep smaller equipment stored inside locked portable sheds. Even during work hours, keep the equipment inside stored units until they’re needed.

Separate the Scraps

Construction zones have tons of rubble that you have to discard at the end of every shift. Various waste materials require different disposal procedures. Separating scraps and waste by type will make disposal and recycling far more effective. Sites should also have both dumpsters and recycle bins within the vicinity to keep waste to a minimum. Continue Reading â†'

Road and construction work usually increase in number in the peak of summer. For contractors, this translates to more hours working under high temperatures. This makes heatstroke prevention so important. Supervisors should learn to recognize the signs of a possible heatstroke and have a procedure in place for minimizing heat-related injuries and illnesses.

Recognize Signs of Heat Injuries

Identify the symptoms of an incoming heatstroke. Train the crew members to recognize the signs in themselves and in their fellow workers. One common sign is the appearance of heat rashes that manifest as a cluster of blister-like bumps on the skin. It may also include cramping in the torso or extremities. These are the signs associated with electrolyte loss caused by excessive sweating. Be sure to take regular breaks with a designated rest area with shade and water available.

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You never know what lies beneath the floor you’re digging. You may have heard tales of construction crews that found mummified remains or ancient fossils. What actions should you take regarding excavation site bones?

What to Do with Excavation Site Bones in Tacoma

Digging rocky soil using an excavator is par for the course for contractors. 99% of the time, the exhumed earth is nothing but mounds of dirt, soil, and pebbles. However, it’s not unheard of for crew members to discover skeletal remains. What do you do? Do you just resume work and keep digging?

Halt all Activity

Stop all construction work right away. Washington law requires construction workers to halt all activity upon finding bones. Don’t disturb the remains or try to dig them out if they're still partially buried.

Report the Findings

Notify the client/landowner. Can you identify the nature of the bones? Is it human or animal? If the former, then you contact law enforcement or the local coroner's office. The site may be a crime scene. If it's animal remains, then contact the local university or state geological office. The bones may simply be a buried pet from a prior property owner. On the other hand, the bones may be of anthropological significance and warrant analysis from an expert.

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Cave-ins are among the greatest risks and major causes of accidents in a construction zone. Your spoil-pile can be a contributor to haphazard incidents. Are you setting the pile at an appropriate distance from the excavation site?

Spoil-Pile in Renton Explained

'Spoil-pile' is a ubiquitous term that refers to a deposit of excavated solid matter. Often, this includes dirt, soil, and crushed concrete. The pile itself isn't a particularly big risk. However, when you deposit the pile adjacent to the trench, that's when it becomes a hazard. The weight of the spoil can cause the trench to cave in. The higher the pile the greater the risk of inducing an avalanche. Continue Reading â†'

Safety practices must be enforced before using heavy machinery--no exceptions! Besides following OSHA guidelines and having a safety guide, you also need to service your construction vehicles and tools. To ensure optimal operating conditions and prevent bodily injury, don’t use any machinery without following an excavator safety checklist.

Pre-Operation Excavator Safety Checklist in Everett

• Inspect the construction zone to be certain you have ample moving space for the excavator. The needed space will differ depending on whether you're operating a conventional or zero swing excavator.
• Confirm the locking pins and safety clip are in place before turning on the excavator.
• Test the boom arm and the breaker and hoe pack. Check for greater-than-normal movement in the arm. Keep your ears open for irregular grinding sounds.
• Inspect the suspension for wear in the rollers, idler wheels, track links, and sprockets.
• Open the engine bay and pull out the dipstick to check the oil. Do this for every four hours of excavator use.

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If you haven't already done so, please read December’s post for part one’s list of excavator attachments. This is part two, which discusses other types of attachments. With part one and part two, you’ll have a comprehensive list of the attachments for your reference.

Common Excavator Attachments in Granite Falls

Plate Compactor: This attachment does precisely what the name implies. Plate compactors compact the soil, minimizing the need to compact by hand. The use of shock mounts spreads the force evenly, even when compacting on sloped land.

Rippers: A ripper tears through rough, compact, and iced-over surfaces. It does this with immense ripping and rugged power not possible from manual human labor. Operators rely on a ripper attachment to loosen the ground before transporting the debris away using a bucket attachment.

Trenchers: A trencher attachment is capable of creating trenches in even the toughest and rock-heavy soils. Multiple chain and teeth selections are available for handling various surface conditions. Trenchers are the tool of choice for rock scaping, irrigation, and utility-based construction work. Continue Reading â†'

You can't finish an entire construction project using just a single attachment. In prior posts, we’ve discussed the various types of excavators and how these heavy-duty vehicles work. This time, we want to discuss the multiple excavator attachments and their respective uses. Due to the numerous attachments, this post will be separated into two parts.

Five Common Excavator Attachments

Breaker: The breaker and hoe pack use a sharp or blunt drill to split apart huge concrete or stone slabs. Contractors require breaker attachments for interior and flatwork demolition, as well as for some road repairs.

Bucket: Most laypeople are familiar with this attachment. This is the enlarged scoop with "teeth" at the end. Operators use the bucket to remove huge piles of debris, ranging from dirt to demolished brick and masonry.

Augers: Augers use torque power to drill holes into rocky soil. It’s capable of penetrating clay, ice, and shale. Augers are perfect for producing steep holes for planting trees or installing large posts and poles. Continue Reading â†'

As an independent contractor, you decide the hours of operation for your business. With Christmas quickly approaching, this leads to the question: should you engage in holiday construction operations?

Considerations for Holiday Construction Operations

Some businesses operate within one or two days of major holidays. Others even choose to work under limited hours on holidays to speed up the completion of time-sensitive projects. By holidays, we don’t just mean major ones like Thanksgiving and Christmas. We're also talking about other pertinent events throughout the year, such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, President's Day, Martin Luther King Day, etc. Continue Reading â†'