Hiring a pump
Wet hire vs dry hire for concrete pumps
Wet hire = machine plus operator, one hourly rate, they carry the risk — how almost all concrete pumping is done in Australia. Dry hire = the bare machine, you supply the licensed operator and carry the risk — realistic only for companies with their own PB-ticketed crew.
Wet hire: the industry default
You book a pump, it arrives with its operator (and line hand if needed), they set up, pump, wash out and leave. Their licence, their insurance, their maintenance, their problem when something goes wrong. For builders, concreters and homeowners this is the only sensible model — you're buying an outcome, not renting a machine. Everything on PumpX's job board is effectively wet hire: post the job, a crewed pump turns up.
Dry hire: when it makes sense
Dry hire hands you the machine only — common with trailer pumps for shotcrete crews, civil contractors with their own operators, or long project hires. You need the licensed operator (PB class for booms), your insurance covering the machine and the work, and the competence to maintain it day to day. The rate looks cheaper; the responsibility is the real price. If you're asking whether you need dry hire, you almost certainly want wet hire.
The cost comparison, honestly
Wet hire boom: roughly $200–$300+/hr all-in plus cubes and travel. Dry hire trailer pump: maybe $500–$1,500/day bare — before your operator's wages, fuel, wear parts and the blockage at 3pm that's now your problem. For one-off pours, wet hire wins on every axis. Dry hire earns its keep on multi-week projects where a machine works daily under your own crew.
Book a crewed pump the easy way — Post the pour on PumpX — wet-hire pumps with operators reply direct.
Quick answers
Can I dry-hire a boom pump for a weekend job?
In practice, no reputable company dry-hires booms for one-offs — the licensing, insurance and risk make it a non-starter. Book wet hire; it exists precisely for this.
Does wet hire include the line hand?
Boom jobs usually run operator-only unless the job needs ground crew; line pump jobs often include or offer a line hand. Confirm crew when booking — extra hands appear on the docket as an extra.
Who insures what on each model?
Wet hire: the pump company insures machine and liability for their operation. Dry hire: the machine may be insured by the owner, but operation risk shifts substantially to you — read the agreement carefully.
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Updated 2026-07-19 · PumpX Guides — written by the industry, for the industry.