Subcontract excavation with a rented machine

Small builders, landscapers, fence and deck companies, plumbers and homeowners needing trenching or dig-outs.

Charge a day rate or fixed price per job that covers machine rental, delivery, fuel and your labour, plus a margin.

• Machine operating experience or certified training
• Pricing jobs including rental costs
• Networking with local contractors
• Basic site safety

• Rental costs can eat the margin if jobs run over, so quote with a buffer
• Locate buried utilities before digging; check your province's one-call service
• You are usually responsible for damage to rented equipment, so check the rental agreement and insurance
• Check with your provincial workers' compensation board on whether you need coverage as a sole operator
• Trench safety rules vary by province, check your provincial health and safety regulator
• Work slows in winter in many regions, so plan for seasonality

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the training, insurance and rental arrangements you set up. Renting a machine per job means you avoid a large equipment purchase.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how many jobs you take, their size and your pricing. Rental costs can eat into your margin if jobs run over, so quote with a buffer.

Check your province's one-call service to locate buried utilities, trench safety rules with your provincial regulator, and whether you need workers' compensation coverage as a sole operator. Also check the rental agreement and insurance for damage to rented equipment.