Do you need to hire an earthmover or a grader to flatten your roads, prepare your building site or handle any other type of job? Worried that the cost of hiring heavy machinery may be too "heavy" for your budget? Then, take a look at these cost saving tips.

1. Hone in on the Right Size

Earthmovers vary wildly in size. If you have to move huge amounts of dirt, you may need something such as the 75710 earthmover from Belaz. With 23,000 horsepower, this machine is fabled to have cylinders larger than Mike Tyson's fists, and when you need power, it's a fabulous option.

However, in cases where you don't need that much power, you'll bleed money if you hire a machine like that. In some cases, you may be fine with a little skid steer. That said, carefully consider your project and its scope before choosing your earthmoving machinery. If you go too large, you lose money, but if you opt for something too small, you don't have the power you need. That forces you to rent more machinery or spend more time finishing the job, which, again, leads to wasting money.

2. Investigate Insurance Options

Contact your insurer to see if your policy covers rental machinery. If not, see what it costs to add a rider. Then, compare that to the cost of coverage purchased from the hire company. Ultimately, you want to ensure that you have as much coverage as possible for as little premiums as possible. Also, make sure you can afford the excess easily, least anything happens whilst the equipment is under your watch.

3. Consider Built-in Service

In many cases, the hiring fee for earthmoving equipment or other types of heavy machinery doesn't just include the equipment. It may also include maintenance. Look into the company's policies and make sure they work for you. For instance, you may want a hiring policy that stipulates the hire company replaces equipment that stops running. If you are hiring the equipment for a long time, you may want the company to come and regularly service the equipment. On the other hand, if you have competent mechanics on site, you may want to forgo third-party service and do your own maintenance of the equipment.

4. Explore Discounts for Inclement Weather

What happens if you can't run the machinery due to wet weather and sloppy mud? Does the company make you continue to pay the rental fee, or can it give you a discount for those days? You may want to ask questions like that if your objective is to save money.