Grader
hire rates.
Indicative hire rates per hour for graders from 10 to 18 foot blades — and why the operator matters more than the machine.
Grader hire rates in Australia
Graders are priced by blade length in feet, and they are the one machine where the operator is most of the value — a good trim operator holds subgrade and base to tight tolerance in a fraction of the passes. That is why graders are almost always wet hired. Benchmarks below from the same data behind our machine hire rate calculator.
Indicative hire rates
| Size | Dry hire | Wet hire* | Wet day (8 hr)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Ft | $41/hr | $150–$170/hr | $1,180–$1,340 |
| 12 Ft | $51/hr | $165–$185/hr | $1,330–$1,490 |
| 14 Ft | $62/hr | $195–$215/hr | $1,560–$1,720 |
| 16 Ft | $75/hr | $220–$240/hr | $1,760–$1,920 |
| 18 Ft | $88/hr | $250–$270/hr | $2,000–$2,160 |
Graders are effectively always wet hired; dry rates shown for completeness. Wet hire shown at $2.00/L diesel and a typical operator rate band for the machine — put your own fuel price and operator rate into the machine hire calculator for an exact figure. Indicative benchmarks, ex GST, guide only.
Blade size and what moves the price
10–12 ft blades work laneways, footpaths, small subdivisions and tight trim. 14 ft is the standard subdivision road machine. 16–18 ft belongs on arterial roads, highways and bulk earthworks where blade width sets production.
Price moves with the trim tolerance in the spec (final trim to ±10 mm takes passes and skill), whether GPS or UTS machine control is fitted (charged extra, plus survey setup, but it cuts pass counts and survey pegging), and float — graders are long, slow floats. On base and subgrade work, pair the grader with a water cart and roller in the estimate; the three run as a set.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a grader cost to hire per hour?
Indicatively, a 10–12 ft grader runs about $150–$185/hr wet hire, a 14 ft about $195–$215/hr, and 16–18 ft machines $220–$270/hr — roughly $1,180 to $2,160 for an 8 hour day, operator included.
What blade size do I need?
Match the blade to the corridor: 10–12 ft for laneways and small subdivision streets, 14 ft for standard subdivision roads, 16–18 ft for arterial and bulk work where a wider pass means fewer runs.
Why are graders always wet hire?
Because the operator is the product. Final trim is a specialist skill — the difference between a good and average operator is measured in passes, survey conformance and rework. Suppliers keep their trim operators with their machines.
Is GPS machine control included in the rate?
Usually not — UTS or GPS blade control is quoted as an addition, plus base station or survey setup. It pays for itself on larger trim areas by cutting pass counts and pegging, but price it as its own line.
More rate guides: excavators, tipper trucks, dump trucks, water carts, rollers, loaders, dozers, scrapers, asphalt pavers, asphalt profilers, backhoes & skid steers. Or price any of 93 machines in the machine hire rate calculator.
Pricing the whole job?
Machine rates are one line in a real estimate. For water, sewer or stormwater work priced end to end, send the drawings. Acknowledged within two hours during AEST business.