Plant hire in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg plant hire prices
Our rates for the machines Johannesburg hires most, excluding VAT. With an operator or driver unless it says machine only.
| Machine | Rate | Price |
|---|---|---|
| TLB, standard 4x4 | Per day with operator | R3,900–R5,150 |
| Excavator, 20–25 t | Per day with operator | R3,500–R5,600 |
| Mini excavator, 1.5–6 t | Per day with operator | R1,700–R3,000 |
| Bobcat | Per day with operator | R2,400–R3,700 |
| Tipper, 10 cube | Per day with driver | R3,700–R5,250 |
| Water truck, 14,000–18,000 litre | Per day with driver | R2,400–R2,800 |
| Grader, 140 class | Per day with operator | R4,500–R6,000 |
| Bulldozer, D6 class | Per day with operator | R5,000–R7,750 |
| Cherry picker, 12–15 m | Per day with operator | R2,400–R4,000 |
| Scissor lift, electric 6–12 m | Per day, machine only | R1,000–R1,500 |
| Horse and side tipper trailer | Per month with driver | R75,500–R92,000 |
| Lowbed, 30 t | Per km with driver | R23–R90 |
Example: a 20 t excavator for three days in Johannesburg
Here's how a quote adds up when the machine comes on a lowbed. Machines that drive to site, like a TLB, skip the transport line inside the city.
| Example quote (for illustration only) | Amount |
|---|---|
| 20–25 t excavator, 3 days at R3,500–R5,600 a day with operator | R10,500–R16,800 |
| Transport both ways to Johannesburg | R6,000–R9,500 |
| Example total, excl. VAT | R16,500–R26,300 |
Digging in Johannesburg: ground, storms and the JRA
Three kinds of ground in one city
- The ridges running east–west through the middle of the city (Parktown, Hillbrow, Northcliff) are hard quartzite. A plain bucket stops at rock here, so book a breaker TLB (R5,000–R6,550 a day with operator) or an excavator with a breaker.
- The northern suburbs sit on residual granite soil that can collapse when wet under load. University of Pretoria research describes it as a hazard in the rapidly expanding northern parts of Johannesburg. Footings are often dug deeper or the soil is recompacted in layers, so a compactor follows the digger.
- Johannesburg south follows the old gold reef: mine dumps, reclaimed mine land and industrial ground. Expect fill and rubble in the first metre, and get an engineer's view before building on reclaimed ground.
Summer thunderstorms
Johannesburg's rain falls between October and March (South African Weather Service), usually in short, heavy storms. A storm floods open trenches and turns clay to grease for loaded tippers, so in summer we dig in the morning, keep trench lengths short and backfill the same day where the job allows. Ask about standing time when you book.
JRA wayleaves and underground services
Anything dug into a pavement, verge or street is work in the road reserve. The Johannesburg Roads Agency controls it through wayleaves and its Code of Practice for work in the road reserve. Inside your own boundary you don't need a wayleave, but water, sewer, electricity and fibre still run under many stands. Mark what you know before the machine arrives, and expose anything uncertain by hand before the bucket goes near it.
Machines for hire in Johannesburg
TLB hire in Johannesburg
The city's everyday machine, at R3,900–R5,150 a day with operator or R320–R410 an hour dry. It digs footings and trenches, loads trucks and backfills. Johannesburg is one of our main centres, so the TLB drives to your site. Full detail: TLB hire in Johannesburg.
Excavator hire in Johannesburg
For basements on commercial stands, bulk earthworks and deep sewer lines, a 20–25 t excavator is R3,500–R5,600 a day with operator or R340–R690 an hour. A 30 t machine is about R4,500 a day. Excavators arrive on a lowbed, R6,000–R9,500 there and back in the city. On a tight inner-city stand, check the lowbed can get in and that there's room to offload. See excavator hire rates.
Mini excavator hire in Johannesburg
For backyards in older suburbs, narrow side passages and digging next to walls, a 1.5–6 t mini excavator is R1,700–R3,000 a day with operator. It comes on a trailer, R1,300–R3,840 there and back. See mini excavator hire.
Bobcat hire in Johannesburg
Rubble after demolitions and renovations, spreading gravel and topsoil, and cleaning yards: R2,400–R3,700 a day with operator or R190–R370 an hour. With a breaker, auger or broom it's R3,000–R3,600 a day with operator. Trailer transport there and back is R1,300–R3,840.
Tipper truck hire in Johannesburg
A 6 cube tipper is R1,250–R1,900 a load in Gauteng, a 10 cube R3,700–R5,250 a day with operator, and a 14–18 cube R3,300–R4,000 a day with operator. Tippers carry rubble out and bring sand, G5 and stone in. Rubble must go to a licensed disposal site, which affects the cycle time and the number of loads a day. See tipper truck hire.
Water truck and water tanker hire in Johannesburg
Water trucks keep dust down on sites and haul roads and wet the layers for compaction. An 8,000–12,000 litre truck is R2,000–R2,300 a day with operator, 14,000–18,000 litre R2,400–R2,800 a day with operator, and 23,000–25,000 litre R4,000–R5,800 a day with operator. See dust suppression and water truck hire.
Grader for hire in Johannesburg
Gravel roads on smallholdings on the southern and northern edges of the city, parking areas and road layerworks: R3,900–R4,400 a day for a 120-class, R4,500–R6,000 a day with operator for a 140-class, or R490–R610 an hour. A grader comes on a lowbed. See grader hire.
Bulldozer hire in Johannesburg
Bulk clearing, cut-and-fill and landfill work: a D6-class dozer is R5,000–R7,750 a day with operator, D8-class about R8,200 a day and D9-class R9,800–R11,000 a day. Dozers move on a lowbed. See bulldozer hire.
Lowbed for hire and lowbed transport in Johannesburg
To move your own machine, or one of ours, a 30 t lowbed runs R23–R90 a km with driver, depending on the load and distance. Plant delivery on a smaller truck is R43–R52 a km. Wide or heavy loads may need an abnormal-load permit, which we flag when we quote. See lowbed hire.
Horse and trailer for hire in Johannesburg
A horse (truck tractor) on its own is R42,000–R63,000 a month with operator, or about R6,300 a day. A side tipper trailer alone is R25,000–R29,500 a month, and the full 34 t side tipper with driver R75,500–R92,000 a month with operator. These run monthly hauling contracts out of Johannesburg. See side tipper hire in Johannesburg.
Flatbed truck hire in Johannesburg
Flatbeds carry steel, containers, pipes and machinery parts. We price them per job: exact price on WhatsApp. The price depends on the deck length, the tonnage, the distance and whether a crane is needed at the other end (if so, a crane truck in Johannesburg may do both). See flatbed truck hire.
Cherry picker hire in Johannesburg
Signage, glazing, lights and facade repairs on the city's office blocks and malls: R2,400–R4,000 a day for 12–15 m, R4,150–R7,900 for 16–17 m, about R8,200 for 20–25 m. Each machine has a current load-test certificate and a certified operator. If it stands on a pavement, the JRA's road-reserve rules apply. See cherry picker hire rates.
Scissor lift hire in Johannesburg
Indoor fit-outs, ceilings and shelving in offices, malls and warehouses: an electric scissor lift (6–12 m) is R1,000–R1,500 a day, and a rough-terrain diesel scissor lift (8–10 m) for outdoor sites R3,350–R3,700 a day, machine only. Scissor lifts need a firm, level floor. See scissor lift hire.
Cranes, crane trucks, forklifts and generators
These have their own Johannesburg pages with local detail and prices: mobile crane hire in Johannesburg, crane truck hire in Johannesburg, forklift hire in Johannesburg and generator hire in Johannesburg.
Concrete mixer for hire in Johannesburg
A 300–500 litre concrete mixer is R370–R470 a day, machine only. It suits slabs, footings and paving bases where a ready-mix truck is too much or can't get in. It comes on a trailer with your other small plant.
Compressor hire in Johannesburg
A diesel compressor with a pneumatic breaker is priced per job: exact price on WhatsApp, with the hose length and breaker size you need. For lighter breaking, a heavy electric jackhammer (27–30 kg) is R380–R610 a day. See compressor, breaker and mixer rates.
Equipment hire in Johannesburg: small plant
Small plant comes machine only, delivered with your bigger machine or on its own.
| Equipment | Used for | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Plate compactor (forward only) | Paving beds, driveways, trench tops | R270–R370 |
| Reversible plate compactor | Thicker layers, backfill around footings | R400–R630 |
| Rammer | Narrow trenches | R350–R470 |
| Heavy electric jackhammer | Slabs, floors, foundations | R380–R610 |
| Concrete mixer, 300–500 litre | Footings, slabs, paving bases | R370–R470 |
| Portable generator, up to 10 kVA | Tools and lights on site | R320–R520 |
Plant hire across Johannesburg
Plant hire in Johannesburg south
From Booysens and Ormonde to Turffontein, Mondeor and the smallholdings towards Eikenhof, the south mixes industrial yards, mine land and suburbs. Typical jobs: factory yard repairs with a breaker TLB, rubble clearing with a bobcat and tippers, and grader work on smallholding roads. Ground here is often fill, so ask your engineer before building on it.
The inner city
Building conversions, demolitions and basement work in the CBD, Braamfontein and Doornfontein. Space is tight: a bobcat or mini excavator often replaces a TLB, and tippers are timed around traffic. Any pavement or street work needs the JRA's wayleave. See demolition.
Northern suburbs, Soweto and Roodepoort
Sandton, Randburg, Fourways, Midrand, Soweto and Roodepoort each have their own section, with local jobs and transport, on plant hire in Gauteng. Further out, the East Rand runs from Boksburg, and Tshwane from Pretoria and Centurion.
Booking step by step: how it works. Every town we reach: areas we cover.
WhatsApp your Johannesburg jobQuestions people ask
How much does plant hire cost in Johannesburg per day?
With an operator: a TLB is R3,900–R5,150 a day with operator, a bobcat R2,400–R3,700 a day with operator, a 20–25 t excavator R3,500–R5,600 a day with operator and a 10 cube tipper R3,700–R5,250 a day with operator. Prices exclude VAT. Machines that drive (TLBs, tippers, crane trucks) have small travel costs in the city, while excavators come on a lowbed, R6,000–R9,500 there and back.
Who gives permission to dig in a Johannesburg road reserve?
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA). Its wayleave process lets it monitor and control all work in the road reserve, and the work must follow its Code of Practice for work in the road reserve. Apply before the booking date and have the approved wayleave on site.
Can you take away rubble in Johannesburg?
Yes. A TLB or bobcat loads, and a tipper takes it away: a 6 cube tipper is R1,250–R1,900 a load in Gauteng, and a 10 cube tipper R3,700–R5,250 a day with operator. Tell us roughly how many cubes there are and we'll price the loads. See tipper loads and cubes.
Related
Sources we checked
- Johannesburg Roads Agency, Wayleaves
- South African Weather Service, What kind of droughts does South Africa experience? (summer rainfall season)
- University of Pretoria, Collapse of residual Archaean granitic soils in South Africa
- Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 (GN R.540), regulation 18: lifting machines
Need a TLB in Johannesburg?
WhatsApp us the job, the town and the dates. We confirm the machine, the start date and the price in writing before the machine moves.
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