Equipment Cost Per Hour Calculator

Why True Cost Per Hour Matters

Most operators and contractors underestimate equipment costs by focusing only on fuel and wages. The ownership cost — depreciation, financing, insurance — often equals or exceeds fuel. If you bid without including these, you're subsidizing your client.

What Each Component Includes

• Ownership cost: Straight-line depreciation from purchase price to salvage value over the machine's useful life, spread across annual utilization hours.
• Fuel: Burn rate × fuel price. Diesel prices fluctuate — update this regularly. Don't forget DEF fluid (~5% of diesel cost for Tier 4 machines).
• Maintenance: Filters, fluids, wear parts, track links, bucket teeth, undercarriage. Heavy applications (rock, clay) skew higher — 6–8% is common.
• Insurance & taxes: Property tax, insurance premiums, licensing. Typically 1.5–3% of purchase price annually.
• Operator wage: Include benefits, CPP/EI, WCB if applicable. Fully-loaded operator costs often run 25–35% above base wage.

Typical All-In Rates (2024 Estimates)

• Cat D6 Dozer: $150–250/hr all-in
• Cat 330 Excavator: $130–200/hr all-in
• Cat 320 Excavator: $100–160/hr all-in
• Motor Grader 140: $120–180/hr all-in
• Articulated Truck 40-ton: $140–220/hr all-in

Rates vary by region, age of machine, and utilization. These are benchmarks — your numbers are your numbers.