When you rent heavy equipment in Las Vegas, you have two options: dry hire (machine only) or wet hire (machine + operator). The right choice depends on whether you have a licensed operator on your team and what the total cost works out to on your project. Here is how to decide.

Dry Hire

You rent the machine. You provide the operator.

Lower total rental cost
You control scheduling and pace
Great when you have a licensed operator
Full operational flexibility
Requires operator certification for many machines
Operator injury = your liability
Equipment misuse = you pay for damage

Wet Hire

Machine + certified operator included.

No license or certification needed
Operator liability stays with us
Experienced operator = job done right
Ideal for specialty equipment (cranes, excavators)
Higher total rental cost
Less scheduling flexibility

What Is Dry Hire?

Dry hire means you rent the equipment only. You bring your own licensed operator. The rental company provides a maintained, inspected machine at your jobsite — and what happens after that is on you. This is the standard model at most national chains, and it is the lowest-cost option if you already have a qualified operator on your crew.

For most common machines — forklifts, skid steers, backhoes — your operator needs either an OSHA forklift certification or documented equipment-specific training. For cranes, NCCCO certification is legally required in Nevada. For excavators and dozers, no specific license is required, but proof of operator competency is expected by most rental companies.

What Is Wet Hire?

Wet hire (also called “operated hire”) means the machine comes with a certified operator. At EquipMe Rentals, we provide the machine AND one of our certified operators at a competitive rate with a 4-hour minimum. You do not need a license, you do not need to worry about operator liability, and you get a crew member who has run that specific machine on Las Vegas job sites.

Most national rental chains do not offer wet hire at all. It is one of the biggest advantages of renting from a local owner-operator.

Cost Comparison: Dry Hire vs. Wet Hire

Scenario	Dry Hire	Wet Hire (EquipMe Rentals)	Hiring a Contractor
Standard excavator, 1 day	$450–$600	$450–$600 + $800 operator = $1,250–$1,400	$2,500–$4,000+
Forklift, 1 week	$900–$1,200	$900–$1,200 + operator (as needed)	N/A — hire own crew
Crane, half day	Requires NCCCO cert	$800 crane + $400 operator = $1,200	$3,500–$6,000+

When to Choose Dry Hire

Choose dry hire when:

You have a licensed, experienced operator already on your crew
You are renting smaller equipment (forklifts, skid steers, mini excavators) that your team runs regularly
The project timeline is flexible enough to not require operator availability guarantees
You want the lowest possible equipment cost and can manage operations yourself

When to Choose Wet Hire

Choose wet hire when:

You don't have a certified operator on your crew
You are renting a crane (NCCCO certification legally required in Nevada)
The job requires a specialist — excavation angles, tight access, load calculations
Your regular operator is unavailable and the project can't wait
You want to compare the total cost of wet hire vs. hiring a contractor (spoiler: wet hire almost always wins)

Wet Hire at EquipMe Rentals

EquipMe Rentals is one of the few Las Vegas equipment rental companies that offers wet hire across all equipment types. Mark Popjoy is NCCCO certified with 20+ years of Las Vegas construction experience. All operators are certified for their equipment type, insured, and have job-site experience in the Las Vegas Valley.

The rate is contact us for pricing with a 4-hour minimum — billed in addition to the equipment rental rate. For full-day jobs, budget $800 for the operator plus the daily equipment rate. Call us for multi-day project pricing.

Dry Hire vs. Wet Hire: Which Equipment Rental Option Is Right for You?