Inputs

Ownership

Monthly Payment / Depreciation ($)

Enter either the monthly payment or a depreciation allowance for owned equipment; do not count both.

Insurance / Storage ($)

Add the owned machine's monthly insurance and storage cost not included in the payment.

Profit & protection

Maintenance Reserve ($)

Use a monthly reserve for scheduled service, wear parts, and expected repairs on owned equipment.

Job assumptions

Expected Rental Days / Month

Count every day the rental company will charge, including idle days kept between work periods.

Rental Day Rate ($)

Use the quoted base day rate for the correct machine, attachments, hour limit, and term.

Rental Delivery / Fees ($)

Enter total delivery, pickup, environmental, damage-waiver, and other rental fees for the comparison month.

Owned Billable Hours / Month

Use customer-paid hours expected from the owned machine each month, not available hours.

How this calculator works

Compare the monthly cost of ownership with the rental cost for the days you expect to need the machine.

Show the compact formula

Ownership = payment or depreciation + insurance and storage + maintenance reserve. Rental = $0 when expected rental days are zero; otherwise rental days × day rate + delivery and fees. Break-even rental days = max(0, (ownership - delivery and fees) ÷ rental day rate).

Use the result as a cost checkpoint

Use this calculator to compare owning compact equipment with renting it for the jobs you actually expect to book.

This tool is best for deciding whether ownership cost makes sense. Use the result to decide whether expected monthly use justifies owning equipment instead of renting when needed. Review payments during slow months, repair exposure, storage, insurance, idle capital, and optimistic utilization assumptions before relying on the result.

Worked example

If ownership costs $2,900 per month and rental costs $375 per day plus $300 of delivery and fees, the cost break-even is about 6.9 rental days: ($2,900 - $300) ÷ $375. With zero expected rental days, rental use cost is $0 because no delivery is assumed.

Renting can still be smarter when work is seasonal, utilization is uncertain, or repair risk would strain cash. Use the rent vs own equipment guide to review the non-price terms before committing capital.

Input and quote review

Use conservative rental days, not your busiest month.
Include delivery, pickup, damage waiver, and other fees when they apply to a month with rental use; do not add them to a zero-use month.
Compare ownership cost per billable hour with your hourly rate.
Add the value of convenience only after the math works.

Keep the final scope, assumptions, exclusions, allowances, change triggers, and post-job results with the estimate so future defaults are supported by evidence.

Common questions

Does a lower monthly ownership cost automatically mean I should buy?

No. Consider demand stability, cash use, downtime, repair exposure, transport, storage, and the value of returning a rental when work changes.

Where are saved inputs stored?

Only an explicit Save stores inputs in this browser's localStorage. Share places inputs in the URL hash. The calculator does not send them to Equipment Rate Calc.

How should I treat rental overtime, attachments, and damage-waiver charges?

Compare the same machine configuration and expected hours. Add quoted overtime, attachments, delivery, pickup, environmental, and damage-waiver charges consistently with the rental agreement.

Important disclaimerPlanning estimate only. Verify current costs, measurements, production, scope, access, customer requirements, contracts, permits, insurance, taxes, and local rules before quoting or committing money. This is not financial, tax, accounting, lending, investment, valuation, depreciation, or legal advice; confirm material decisions with qualified professionals and official records.