A portable gravel conveyor is a belt on a folding frame that carries stone, sand or soil where a wheelbarrow cannot go: through a crawl space hatch, over a wall, down a bank or into a basement. Rental belts commonly run 18 to 30 feet and hire for about $150 to $300 a day.
Length is fixed, so plan the position first
A conveyor cannot be extended on site. Measure from where the truck can safely dump to where the material has to land, add the climb, and hire the length that covers it in one span. Two short belts chained together need a transfer point and someone standing at it, which is a person you probably have not costed.
Angle limits what stays on the belt
Loose stone starts rolling back down somewhere around a twenty to thirty degree climb, depending on the material and the belt surface. Cleated belts hold steeper angles than smooth ones. Damp sand climbs better than dry pea gravel, which is why a setup that worked on one delivery slides on the next.
Power supply is the thing people forget
Electric units want a proper circuit, and a long extension lead on a small breaker will trip repeatedly under load. Petrol powered belts avoid that but cannot run inside a crawl space or a basement because of exhaust. Decide which before you book, since the yard usually stocks one of each and not many of either.
Feeding it evenly is most of the skill
A conveyor moves what you place on it steadily, not what you shovel at it in surges. A surge stalls the belt or spills over the side, and clearing a jam means shutting the drive down properly first. Two people, one loading at a rhythm and one spreading at the far end, will beat four people working in bursts.
Questions people ask about gravel conveyor rental
Will a conveyor fit through a crawl space access?
Many rental belts are built narrow for exactly that, but the hatch dimension is what decides it. Measure the opening height and width, then check the machine's frame width at the counter. If it does not fit, the fallback is buckets and a chute, not forcing the frame.
How much material can one move in an hour?
Far more than a crew with barrows, and the limit is usually how fast people can load and spread rather than the belt. A steady two person rhythm will clear a delivery in a fraction of the time, which is the whole reason the day rate is worth paying.
Can it handle wet concrete or mulch?
Mulch and topsoil move fine. Wet concrete is a different matter, because it sets on the belt and cleaning it is your problem and your bill. If concrete is the material, hire a machine intended for it and ask the yard directly rather than assuming.