Excavator operator with hired machine

Homeowners with small digs, builders and landscapers needing an extra operator, and tradies who want trenches dug on their own jobs.

Fixed or hourly price per job, minus machine hire and delivery costs. The margin is thinner than owning a machine, but there are no finance repayments.

• Machine operation
• Accurate quoting including hire costs
• Scheduling hires around jobs
• Safe site practices

• Hire companies may require you to hold insurance for damage to hired plant, check excess amounts
• Hire costs can eat into profit if jobs run over, so build a buffer into quotes
• Always use Before You Dig Australia before any digging
• Check your state's licensing body to see whether earthworks need a contractor licence at certain job values
• Subcontracting may raise questions about sole trader versus employee status, so check with the ATO or an accountant

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $10,000, depending on insurance, equipment and marketing. Hire costs can eat into profit if jobs run over, so build a buffer into your quotes.

Always use Before You Dig Australia. Check whether hire companies require you to hold insurance for damage to hired plant, and the excess amounts. Check your state's licensing body on contractor licences, and your sole trader or employee status with the ATO or an accountant.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue is typically around $2,500 to $10,000, depending on job size, how often you hire a machine and your hours. Hours typically start from around 12 a week.