Renting a Skid Steer for Solar Farm Site Prep and Ground Mounts

You're putting in a small ground-mount solar array, and before a single panel goes up, the site needs clearing and grading.

Hiring that earthwork out can cost as much as the equipment itself, and buying a machine for one project makes no sense. But the prep still has to be done right, because an array is only as stable as the ground under it.

A rented skid steer lets you handle the clearing and grading yourself, then hand the panel mounting and wiring to licensed pros. Here's how to split the work, what the machine does, and whether renting actually pencils out.

Do the Earthwork Yourself, Leave the Install to Pros

The smart line to draw is between the dirt and the system. Clearing, grubbing, rough grading, and even post holes are well within reach for a capable do-it-yourselfer with a rental. The racking layout, panel mounting, wiring, grounding, and utility interconnection are licensed-professional and permit territory, and you don't want to be anywhere near them without the right license. You can save real money on the earthwork without ever touching the electrical.

What a Skid Steer Does on a Solar Site

With the right attachments, one machine covers most of the prep: clearing brush and grubbing roots, rough grading the pad, moving gravel and base material, augering holes for ground-mount posts, and trenching for conduit. Read more about skid steer attachments and what they do.

Skid Steer or Compact Track Loader?

On an open field, the ground usually decides. A compact track loader floats better on soft, muddy, or freshly cleared dirt and leaves less rutting, while a wheeled skid steer suits firm, established ground and costs a bit less. For most raw field sites, tracks win. Read more about compact track loader vs. skid steer, and see mini skid steer and compact track loader rentals.

Rent vs. Buy for a Smaller Project

For a single small array or occasional work, renting wins clearly. You pay for the days you use the machine and skip the purchase price, maintenance, storage, insurance, and depreciation that come with owning one. Buying only starts to make sense at steady, repeated use across many projects. Read more about renting compact construction equipment for small builds.

DIY vs. Outsourcing the Earthwork: What It Costs

Here's the honest comparison, in rough market ranges. Treat these as ballparks; your numbers depend on your region, your site, and the machine.

Doing it yourself

A skid steer or compact track loader rents for roughly $200 to $500 a day, or about $700 to $1,500 a week in many markets. Add an auger attachment for post holes at around $125 to $175 a day, and delivery of roughly $300 to $600 round trip if you don't haul it yourself. For a small, accessible site, a week with the machine and an attachment or two often lands in the low four figures, sometimes much less.

Hiring it out

Contracted land clearing for a solar site commonly runs about $1,500 to $2,500 an acre for open field or grassland, and $2,500 to $4,000 or more an acre once there's brush and saplings. Grading contractors typically charge somewhere around $40 to $180 an hour including the machine and operator. On a small open plot, that gap is where the savings live.

When to outsource anyway

Do the math honestly, and know when to hand it off. Steep, rocky, heavily wooded, or large sites, a tight deadline, or grading that affects drainage and the structural footing of the array are all good reasons to hire a pro. DIY earthwork saves the most on simple, flat, open ground.

Before You Clear and Grade

Call 811 before any digging so your underground utilities get marked. Check permits and setbacks for the array, plan erosion and drainage control, and disturb only what you need to. Ground-mount posts have depth and spacing requirements, so follow the design your installer or engineer provides.

Getting It There and Operating Safely

Haul the machine on an equipment trailer rated for its weight, or take delivery. Read more about how to load and secure equipment on an equipment trailer. Operate within the rollover protective structure (ROPS), respect slopes and soft edges, and don't run a machine you haven't been trained on.

A Note on Insurance

Operating rented equipment is different from towing a trailer, so check with your insurer about coverage for renting and running a machine, and review our FAQ and platform terms for how equipment rentals work before you book.

Ready to Prep Your Site?

Browse skid steer and track loader rentals near you from local owners and request a quote for the days your prep will take.

The Short Version

• Do the clearing and grading yourself; leave panel mounting, wiring, and grounding to licensed pros.
• With attachments, a skid steer clears brush, grades, augers post holes, and trenches conduit.
• Tracks float better on soft field ground; wheels suit firm ground and cost a little less.
• For one small site, renting beats buying every time.
• DIY earthwork runs low four figures for a small accessible site; hiring out clearing runs roughly $1,500 to $4,000+ an acre, so the savings are real on simple ground.
• Outsource steep, rocky, wooded, large, or deadline-tight sites.
• Call 811, check permits, control erosion, and haul on a rated trailer.