Why Rent?
Buying heavy equipment is expensive, inflexible, and full of hidden costs most people don't account for. Renting from NorthPoint means the right machine for every job — without the ownership burden.
The financial reality
A new mini excavator costs between $40,000 and $90,000. A skid steer runs $50,000 to $80,000. A boom lift can top $100,000. Those are the purchase prices — before you account for the real cost of ownership.
Most contractors and homeowners who buy equipment focus on the sticker price. The costs that follow — financing interest, insurance, storage, maintenance, repair, and the steady loss of value as the machine depreciates — typically add 15–25% of the purchase price per year on top of whatever you paid. A $60,000 excavator can cost you $12,000 to $15,000 per year just to own, before it ever turns a wheel on a job site.
"The question isn't whether you can afford to buy the equipment. It's whether you can afford to own it — and whether it will actually be working enough of the year to justify what you paid."
For most New Hampshire contractors and homeowners, the honest answer is that the equipment sits idle more than it works. A machine that earns its keep 50 days a year costs you just as much to own as one that works 200 days. Renting eliminates that calculation entirely — you pay for exactly the days you use it, and nothing more.
The case for renting
Every dollar spent buying equipment is a dollar that cannot go toward materials, labour, or the next job. Renting keeps capital liquid and available for what actually grows your business — or what actually gets your project done.
Owners use whatever machine they own, even when it is not optimal. Renters choose the right size and type for each specific project. A 2-ton mini excavator through a residential gate. A 8-ton machine for ledge. The correct tool, every time.
Every NorthPoint machine is inspected, serviced, and fueled before every rental by an in-house mechanic and prep team. If something fails on your job site, that is NorthPoint's problem — not yours. You call, we respond.
Where do you put a 12,000-pound excavator when it is not working? A machine yard costs money. A trailer costs money. Insurance on stored equipment costs money. Renting means the machine lives at NorthPoint when it is not on your site.
Heavy equipment loses value from the moment you buy it. A machine worth $60,000 today may be worth $35,000 in five years — and that loss hits whether it worked 20 days a year or 200. Renters carry none of that risk.
NorthPoint regularly updates its fleet. When you rent, you get current-model Kubota, Bobcat, CAT, and JLG machines — not a 12-year-old machine you bought when it was new and have run ever since. Newer machines work better, break less, and are safer.
A busy construction season may require three excavators at once. A slow winter may require none. Renting lets you scale your equipment exactly to your actual workload — without carrying the overhead of machines you own but cannot fill.
Rental expenses are typically fully deductible as operating costs in the year they are incurred. Equipment purchases involve depreciation schedules and capital treatment that delay the tax benefit. Consult your accountant — many NH contractors find renting more favourable on the tax side as well.
Side by side
This comparison uses a mid-size mini excavator as the example — the most commonly rented machine in New Hampshire. The purchase price is $65,000. The NorthPoint daily rental rate starts at $425.
| Cost factor | Renting from NorthPoint | Buying outright |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $0 — no deposit required | $65,000+ purchase price |
| Annual financing cost | None | ~$8,000–$10,000 at 6–7% over 7 years |
| Annual maintenance | Included — NorthPoint's cost | $3,000–$6,000 per year typical |
| Annual insurance | RPP available at 15% of rental | $1,500–$3,000 per year |
| Storage | None — machine lives at NorthPoint | Yard space, security, trailer costs |
| Depreciation loss | None — not your asset | ~$4,000–$7,000 per year |
| Machine availability | Right size for every job | Whatever you own, regardless of fit |
| Machine condition | Inspected and serviced before every rental | Depends on your maintenance programme |
| Breakdown responsibility | NorthPoint's problem — we respond 24/7 | Your cost, your downtime |
| When you don't need it | Pay nothing — machine goes back | Costs continue regardless |
Who renting makes sense for
Supplement your owned fleet during peak season. Get the exact machine size your current project needs. Avoid financing a machine for one big job. Keep capital available for materials and payroll rather than equipment debt.
Tackle your driveway, stump removal, drainage project, or land clearing without hiring a contractor — and without buying a machine you will use twice. Most compact equipment is operable by a capable adult after NorthPoint's delivery walkthrough.
Handle the seasonal demand spikes of spring and fall without buying equipment that sits in your yard all winter. Rent chippers, stump grinders, aerators, and skid steers when the work is there. Return them when it slows down.
Cover equipment gaps during high-demand periods without capital expenditure approvals. Rent excavators, rollers, and aerial lifts for specific infrastructure projects and return them when the project closes. NorthPoint works with NH municipal purchase orders.
Seasonal NH properties have seasonal equipment needs. Annual spring cleanup, fall prep, and occasional larger work rarely justify equipment ownership. Rent exactly when the work is scheduled and return it the same day.
Building a new home, installing a septic system, or clearing a lot? You need heavy equipment once or twice, not for a career. Renting gives you access to the right machine with no long-term commitment and expert guidance on what to choose.
Why NorthPoint
The case for renting over buying is straightforward. The case for renting from NorthPoint specifically comes down to what you actually experience: the condition of the equipment, who answers the phone, how close the location is to your job site, and what you pay.
Ashland, Tilton, Hooksett, Rumney, and Colebrook. No other locally-owned rental company in NH has this footprint. Whether your project is in the Lakes Region, the White Mountains, Southern NH, or the North Country, a NorthPoint location is close to your job site.
Free delivery from any of the five NH locations to any job site within 5 miles. Beyond 5 miles, statewide delivery is available at a fee that is always quoted upfront before you confirm. No surprise delivery charges on your invoice.
Every machine that comes back off rent goes through NorthPoint's in-house mechanic and prep team before it is available again. It arrives at your site clean, full, and serviced. Not from someone else's muddy job site to yours.
NorthPoint matches or beats any local competitor's quote for the same equipment and rental period. Bring the quote to any location before your rental begins and we will match it. No runaround, no fine print designed to make the guarantee hard to use.
A valid ID, proof of address, and a major credit card. Your card is required at reservation but not charged until the rental begins. For contractors setting up a charge account, NorthPoint invoices on terms with no upfront deposit at all.
The DiGiacomo family has 25+ years in the NH construction industry. When you call NorthPoint and describe your project, you are speaking to people who have worked the terrain you are working. The machine recommendation comes from experience, not a catalog description.
NorthPoint programmes
NorthPoint has built two programmes that directly address the most common friction points in equipment rental: cash flow for contractors, and value for repeat customers.
Rent now, pay on invoice. No deposit. No upfront payment. Get the equipment on site today and manage payments on terms that fit your project cash flow. Application takes under five minutes.
Earn credits on every rental, redeemable against future rentals. Three tiers — Bronze, Silver, Gold — with increasing rewards the more you rent. Free to join, works across all five locations.
Common questions
For occasional or project-specific use, renting is almost always cheaper once you account for the true cost of ownership — financing, insurance, maintenance, storage, and depreciation. For contractors running the same machine 200+ days a year for years at a time, ownership may eventually make sense. For everyone else, the math almost always favours renting.
The break-even point for a $65,000 excavator, accounting for full ownership costs, is typically around 150–180 rental days per year for several consecutive years. Most NH contractors and homeowners are well below that threshold for any single piece of equipment.
No prior experience is required to rent most compact equipment from NorthPoint. Before you leave the yard or before delivery arrives at your site, NorthPoint will walk you through the controls, safety features, and operation of the machine. Most first-time operators are productive within an hour on compact machines like mini excavators, skid steers, and stump grinders.
For larger or more complex equipment, NorthPoint will honestly tell you if the machine is beyond what a first-time operator should take on and can recommend a qualified local operator if needed.
NorthPoint's standard rates are daily, weekend, weekly, and monthly. There is no half-day rate as a standard option, but if you are picking up in the morning and returning the same afternoon, you pay the daily rate. For very short jobs, the daily rate is usually still significantly less than the cost of ownership for a machine you would use rarely.
Call your nearest location to discuss your specific project — if the scope is clear, staff can help you choose the most cost-effective rental structure.
The rental rate covers the machine for the agreed period. Additional charges that may apply include: delivery fee if you are not picking up, fuel used during the rental (equipment starts full and must be returned full), and the optional Rental Protection Plan (RPP) at 15% of the rental charge. All applicable charges are explained before you confirm your reservation — no surprise fees on the invoice.
Call your NorthPoint location immediately. Do not attempt to repair the equipment yourself. NorthPoint will troubleshoot by phone, dispatch a technician to your site, or arrange a replacement machine — whichever resolves your situation fastest. You are not left without support. This is one of the most meaningful practical advantages of renting over ownership: breakdown is NorthPoint's problem, not yours.
Yes. NorthPoint offers weekly and monthly rental rates that represent significant savings over daily pricing — typically 30–40% less per day on weekly rates and more on monthly. For multi-month construction projects, NorthPoint can also structure long-term rental arrangements. Contact any location or set up a charge account to discuss your project timeline and the most cost-effective structure.
Browse the full NorthPoint fleet, check real-time availability, and book online — or call your nearest location.