The rate is about $250 to $400 a day or $700 to $1,200 a week for a common mid frame skid steer, and the final invoice is usually a third higher again once transport, an attachment and the waiver line are added. Price the whole bill, because that is the number two yards actually differ on.
The base rate follows the frame size
Small frame machines at around 1,500 lb rated operating capacity sit at the bottom of the band, mid frame at 1,800 to 2,200 lb in the middle, and large frame with high flow hydraulics at the top. Tracked machines cost more than wheeled ones and are worth it on soft ground, not on a paved yard.
Attachments are priced one by one
A bucket comes with the machine. Augers, breakers, brush cutters, trenchers, grapples, pallet forks and mulching heads are each their own daily charge, and the hungrier ones need a high flow machine that costs more again. Book them at the same time as the loader, since popular heads run out first on a Friday.
Haulage is charged in both directions
Unless you own a trailer rated for the machine and its attachments, the yard delivers and collects, and each leg is priced on distance. It is the single largest add on for a short hire, and it is why a one day job often costs nearly what two days would. Ask for the delivered total, not the rate.
Fuel, hours and the waiver
Diesel goes back full or you pay a refuelling charge above pump price. Contracts include a fixed number of machine hours and meter overtime beyond it. A damage waiver appears as its own line and is not the same thing as insurance, so read what it excludes rather than assuming it covers a lost attachment.
When the week rate is the cheaper day rate
Three days at a day rate usually costs more than one week, and a week only carries one round of transport. If the job might slip, book the week, confirm what happens on an early return, and treat the extra days as insurance against a second haulage charge.
Questions people ask about how much to rent a skid steer
How much is a skid steer for one day with delivery?
Take the day rate of roughly $250 to $400, add transport each way, add any attachment, and a single day commonly lands well above the headline number. This is why yards steer short jobs towards a weekend rate, which can cost little more than a single day.
Is a track loader more expensive than a wheeled skid steer?
Yes, typically a step up in both day rate and repair exposure, since tracks are an expensive wear item. On mud, sand or turf the tracked machine still works out cheaper because it keeps working. On hard standing, the wheeled machine is the better buy.
Do I need insurance to rent a skid steer?
Yards require either your own liability and equipment cover or the waiver they sell at the counter. Homeowner policies sometimes extend to hired equipment, but rarely automatically, so check the wording before you decline the waiver.
Can I pick a skid steer up myself?
If you have a trailer rated for the machine, brakes to match and a way to secure it at four points, yes. Add the attachment weight to your sums, and remember that loading a machine on ramps is where most collection day accidents happen.