Construction equipment - buying versus leasing

The decision between buying or renting construction machinery is one of the first decisions a company has to make before starting construction work. Construction machinery tends to be expensive, specialised equipment, the maintenance or operation of which not only requires the relevant permits, but can also involve considerable expense. So before deciding to undertake construction work, it is worth asking yourself first - will you need to buy the equipment or will it be enough to rent it? 

Excavators 

Machines such as CAT or JCB excavators are the basic element of modern construction. Due to their diverse design, excavators can perform a number of different tasks. For this reason, they are very useful for all construction works. 

Unfortunately, they are also very high price. Prices for new excavators can, depending on their construction and purpose, range from tens to hundreds of thousands of zlotys. As you can see, this is a serious investment that many smaller companies could not afford. So when is it worth considering buying your own excavator? 

First of all, it depends on the frequency of the work. If it is only going to be periodic work or a single job, hiring an excavator is a much better idea. It is also worth bearing in mind potential damage. If you own the equipment, you will have to cover the repair costs yourself. In the case of renting, companies will usually replace damaged equipment at no extra charge. 

Rollers 

Rollers are construction machines designed to compact the ground during earthworks or on a construction site. Therefore, battles can be encountered in a variety of circumstances. 

In terms of price, rollers can be much more expensive than excavators. Depending on the size and type of the machine, the price of a new roller can reach up to half a million zlotys. This is, as you can see, a very serious investment. However, it is worth considering if the roller is to be used regularly for work. Roller rental prices correspond to the purchase price, which means that in the long run, renting a roller is a much less profitable option than buying it. Therefore, people who deal with, for example, the construction of houses, will want to own the roller. 

However, if the roller is to be used for shorter jobs, such as the maintenance of flat surfaces or lawns, it is worth considering renting. In the case of such works, the rental of the roller would be associated with significant savings. 

Scaffolding 

Scaffolding, like an excavator, is a basic element of work on a construction site and not only. Scaffolding is used wherever long-term work requires workers to access high places. 

The use of scaffolding makes sense where work will last for a longer period of time. For shorter jobs, rather different machines such as telescopic booms are used. So when to buy and when to rent scaffolding? 

First and foremost, buying your own scaffolding costs a lot less than machinery such as excavators or rollers. This can be a motivation when choosing, but it is worth thinking carefully. It is common for scaffolding bought for a job to simply remain in storage afterwards (which, by the way, puts workers at risk of accidents at work - unmaintained, old scaffolding is dangerous). If the scaffolding is not going to be erected and used regularly, a much better decision is to rent it from a suitable company.