Hiring a Excavator: Necessary Things to Keep in Mind

When hiring excavators, it's important to note that not all excavators are the same. You'll find companies that are cheap, some that use the best excavation tools (and some that don't) and you'll find some that charge an arm and a leg. The key, is finding a quality excavator that you feel comfortable with and does a job that is up to or exceed your expectations. To do this, we've listed the top factors to keep in mind when looking to hire a excavator.

Pro Tip:

Ask for Excavator Referrals

One of the first few places to start when you're looking to hire excavators is your friends, neighbors and co-workers. You'll want to ask them if they know of a excavation company that they have hired before that they would recommend or refer.

If you have a specific issue with your hoe buckets, like contamination , you can ask for referrals of excavation companies that they know of that have helped them with their contamination or whatever other issue you are having (ie. track tension , gearbox issues, hydraulic pump failure , leakage, etc.)

Pro Tip:

Reviews of Excavators

After checking out references that you received for excavators, you'll want to check online reviews. You should be able to find online reviews for just about any excavator in your local area. This can very helpful, but can also be overwhelming and misleading at times. Here are a few guidelines to help you as you sift through all of the reviews:

An overwhelmingly positive or negative review of a excavator could be a sign of a fake review- so take that into considerations.

Make a special note of excavators that have received a great deal of reviews. A lot of reviews combined with 4.5 to 5 stars is a big sign that the excavation company got those legitimately.

Keep an eye out for reviews that compare their experience with other excavators. Giving these details adds validity to the reviewer who has actually hired a local excavator.

Here are a few examples of valid reviews of excavators:

"Got a call back from them within mere minutes of placing my request on Home Advisor. The quote was fair and also delivered in a timely manner. More importantly the work they did on my front stairs was great. Efficient, knowledgeable, friendly, would definitely use their services again in the future."

"Mini backhoe services provided an up front proposal that was competitive and budget friendly. They explained in detail everything they needed to do, what the cost would be and the time frame they were available to complete the work. I've never been more satisfied with the job that needed to be done!! These guys love their job and it shows in their workmanship. Thank you Jason and Shane.... you will be highly recommended."

"It was a wonderful experience working with this company. The value of the work would be hard to beat and Jason and Maria are terrific people. Most of the people that had given me bids are not people I want to work with. These people I would feel comfortable having at my family picnic and will tell you what he can and can not do. Very reasonable pricing.. I cannot give them a high enough recommendation!"

Pro Tip:

Excavator References

Once you have gathered referrals and checked online reviews of the excavation companies, you want to call the company directly and ask them for at least 2 recent references. These should be from customers they have completed work for within the past month. Also, you can ask for references for specific issues like track tension , contamination , gearbox issues, leakage, hydraulic pump failure or just general hoe bucket issues. Here are some questions you could ask the excavators' references:

What work did the excavator do for you? A small hoe bucket issue or big hoe bucket issue will give you insight as to the scale of the project. Was it for gearbox issues, hydraulic pump failure , track tension , leakage, contamination or just general hoe bucket issues?

Did the excavator provide a contract with details of the work? Did they provide what methods will be used, possible issues, etc.

How was the staff that completed the excavation work? Professional, clean, friendly? Ask about the things that you care about.

Was the excavation work completed per the agreed upon budget?

How were the excavators results? Did they meet or exceed your expectations?

Would you hire the excavator again?

Pro Tip:

Most excavator rental companies don't mark underground utility lines before digging. Protect your project & nearby properties, and avoid costly mistakes by having professionals mark and color-code the construction area before excavation. Safety and peace of mind start when knowing 100% that the excavator will not hit any underground utility lines. A quick call to a utility locator today can prevent major disruptions and expenses tomorrow.

Pro-tip from USI Locate of Chandler, Arizona, a leading Private Utility Locating Company

Pro Tip:

Always make sure the excavation company is using the proper tools and a specialized excavation software that is custom to the industry. Servgrow is a popular software among excavation companies.

Licensed and Insured Excavation Company

When hiring a excavator, that last think you want to do is hire one that is not a legitimate business and has no license and insurance. Just because you know that excavation companies should be licensed, bonded and insured, don't take this for granted.

Excavators that do not have a license will most likely try to cut corners because they understand that they are not as accountable for their work. In fact, it's illegal for them to operate without a license.

Professional excavation companies will have no problem showing you all the necessary documents, licenses and insurance to operate their business.

Final Notes on Hiring a Excavator

Hiring a excavator can be challenging at first, but using these tips above should get you started in the right direction. And keep in mind that it could take a couple different excavators that you hire before finding that perfect one- and when you find that perfect one, don't let them go!

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Hiring a Excavator: Necessary Things to Keep in Mind

Pro Tip:

Ask for Excavator Referrals

Pro Tip:

Reviews of Excavators

Pro Tip:

Excavator References

Pro Tip:

Pro Tip:

Licensed and Insured Excavation Company

Final Notes on Hiring a Excavator

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