How much does skid steer work cost in South Carolina?
Hiring a skid steer with an operator runs $100 to $300 per hour, according to HomeGuide. Most operators charge a minimum of one day or eight hours. Renting a wheeled skid steer yourself runs $200 to $450 a day, DOZR reports. Fuel, any delivery charge and your own time come on top of that.
Neither figure is a South Carolina rate. HomeGuide reports national averages, and DOZR calls its ranges averages across North America. Our own skid steer services around Florence and the Pee Dee come with our crew at the controls. Every quote is free and given on site.
What does a skid steer with an operator cost per hour?
HomeGuide puts an operator who brings a mini excavator, backhoe or skid steer loader at $100 to $300 per hour. That rate pays for the machine and the person running it. An operator without equipment runs $50 to $150 per hour, HomeGuide says.
Minimums shape small jobs. Most operators charge a minimum of one day or eight hours, according to HomeGuide. Many excavation contractors also set minimum project fees of $500 to $800. When a job takes only a few hours, that floor can set the price instead of the clock.
Plenty of people call any skid steer a Bobcat. So a Bobcat hourly rate and a skid steer hourly rate are the same question. HomeGuide says grading companies with a bobcat or skid steer loader charge the same $100 to $300 per hour. It adds that they typically have a one-day minimum.
| Skid steer work with an operator | HomeGuide figure |
|---|---|
| Operator with a mini excavator, backhoe or skid steer loader | $100 to $300 per hour |
| Operator only, no machine | $50 to $150 per hour |
| Usual minimum | One day or eight hours |
| Minimum project fee, many excavation contractors | $500 to $800 |
Source: HomeGuide, excavation cost guide.
The same hourly range covers mini excavator digging. Our excavation cost guide prices that work by the cubic yard and by the job.
What does it cost to rent a skid steer yourself?
A wheeled skid steer rents for $200 to $450 a day, according to DOZR, an equipment rental marketplace. A compact track loader, the kind on rubber tracks, rents for $250 to $700 a day. DOZR draws its ranges from 4,768 rental transactions across the U.S. and Canada.
| Rental machine | Per day | Per week | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeled skid steer | $200 to $450 | $750 to $2,000 | $2,500 to $4,000 |
| Compact track loader | $250 to $700 | $1,000 to $2,000 | $3,000 to $5,000 |
Source: DOZR, skid steer rental cost guide, from 4,768 rental transactions across the U.S. and Canada.
DOZR says the longer you rent, the lower the daily rate. Since its figures are North American averages, it suggests asking local rental companies for quotes.
What does a skid steer rental price leave out?
The day rate is for the machine. DOZR lists fuel, attachments, insurance and environmental fees as costs that come after the rental. A brush cutter is an attachment, so it adds to the bill as well.
Delivery is the other variable. DOZR says its cost depends on where the jobsite and the rental company are. It prints no dollar figure for delivery or fuel, so ask the yard about both before you book.
Your own time is the last cost. The loading, spreading and grading fall to you, on a machine you may not use often.
Is it cheaper to hire a skid steer operator or rent one?
On published numbers, a rental day costs less up front, and a hired day includes someone to do the work. Say a gravel driveway needs new stone spread, or a dirt pad needs shaping. The job fills one 8 hour day.
Hiring at HomeGuide’s $100 to $300 per hour comes to $800 to $2,400 for 8 hours, machine and person included. Renting runs DOZR’s $200 to $450 for a wheeled skid steer or $250 to $700 for a track loader. Neither publisher gives a number for fuel or delivery, so the example leaves them out.
| One 8 hour day | Published range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Hire with an operator, 8 hours at $100 to $300 | $800 to $2,400 | The machine and the person running it |
| Rent a wheeled skid steer | $200 to $450, before fuel and any delivery charge | The machine only |
| Rent a compact track loader | $250 to $700, before fuel and any delivery charge | The machine only |
Source: HomeGuide hourly range times 8 hours, and DOZR daily rental ranges. Neither publisher gives a figure for delivery or fuel.
The stone or fill costs extra either way. Our gravel driveway cost guide prices the stone. Our fill dirt cost guide prices fill by the yard and the truckload.
Skid steer, track loader or mini excavator: which one fits the job?
Pick the machine by the main task. Moving, spreading and grading material suits a skid steer or track loader. Digging down suits a mini excavator.
Cat Rentals, the Caterpillar equipment rental site, backs that split. With the right attachments, it says, skid steers handle brush cutting and fine grading. It describes excavators as mainly for digging, lifting and carrying materials such as soil and gravel. For a deep ditch in a tight spot, it points to a mini excavator.
Between the two loaders, the difference is wheels or tracks. Skid steers tend to weigh less and work well on hard surfaces like concrete, per Cat Rentals. Track loaders better suit natural terrain and have a much lower impact on soil and turf. DOZR says they are in more demand where the ground gets muddy, Florida included.
| Machine | Main jobs, per Cat Rentals | Ground it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Skid steer, four wheels | Brush cutting and fine grading with the right attachments | Hard surfaces like concrete |
| Compact track loader, two rubber tracks | The same loader work on tracks | Natural terrain, muddy and swampy ground |
| Mini excavator | Digging, lifting and carrying soil, uprooting trees | Tight spaces where a standard excavator will not fit |
Source: Cat Rentals guides on skid steers vs track loaders, land clearing equipment, and trenchers vs excavators.
Our own fleet splits the work the same way. The track skid steer does most of the spreading and finish grading. The New Holland mini excavator digs, moves the heavier dirt and digs stumps out. It is the machine behind our residential excavation work.
What raises the cost of skid steer work in the Pee Dee?
Machine hours drive the bill, so anything that adds time raises it. Job size, access, wet ground, haul-off and material brought in move it most.
Job size sets the hours. A small job can price at a one-day minimum or a $500 to $800 project fee, both HomeGuide figures. A narrow gate, a fence line or a tight path between trees adds time too.
Wet or soft ground slows the work. Our land grading cost guide covers why flat Pee Dee lots hold water. Soggy ground favors a track loader, and DOZR puts one at $250 to $700 a day.
Haul-off adds trailer trips, and on our jobs the dump trailer carries brush, debris and dirt away. Gravel or fill brought in costs money before any machine moves it. Cat Rentals says brushcutter attachments cut through dense shrubs and small trees quickly. An overgrown lot fits our brush hogging service.
Do you need an 811 call or a permit for skid steer work?
Any job that breaks ground starts with SC811. SC811 asks for your request at least three business days before you start digging. That count skips the day you file, weekends and holidays.
A permit depends on how much ground the work disturbs. The state agency SCDES counts clearing, grading, excavating and filling of low areas as land disturbance. State stormwater coverage applies at one acre or more.
Florence County’s own form for sites under one acre, the Stormwater and Land Disturbance Application, carries no application fee. On a lot in another county, check that county’s rules before the work starts.
What skid steer work do we do around Florence?
We do residential skid steer work within roughly 25 to 30 miles of Florence. Our skid steer is a compact track loader on rubber tracks, and it runs a brush cutter attachment. It always comes with our crew, and we do not rent it out. Jobs it handles include:
- Spreading fill dirt and finish grading it
- Moving dirt from high spots to low ones
- Spreading and shaping stone on driveways
- Shaping pads for houses, mobile homes, sheds and shops
- Cutting brush and saplings with the brush cutter
- Loading brush, debris and dirt into our dump trailer
- Leveling ground after demolition or tree removal
Finish work across a lot falls under grading and site prep. Every quote is free and given on site, once we see the ground. Our skid steer services page covers what to have ready before the machine arrives.
Questions people ask
How much does a skid steer with an operator cost per hour?
HomeGuide puts an operator who brings a mini excavator, backhoe or skid steer loader at $100 to $300 per hour. That rate covers the machine and the person running it. Most operators charge a minimum of one day or eight hours, HomeGuide says. A short job can still bill a full day.
How much does it cost to rent a skid steer for a day?
DOZR reports $200 to $450 a day for a wheeled skid steer and $250 to $700 for a track loader. Those ranges come from 4,768 rental transactions across the U.S. and Canada. DOZR lists fuel, attachments, insurance and environmental fees as added costs. Ask whether delivery is in the quote.
Is it cheaper to rent a skid steer or hire someone?
Renting costs less up front on published numbers. Eight hours at HomeGuide’s $100 to $300 per hour comes to $800 to $2,400, machine and person included. DOZR’s wheeled skid steer day runs $200 to $450. Fuel, any delivery charge and your own hours at the controls come on top.
What is the difference between a skid steer and a compact track loader?
The difference is what they roll on. Cat Rentals says a skid steer rides on four wheels with rugged tires, while a track loader has two tracks. Skid steers tend to weigh less and work well on hard surfaces like concrete. Track loaders better suit natural terrain, with a much lower impact on soil and turf.
Do I need a skid steer or a mini excavator?
It depends on whether the job digs down or works the surface. Cat Rentals says excavators are mainly for digging, lifting and carrying soil and gravel. With the right attachments, it says, skid steers handle brush cutting and fine grading. Spreading gravel or shaping a pad is skid steer work.
Do you need to call 811 before skid steer work in South Carolina?
Yes, when the work involves digging. SC811 asks for your request at least three business days before you start digging. The filing day, weekends and holidays do not count. State stormwater coverage applies at one acre or more, and Florence County’s under-one-acre form carries no application fee.
Want your skid steer job priced?
Tell us what the job is and how a machine gets in. Call us, or ask for a free quote on site.