At a glance
| Variable | What moves it | What to give when quoting |
|---|---|---|
| Machine | Machine class and size | The task, or the model from its page |
| Term | Day, week, 15 days, month or 6–24 months | Start and return dates |
| Freight | Distance and site access | Exact address and access |
| Operator | With or without a certified operator | Whether you have your own operator |
| Hours | 8 machine hours per day; overtime on the hour meter | Shifts and hours per day |
The 5 variables that move the number
- Machine and class: a rammer and a 20-tonne excavator don't cost the same — the machine class sets the base.
- Duration: day, week, 15 days or month. The unit rate drops as the term grows; 6-to-24-month contracts get preferred terms.
- Transport: lowboy mobilization depends on distance and site access. It's coordinated with delivery.
- Operator: with operated rental you add a certified operator — you run the site, we run the machine. Some published rates already include one.
- Usage intensity: the daily rate covers 8 machine hours; anything beyond that is billed as overtime on the hour meter.
If your job looks like this → here's how the rate moves
- If the machine works continuously for more than a few weeks → a monthly term or a 6-to-24-month contract lowers the unit rate.
- If the site is far from the branch or access is tricky → freight weighs more: give the exact address and how to get in.
- If you don't have a certified operator → add operated rental, or look for a published rate that already includes one (the page says so).
- If you'll run double shifts → say so when you quote: the pace goes in writing and there are no surprises at closing.
- If you rent as an individual → a security deposit is added, set by machine and term, and returned when the equipment comes back.
What the RentaCentro rate includes
The classic mistake when comparing quotes is looking only at the number. Our rate includes what other proposals surface later, after you've signed: preventive and corrective maintenance on us, hour and condition monitoring, and real backup if something fails — we service on site and, if it can't be fixed, we manage a replacement.
Charged separately, and in writing from the proposal: fuel, delivery and pickup freight, the operator (except on rates that already include one), overtime, damage beyond normal wear and VAT. In total-cost terms: a 'cheaper' rate without maintenance or replacement can cost you a stopped job.
Which prices we do publish (and where they come from)
Some rates ARE published: the ones that have already appeared in a printed RentaCentro offer. They're quoted as-is, with their validity and VAT treatment (added or included, as the offer states), on the rates page and on each machine's page. For everything else, the honest number comes from your project: machine, term, location and whether it's operated. Publishing a pretty 'from' rate and adjusting it later isn't our style — you quote, a specialist reaches you during business hours and you get a clear proposal with real availability.
Run numbers before you quote
On the pages of machines with a current rate, the estimator multiplies the rate by your days: hourly rates count 8 machine hours per day, and weekly, 15-day and monthly rates count per started period. It's a reference; your advisor confirms the formal proposal. And if you're deciding between renting and buying, the rent-vs-buy calculator gives you your break-even from the machine price, an estimated rate and your months of use per year.
Common mistakes
- Comparing only the number, without checking whether maintenance and replacement are included.
- Leaving round-trip freight out of the budget.
- Trusting a price in an old social-media post: it may have expired.
- Picking the term from the rate card instead of the project schedule.
- Not stating the real pace of hours: the daily rate covers 8 machine hours.
Frequently asked questions
What's the minimum rental period?
From one day. We handle daily, weekly and monthly rates, plus long-term contracts (6 to 24 months) with preferred terms.
Is transport included in the rate?
Mobilization is quoted with your proposal based on distance and access, and coordinated with delivery and pickup. You pay your project's real transport, not an inflated average.
Where can I see the published rates?
On the rates page and on each machine's page, with their validity and whether VAT is added or included. A price in an old social-media post may have expired: the one that counts is on the page, with its date.
Does the rate include VAT?
It depends on the rate: each published rate says whether VAT is added or included (Guatemala's published rates include it). The proposal makes it explicit.
What if I need the machine longer than contracted?
Tell your advisor before the end date and we'll coordinate the extension based on availability — it's normal on jobsites and we resolve it fast.
Also on the site
- Published rates by country
- Rental requirements and terms
- Guide: what rental includes and what's extra
- Guide: Renting construction equipment in El Salvador: what you need and how it works
- Guide: Renting construction equipment in Guatemala: what you need and how it works
- Guide: Renting construction equipment in Nicaragua: what you need and how it works
- Guide: Renting construction equipment in Panama: what you need and how it works