Plant hire: What you need for a self-build project

When you’re starting a construction project on your own, you’re sure to feel a little tingle of freedom as you have the opportunity to make the most of your land however you like. Despite this free and liberating feeling, there are a couple of things that you’ll need to consider. For example, plant machinery is a must, and the right plant machinery makes the difference between an efficient worksite and your costs spiralling out of control. Learn more about the plant hire you need for a self-build project and how you can work out what you need.

What is a plant hire?

Construction projects are vast and varied, with people buying vast amounts of materials to complete their work. This is a big cost and would only be worsened by having to buy machinery to support the project. That’s where plant hire comes in. Plant hire is a way of paying to hire large and expensive plant machinery for a cost that would be vastly lower than simply buying the equipment yourself. You can get everything from small excavators to large dumpers, with self-build projects primarily focusing on compact equipment that better suits the needs of their site. People can hire plant machinery within highly flexible timeframes, so you are bound to be covered no matter how long your project will take.

Interestingly, this isn’t the only meaning of a plant. If the item isn’t considered stock and isn’t part of the premises whilst having a function, then it counts as a plant. This has led to some interesting interpretations in the past.

What you need for a self-build project

Self-build plant hire needs can vary significantly depending on the nature of the project that you are working on, but some of the main parts of plant machinery that you might need include:

Micro excavators

The very first step of any project is completing the groundwork. Foundations are the key to a strong and sturdy structure, and by completing groundwork quickly, you can give your building the support it needs from the start. An excavator is a perfect tool for dealing with the groundwork stage of a project, providing you with the precision you need to dig in the right areas combined with the power to push through compacted ground. Coming in a range of sizes, you should take your time when picking an excavator that is suitable for your worksite and the tasks required of it.

Dumpers

A dumper is a large vehicle that holds vast amounts of various materials such as aggregate, pebbles or soil. These trucks come with large, rugged tires designed to help to deal with all kinds of complex terrain, pushing your project onward by transporting any and all materials. Coming in a range of sizes, this is the perfect tool to get materials wherever you need them to be in order to get your head down and start working on the next task. No need to lug materials around by hand; this is by far the most efficient way of moving materials on-site.

Rollers

After you excavate and clear a site, you don’t want a lump or bumpy landscape, especially if you’re working on a garden or yard area. That’s where a roller comes in handy to deal with your groundwork. After filling in an excavation with soil, use a roller to guarantee that the space is as flat as you can get it. These are especially useful for the finishing touches of a project to make the area look as clean and neat as possible, with areas such as driveways benefiting significantly.

Cement mixers

Whilst not a piece of equipment that you need for every single task in a self-build project, a cement mixer is a part of the workspace that you do generally need when working with cement. Most projects only need to use a cement mixer for specific parts of the process, so you’ll likely only hire a mixer for a period when you are dealing with the largest concrete projects, like making an entire pathway out of the material. Concrete can be easy to work with, but only if you’ve made sure you have the right tools.

Tippers

Any construction project, whether professionally contracted or self-build, will inevitably produce a lot of waste. That involves soil from the ground that you dig up, any waste materials from the construction work that you do and all other unnecessary detritus that you find around your site. A tipper is essential for dealing with all of this, allowing you to simply fill up the tipper and drive the waste to the right site. You’re left with a clean location, having effortlessly dealt with the mess.

Wet vs dry hire

Some terminology that consistently comes up when you’re looking for plant hire is the idea of “wet” and “dry” hire. To an outsider, this could be a complicated idea that puts you off plant hire agreements, but it is much simpler than it first seems. Wet hire refers to hiring plant machinery with someone that knows how to work it, so you can get the tasks done without having to learn how to use a completely new machine.

Dry hire, on the other hand, refers to when you hire plant machinery on its own without hiring someone to use it on your behalf. This is more common for a self-build project for a few reasons, primarily because it helps the self-builder to keep their independence throughout the project and keep working on their own. Choosing dry hire can also cut costs, as you are just spending on the machine itself rather than a person to operate it.

Try Addplant

If you’re looking for plant hire services across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire that you can rely on, get in touch with the Addplant team today. Our company has been running since 1934 with the goal of providing reliable services and quality equipment for all of our clients, so give our friendly experts a call today to find out more and get started.