Plant Hire in South Africa
Free quotes from plant hire companies across South Africa. One request, no obligation.
- Size class
- 1 t to 50 t and up
- Gets to site
- On a lowbed
- Job stage
- Plant hire services
Plant hire means renting earthmoving, lifting and site equipment, such as TLBs, excavators, tipper trucks and cranes, for as long as a job needs it instead of owning the machines. PlantHiring.co.za is a free quote service. You fill in one form and we send your request to independent plant hire companies near your site, who quote you directly. We do not hire, sell, operate or transport any machines ourselves, and there is no fee or obligation to accept a quote. Tell us the job, the site address and your dates.
What plant hire machinery covers
Plant is the trade word for heavy machines and site equipment. Construction equipment hire covers everything from a small digger for a garden pool to a fleet of trucks on a mine. Plant hire machinery usually falls into five groups:
- Dig and load: TLB hire, excavator hire, bobcats, front end loaders and dozers
- Haul and lift: tipper trucks, water trucks, cranes, cherry pickers, forklifts and telehandlers
- Compact and finish: graders, rollers, plate compactors and concrete mixers
- Site power and tools: generators, jackhammers, small tools and scaffolding
- Services: machines with an operator, rate guidance and equipment for sale
Dry hire or wet hire?
Dry hire means you get the machine only. You supply a competent operator, fuel, daily checks and supervision, and carry most of the risk. Wet hire means the machine comes with an operator and often fuel, so the hire company handles the driving and routine care. Our page on plant hire with operator goes into more detail.
Most large earthmoving plant goes out wet, because owners and their insurers prefer their own operators on expensive machines. Dry hire is common for smaller items such as compactors, mixers and mini excavators. Either way, the Construction Regulations 2014 require operators of construction vehicles and mobile plant to be competent and authorised, and the OHS Act holds whoever controls the site responsible for safe work.
How to choose a plant hire company
Plant hire companies range from one-machine owner-operators to national fleets with yards in every province. Plant hire companies in Gauteng often run several depots, while rural jobs may rely on a local contractor. Before you choose a plant hire company, check:
- The age and condition of the machine, and whether a back-up unit is available after a breakdown
- Operator experience and valid competency cards for that class of machine
- Insurance, and what the damage waiver covers and excludes
- Whether VAT, fuel, transport and standing time are in the price
- Payment terms: cash with a deposit, or an account application with references
Plant hire near me: what drives the price
Searching for plant hire near me makes sense, because transport is a big part of the bill. Heavy machines travel on a lowbed, charged each way, and wide loads may need an abnormal-load permit and escort. A nearby yard saves on float costs.
Rates are usually per hour or per day, with a minimum of several hours or a full day. Machine size, operator, fuel, standing time and the length of hire all change the total. Summer thunderstorms on the Highveld and winter rain in the Western Cape can stop earthworks for days, so ask how weather days are charged. Our plant hire rates page explains each line on a quote.
What to include in your request
- Describe the job and the ground conditions
- Give the site address and any access limits
- State your dates and expected hours or days
- Say whether you need an operator and fuel
- List every machine you need in one request
Plant Hire on different jobs
- House plots and renovations: a TLB and tipper truck hired for foundations, pool holes, driveway preparation and rubble removal
- Housing estates and townships: excavators, TLBs, rollers and water trucks hired for services trenches, stands and internal roads
- Shopping centres, offices and schools: bulk earthworks, parking layer works and crane lifts for shopping centres, offices and schools
- Factories, warehouses and logistics parks: excavators, dozers and rollers building warehouse platforms, terraces and heavy-duty yard paving
- Roads, pipelines and civil works: graders, rollers, water trucks and excavators hired for cut and fill, layer works and stormwater
- Mines and quarries: large excavators, loaders and dozers on monthly hire for load and haul and stockpile work
- Farms, dams and game lodges: dozers, TLBs and excavators hired for farm dams, contour banks, farm roads and bush clearing
Frequently asked questions
Does PlantHiring.co.za hire out machines?
Can I ask for several machines in one request?
Do I need an account to hire plant?
How far ahead should I book?
Plant Hire by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Lephalale
- Kimberley
- Kathu
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
More plant and equipment for hire
Dig & load
Machines that excavate, trench, load and clear
Haul & lift
Trucks that move material, machines that lift it
Compact & finish
Level, compact and mix for layer works and slabs
Site power & tools
Power, breaking, small plant and access
Plant hire services
Hire with operators, rates and buying equipment