Equipment Rates Per Hour

Raising contractor equipment rates starts with two buckets: ownership cost that runs while a machine sits, and operating cost that rises with hours.

Sharing prices with competitors is not automatically illegal, but a 1969 Supreme Court case shows how swapping recent quotes crossed the line.

Foundation dig time with an excavator hinges on yards moved, reach, and OSHA’s 5-foot rule. See where three Cat sizes fit.

Equipment maintenance cost per hour: Deere lists Plus-50 II oil at 500 hours and Torq-Gard II at 250. The cheaper pail can cost more per hour.

Steel-track undercarriage cost is Cat’s basic factor times your ground, about 70% parts and 30% labor. The BLS parts index is up 73.4% since June 2022.

Tier 4 Final DEF cost: each $1 a gallon adds 7.7 cents an hour on a Cat 320 and $1.76 on a Steiger 425, before a DPF reserve of 22 to 33 cents per $1,000.

Afford an excavator for side work? Lenders quote 6%–22% APR, and each point moves your payment per hour. Check yours before you sign.

Billable hours per year: one published 60% utilization rule rests on 22 days a month, not meter hours. See what that does to your rent-or-buy call.

Equipment hourly rates by state vary less than jobs do: Texas dozer responses over 160 hp spanned $230, wider than any gap between state averages.

811 before digging contractor: Tennessee says a homeowner’s ticket won’t cover your dig. Here’s
whose name goes on the ticket where you work.