Roller Hire in South Africa
Free quotes from plant hire companies across South Africa. One request, no obligation.
- Size class
- 1–20 t · smooth or padfoot
- Gets to site
- On a lowbed
- Job stage
- Compact & finish
Roller hire covers the machines that turn loose fill into a firm layer that will carry slabs, paving and traffic without settling. PlantHiring.co.za is a free quote service: you fill in one form and we send your request to independent hire companies near your site, who quote you directly. We do not hire, operate or deliver any equipment ourselves. Tell us the area, the material and the layer thickness, and local suppliers will suggest the right roller and price it.
Types of roller for hire
The right drum depends on the soil:
- Vibratory roller hire for gravel, sand and crushed stone, where vibration settles particles together
- Smooth drum roller hire for granular layers and for sealing and finishing a surface
- Padfoot rollers for clay and silty soils, where the feet knead the material
- Tandem rollers for asphalt and small surfacing jobs
- Pedestrian double-drum rollers for trenches, paths and paving beds
On very small or confined areas, a plate compactor or rammer may do the job for less.
Choosing a soil compactor for your job
When people search for soil compactor hire, they often need a roller rather than a hand machine. As a rule, pedestrian rollers suit paths, driveways and backfilled trenches; ride-on rollers of a few tonnes suit estate roads and parking areas; and large rollers in the 10 to 20 tonne class suit bulk earthworks, road layers and dam walls. Layer thickness matters: compact in layers no thicker than the roller can handle, and bring the material close to its optimum moisture with a water truck. Your engineer's specification sets the density and testing required.
What affects roller hire cost
Quotes are built from more than a daily rate. Expect these factors:
- Roller size, drum type and whether it vibrates
- Dry hire or wet hire with an operator
- Hourly or daily rates with a minimum hire period
- Delivery on a trailer for small rollers or a lowbed for large ones
- Fuel, deposit, damage waiver and VAT
Ride-on rollers usually come with an operator on civil jobs. Pedestrian rollers are often hired dry for a day or a weekend.
Working safely with rollers
Rollers tip over on soft edges and steep slopes more easily than people expect, and vibration can damage nearby walls, pipes and services. Keep the drum away from unsupported trench edges, check for services before compacting near them, and keep workers out of the roller's path. Under the Construction Regulations 2014, operators must be competent and authorised for the machine. On roads, a grader usually works just ahead of the roller to shape each layer. Check the drum, scrapers and vibration controls with the hirer before the machine is offloaded, and report any fault straight away.
What to include in your request
- Give the area to compact in m²
- Describe the soil: sand, gravel or clay
- Say how thick each layer will be
- State whether you need an operator
Roller Hire on different jobs
- House plots and renovations: rolling a driveway base or garage platform with a pedestrian or small ride-on roller
- Housing estates and townships: compacting internal roads, services trench backfill and stand platforms on a new township
- Shopping centres, offices and schools: compacting base layers for parking areas and access roads at a retail or office development
- Factories, warehouses and logistics parks: rolling thick fill platforms and yard layers to specified density for a warehouse floor
- Roads, pipelines and civil works: compacting subgrade, subbase and base layers behind a grader and water truck on road works
- Mines and quarries: compacting haul road repairs, stockpile pads and plant platforms at a mine or quarry
- Farms, dams and game lodges: compacting dam wall layers with a padfoot roller and firming up gravel farm roads
Frequently asked questions
Does PlantHiring.co.za hire out rollers?
What size roller do I need for a driveway?
Should I use a smooth drum or padfoot roller?
Can I hire a roller with an operator?
Roller 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