If you’re managing a commercial build, housing development, or infrastructure project, sourcing the right construction equipment can make or break your timeline. Rather than buying and maintaining your own fleet, many companies turn to contract-based construction equipment hire to stay flexible, reduce overheads, and meet the demands of each phase of the project.
At Aylsham Plant Solutions, we supply reliable, high-capacity equipment for contract work, with flexible hire terms and delivery across Norfolk. Here’s what you can hire from us, when you’ll typically need it, and how each machine plays a vital role on site.
Site Clearance and Ground Preparation
Site clearance sets the tone for everything that follows, and the right equipment ensures that the ground is properly prepared from day one.
The 13 to 15 Tonne Excavators offer reach and digging power, making them perfect for stripping back vegetation, excavating debris, and cutting through tough ground. They’re stable, reliable, and well-suited for long shifts on large plots.
The Loading Shovel is built for speed when shifting heavy material. Its wide bucket and powerful engine allow you to load trucks or relocate spoil heaps without delay. These machines are ideal when you need to move bulk loads efficiently.
The Crusher comes into play when clearing involves brick, concrete, or stone. Instead of transporting waste off-site, crushing it on-site saves both money and time. The resulting material can even be reused as a sub-base, helping to keep your job sustainable and compliant.
Before any build begins, the land needs to be cleared, shaped, and levelled. This phase often involves removing topsoil, rubble, or vegetation and preparing a stable surface for foundations.
Recommended equipment:
- 13 to 15 Tonne Excavators: Ideal for deeper excavation and large-scale clearance
- Loading Shovel: Moves bulk material efficiently across the site
- Crusher: Breaks down stone, concrete, or demolition waste for recycling or reuse
Bulk Earthworks and Levelling
Bulk earthworks require consistent power and control. Our 25 Tonne Dumptrucks are made for transporting spoil and aggregate quickly across rough ground. They help to speed up large-scale excavation and cut down time lost to loading and trips.
Bulldozers are key for grading and rough levelling. With powerful tracks and wide blades, they can reshape a site quickly, remove obstructions, and spread material evenly across open ground. They’re especially valuable for road formation and large pad preparation.
Rollers are often used after the main ground shaping to ensure compaction. Our range includes 80cm and 120cm models that deliver consistent pressure across the soil or aggregate. Proper compaction minimises movement and settlement, which helps protect foundations and structural elements in the long term.
When you need to shift large volumes of soil or create level platforms for roads or slabs, it’s all about efficiency. You need machines with capacity and strength.
Recommended equipment:
- 25 Tonne Dumptrucks: Move bulk material quickly over longer distances
- Bulldozers: Grade and reshape terrain with control and power
- Rollers: Compact ground to prevent future settlement and maintain structural integrity
Foundation and Drainage Works
The foundation stage requires accuracy, especially when working around service trenches, footings, and drainage channels. 5 to 6 Tonne Excavators offer the digging depth and strength you need, while remaining compact enough to work close to structures or within confined spaces.
Our Wheel Digger is ideal for sites where mobility matters. These machines allow operators to relocate easily without the need for transport, making them well-suited for urban or mixed-access sites. Their stability and speed reduce downtime between tasks.
Precise digging is critical when it comes to foundations, service trenches, and drainage runs. You need machinery that can work cleanly and accurately.
Recommended equipment:
- 5 to 6 Tonne Excavators: Strong enough for foundation work but compact for tight access
- Wheel Digger: Fast-moving and agile, ideal for trenching across sites with firm ground
Material Handling and On-Site Logistics
As the vertical phase of construction begins, safe and fast movement of materials becomes a daily priority. Our Forklifts are available in a range of lift capacities to handle pallets, bagged materials, or pre-cast elements. These are useful across both open plots and enclosed developments.
Telehandlers provide extra reach for loading to upper floors or scaffold levels. With attachments such as forks, buckets, or grabs, these versatile machines help streamline daily site operations and reduce manual handling.
As the build progresses, transporting bricks, pallets, and supplies becomes just as important as digging. You need equipment that keeps everything moving.
Recommended equipment:
- Forklifts: Versatile lifting and transport across uneven sites
- Telehandlers: Extended reach for lifting materials to scaffold height or over obstacles
When Should You Hire Construction Equipment?
Each stage of the build demands different tools. Many contractors choose to stagger their hires, bringing in the right machines as and when they’re needed. This avoids idle plant on site and cuts unnecessary costs.
For example:
- Week 1–2: Excavators and dumptrucks for clearance
- Week 3–4: Bulldozers and rollers for levelling
- Week 5+: Forklifts and telehandlers for moving materials as builds go vertical
If you’re managing multiple builds across locations, contract hire makes it easier to move machines between sites without permanent investment.
How Construction Equipment Hire Supports Contract Efficiency
We understand that no two projects are the same. That’s why we offer both short-term and long-term contract hire, with delivery and collection scheduled to fit your build plan. Our team can recommend the right setup based on your project size, access, and timeline.
Whether you’re running a commercial build, a housing scheme, or groundwork for infrastructure, we’ll supply the machines that help keep your project on track.
Hiring construction equipment gives contractors flexibility in managing timelines, resources and logistics. If your site falls behind due to unexpected conditions or weather, hiring equipment allows you to adjust quickly without having machinery sitting unused. It also allows you to scale up for larger jobs or rotate machines between developments without permanent capital investment.
Contract hire also benefits larger firms managing multiple sites. With flexible hire arrangements, machinery can be delivered where it’s needed most without additional transport headaches.
If your project requires more specialised equipment for site-specific work, such as compact rollers, trench rollers or crushing units, we can provide tailored solutions to match. We also support operators who need to meet strict delivery and completion deadlines, with reliable equipment maintained to the highest standards.
Explore our full equipment range or contact us to speak with the team.
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