The Definitions
Dry hire means you rent the machine. The operator is your responsibility — you supply the person, the certification, and the workers' comp coverage. The rental company drops off the equipment, you run it, and they pick it up when you're done.
Wet hire means you rent the machine AND an operator comes with it. The operator is the rental company's employee. They're certified, insured by the rental company, and managed by the rental company. You direct the work; they run the machine.
Most large rental chains in Las Vegas — United Rentals, Sunbelt, BlueLine — offer dry hire only. Wet hire is primarily available through local owner-operators who have operators on staff. EquipMe Rentals is one of the few Las Vegas companies that offers wet hire across our full fleet.
The Real Cost Comparison
Using excavator rental as the example — the most common machine where this question comes up.
Dry Hire — You Supply the Operator
*Operator at prevailing Las Vegas market rate. Workers' comp varies by class code and experience modifier.
Wet Hire — Operator Included
*Operator certified, insured, background checked. No-show risk: zero — they're our employees.
On paper, wet hire looks more expensive per hour. At contact us for pricing versus a market operator rate of $45–$75/hr, that's true. But the real-world gap narrows significantly when you account for workers' comp burden, the risk of operator no-shows from day labor pools, and the time cost of managing an external hire through your own HR process.
When Wet Hire Makes Sense
You don't have a qualified operator on staff
OSHA requires operators to be trained and competent for the specific machine. If you don't have a certified excavator operator, you can't legally run the machine.
You're running a lean crew
General contractors and specialty subs who run small teams often don't have equipment operators on payroll. Wet hire gives you the machine and the skill set without a new hire.
The project is too short to justify recruiting
One-day or one-week jobs don't warrant recruiting, onboarding, and carrying an equipment operator. Wet hire at $1an operator is the straightforward answer.
Certification matters for the record
For crane lifts, OSHA inspections, or projects requiring documented operator credentials, our operators have their NCCCO or OSHA cards on site and in hand.
When Dry Hire Makes Sense
Dry hire is the right choice when you have a qualified, certified operator on your team who is available for the rental period. If you're a contractor with an excavator operator on payroll and you just need to supplement your fleet, renting dry and running your own operator is more cost-effective at scale — especially on longer rentals where the per-hour operator savings compound.
Dry hire also works for lower-skill machines like skid steers and forklifts, where operator certification requirements are less complex and your crew may already have appropriate training documented in your safety program.
Wet Hire Equipment Available in Las Vegas
EquipMe Rentals offers wet hire on: excavators, mini excavators, mobile cranes, backhoe loaders, forklifts (all types), telehandlers, skid steer loaders, motor graders, and dump trucks. Operator rate is $1Contact us for operator pricing. 4-hour minimum per shift.