Would $150 an hour be fair for a standard excavator in Saint John?

$150 an hour sits at the lower end of the published range for a standard excavator with operator, which runs $150 to $250 per hour according to price guides read in September 2026. So the rate itself is not out of line, but the hourly rate is only one part of what makes a quote fair or expensive.

What moves the total cost is worth thinking through before you compare numbers. A job that hits rock may need a hydraulic breaker, priced separately at $200 to $300 per hour in the same guides. Trucking spoil off site, haul distance, the number of loads and whether clean fill comes back for backfill all add to the bill and may not be included in a bare hourly rate. Depth of the dig, site access for the machine, and how much time is spent waiting on inspections or locates can all stretch the hours.

Saint John context

In Saint John, the City issues building permits, and if your job involves a water, sanitary or storm sewer installation, renewal or repair, a Water and Sewerage Permit Package is required. A Driveway Culvert Permit and a Street Excavation permit exist for work touching the street. Ask the City which of these apply to your job before the machine arrives. WorkSafeNB's General Regulation 91-191 puts the locate obligation on the employer: ask the contractor to show you both locate tickets before digging starts. Info-Excavation (Click Before You Dig) needs three working days' notice, and its locate is valid until the end date written on the request. NB Power runs its own separate underground locate service, valid for 60 days from the date on the locate form and covering only NB Power-owned lines. Private lines, such as wiring to a garage or shed, are the owner's to find and mark. If your dig is within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, a provincial Watercourse and Wetland Alteration permit is required before any ground is disturbed.

A fair written quote for a Saint John excavation job should spell out the hourly rate, the estimated machine hours, how rock is priced if it is encountered, trucking and disposal costs, whether backfill material is included or extra, and what site clean-up covers. Ask for a WorkSafeNB clearance certificate to confirm the contractor is registered and in good standing. Under the Construction Remedies Act you must retain 10% of the contract price as a holdback for 60 days after substantial performance.

When you put two written quotes side by side, line up exactly how each one handles rock, trucking distance, backfill source and clean-up, because those four items are where quotes that look similar on the hourly rate can end up far apart in total cost.