It’s the age-old question when it comes to   hiring machinery   for a project. Do you wet hire or dry hire? For some of you, it may even be your first foray into sourcing equipment, and what you actually might be wondering is what does wet and dry hire even mean? Not to worry – as   industry leading experts in dry machinery hire, we’ve put together the following overview of wet hire vs dry hire to provide a quick education, and hopefully help with your wet or dry hire decision. 

What is dry hire?

In its simplest form, dry hire is the rental of equipment without an operator. The lessee is solely responsible for the machine throughout the entirety of the agreed rental period, and must handle all operational aspects themselves or via their team.

Dry hiring machinery   is often seen as the more budget-friendly alternative to wet hire, but it does come with a few key considerations that we’ll touch on later. But first, let’s explore wet hire in a bit more detail. 

What is wet hire?

Wet hire is the rental of both the machinery and an operator for the agreed-upon period, which means that the service includes not only the equipment but also a fully-licensed and insured operator who will be present on-site to carry out all required tasks.

Wet hire is the more popular option between the two and often seen as the safer hire option – though there are some potential drawbacks that we’re going to explore.

But now that we’ve got a basic understanding of what wet hire vs dry hire means, let’s take a look at some of the key considerations for each option.

Key considerations for wet hire

The first thing you need to understand about wet hire is that it’s going to come with a higher price tag than dry hire machinery options. That’s because in addition to the equipment rental, you’re also paying for the labour of the operator.

While we previously mentioned that wet hire is often seen as the safer option, it does come with a few potential challenges – one of which is that you may not have as much control over the project as you would if you were to go the dry hire route for your machinery hire. This is because while the operator will have the required skills and experience to carry out the task at hand, they may not necessarily be familiar with your specific requirements or overall vision for the project.

Another potential wet hire challenge is that you are reliant on the operator’s availability, which means that if an emergency or some other scenario pops up that prevents them from being able to make it to the job site, it could put your project timeline at risk.

Key considerations for dry hire

Dry hire is often seen as the more budget-friendly alternative to wet machinery hire, but there are a few key things to keep in mind. The first is that you will be responsible for sourcing your own operator if you can’t operate the machine yourself, which can be a time-consuming and challenging task if you don’t have someone on your team who is familiar with the required machinery.

You will also be responsible for ensuring that the operator you do source is fully licensed and insured to operate the machinery. If they are not, and something goes wrong, you could be held liable. 

Another thing to keep in mind with dry hire machinery is that you will be solely responsible for the equipment throughout the entirety of the rental period. So if something goes wrong or the equipment is damaged, you will be on the hook financially.

So what’s the bottom line?

When it comes to wet hire vs dry hire, there is no right or wrong answer – it will ultimately come down to what makes the most sense for your specific project. If you have the budget and you want the peace of mind that comes with wet hire, then it may be the best option for you. But if you’re working with a tight budget and you’re comfortable taking on a bit more responsibility, then dry hire machinery may be the way to go.

If you’re still not sure which option is best for your project, we’re here to help! Give us a call and we’d be happy to chat with you about your specific needs and help you make the best decision for your project.