A commercial heater hire is a different order from a heater on a framing site, because the space is occupied and nothing may vent into it. That rules out the cheap direct fired torpedo and leaves two answers: an indirect fired unit standing outside with ducted warm air brought in, at roughly $150 to $400 a day, or electric heat sized to whatever the panel will actually give you.
Why the cheapest heater is the wrong one here
A direct fired heater puts its combustion products and a great deal of moisture into the air it warms. That is tolerable in open framing with real ventilation and unacceptable on a shop floor, in a care setting or anywhere the public stands. Indirect fired units keep the flame outside the building envelope and duct clean warm air in, which is the reason they cost more.
Electric heat stops where the panel stops
Electric heaters vent nothing and need no fuel deliveries, which makes them the easy answer until you price the supply. Large units want three phase and a dedicated circuit, and several small ones on general receptacles will trip breakers all afternoon. Have somebody read the panel and the available spare capacity before the order goes in.
Ducting and thermostats are the real job
The heater is one item on the ticket. Flexible ducting in the right diameter, a doorway or window panel to pass it through, a thermostat and the fuel connection all sit beside it, and some yards quote setup and daily fuel service as a package. Say what the building is and let them specify, rather than ordering an output figure alone.
What the hire runs by day, week and month
Small indirect fired units start near $150 a day, and larger ducted machines with a fuel tank set climb toward $400 and beyond. Weeks price near three day rates and months near three weeks. A boiler failure in January is a monthly hire in most buildings, so ask for that figure at the first call rather than renewing weekly.
Questions people ask about commercial heater rental
Can I run a propane heater inside a shop that is trading?
Not an unvented one. Every fuel burning heater produces carbon monoxide, and an occupied building with the doors shut is exactly the situation that makes it dangerous. The rentable answer for occupied space is an indirect fired unit sited outdoors with ducted air, or electric heat.
How big a heater does a warehouse need?
Output depends on the volume of the space, the outside temperature and how leaky the envelope is, so give the yard the dimensions, the construction and the target temperature and let them size it. Heating a whole warehouse is often the wrong goal; heating the aisle people work in is cheaper and faster.
Does the rental include fuel?
Rarely. Propane cylinders or a tank set, or diesel deliveries, are arranged separately and are usually the larger running cost once the machine is on site. Ask who fills it, how often, and what happens on a weekend before you agree a long hire.