Renting any type of heavy-duty equipment and diggers, whether for a home project or for a construction job, can be more difficult and detailed than you may assume. The rental agency will no doubt be happy to help you choose the equipment you need and ensure you know how to operate it properly, but note a few additional considerations that you might want to discuss with them. This will ensure your project gets done properly and safely when you're using heavy-duty equipment.
1. Removing debris
When renting heavy-duty equipment, you might ask if the rental agency can assist with removing debris. They may provide a lorry or skip bin for soil you excavate. You might also ask about soil bulking and if you can expect this with your dig. This refers to excavated soil bulking up after it's been excavated. This is not entirely uncommon, as soil in the ground is typically compacted; once it's dug up, air and moisture can cause it to expand and it may become a larger volume of debris than you expected. Ask if the plant hire company can assist you with removing debris and if they can tell you what to expect by way of volume with the type of soil you're excavating.
2. Cones and signage
If you're excavating near a public roadway, you may be obligated to put up cones and signage, and this might also be true even if you're digging on your private property. The rental agency where you get your plant hire may be able to tell you local regulations about a dig and what signage or cones will be necessary, and they may even have cones and signs you can rent along with the equipment itself. For deep excavations, you may also be legally obligated to erect barriers, and these too may be available with the plant hire.
3. Overhead lines and cables
Someone operating a bobcat or digger is often concerned with what's buried under the ground, but then might ignore obstacles overhead including power lines and cables. It's good to know if electrical lines, phone lines, and other such items are beyond the reach of your plant hire equipment, even when its arm is extended fully. The agency where you get your plant hire may be able to actually visit your site and measure any overhead or other obstacles and tell you what specifically to be careful of when you use their equipment.