Equipment Module

The Equipment Module tracks all equipment costs for your concrete projects, from heavy machinery rentals to formwork systems. ForgeX automatically calculates rental costs, fuel charges, delivery fees, and formwork truck hauling.

info

This guide covers Traditional Mode (per-scope equipment). For Timeline Mode where equipment is managed at bid level with visual scheduling and automatic cost distribution, see Timeline Bidding.

Equipment Types

ForgeX handles two main categories of equipment:

🚛

Heavy Equipment

Dozers, excavators, loaders, compactors, etc.

Includes:

Rental costs (day/week/month)
Fuel charges
Delivery fees

🏗️

Formwork Systems

Plywood, shoring, scaffolding

Includes:

Rental costs
Truck hauling (based on truck count)
No fuel charges

Adding Equipment to a Scope

Step 1: Navigate to Equipment Tab

Open your scope
Click the "Equipment" tab
Click "Add Equipment" button

Step 2: Select Equipment Type

ForgeX includes a comprehensive equipment catalog:

Heavy Equipment:

Dozers (D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8)
Excavators (small, medium, large)
Loaders (skid steer, wheel loader)
Compactors (plate, roller, jumping jack)
Graders
Scrapers
Backhoes

Formwork & Shoring:

Plywood systems
Aluminum forms
Scaffolding
Shoring towers
Gang forms
Flying forms

Step 3: Enter Equipment Details

equipmentTypestringrequired

Select from catalog or enter custom equipment name

quantitynumberrequired

Number of units

Examples:

1 dozer
2 excavators
10 shoring towers

durationnumberrequired

How long you need the equipment

unitenumrequired

Time unit for rental:

Day - Daily rental (most common)
Week - Weekly rental (7 days)
Month - Monthly rental (30 days)

deliveryFeenumber

Delivery/pickup charge (auto-filled from catalog, but editable)

Typical: $250-500 per equipment piece

onPreviousboolean

Check if equipment is already on site from previous scope

Effect: Skips delivery fee (saves $250-500)

Cost Calculations

Base Rental Cost

Base_Rental = Quantity × Duration × Rate_Per_Unit

Example: Dozer 750 for 5 days

Quantity: 1
Duration: 5
Unit: Day
Rate: $724.01/day (from catalog)
Base Rental: 1 × 5 × $724.01 = $3,620.05

Fuel Charges (Heavy Equipment Only)

ForgeX automatically adds fuel charges for heavy equipment:

Fuel_Charge = Quantity × Days × Fuel_Per_Day

Fuel rates (from admin variables):

Small equipment: $25-50/day
Medium equipment: $75-125/day
Large equipment: $150-250/day

Example: Dozer 750

Fuel per day: $100
Days: 5
Fuel Charge: 1 × 5 × $100 = $500

note

Formwork has NO fuel charges. Only motorized equipment incurs fuel costs.

Delivery Fees

Delivery fees are one-time charges for transporting equipment to/from job site:

Typical Delivery Fees:

Equipment Size	Delivery Fee
Small (compactor, skid steer)	$150-250
Medium (excavator, dozer)	$350-500
Large (scraper, grader)	$600-1,000
Formwork (per truckload)	$200-350

Skip delivery fee if:

Equipment is already on site (onPrevious = true)
Multiple items use same equipment (first one pays delivery)
Owner-provided equipment (no rental)

Formwork Truck Hauling

For formwork systems, calculate truck count and hauling costs:

Truck_Cost = Truck_Count × Haul_Cost_Per_Truck

Example: Plywood Formwork

Truck count: 2 (based on quantity of forms)
Haul cost: $200/truck
Truck Cost: 2 × $200 = $400

Tax (if applicable)

Equipment rentals are taxable unless bid is tax-exempt:

Tax = (Base_Rental + Fuel + Delivery + Trucks) × Tax_Rate

Example (continued):

Subtotal: $3,620.05 + $500 + $350 = $4,470.05
Tax (8.25%): $368.78
Total: $4,838.83

note

If bid is marked Tax Exempt, tax is automatically removed from equipment costs.

Common Equipment Estimating Scenarios

Scenario 1: Dozer for Site Grading

Job: Grade 2-acre site before slab pour

Select Equipment

Equipment: Dozer 750
Quantity: 1

Estimate Duration

Work: 2 acres grading
Productivity: 0.5 acre/day
Days needed: 2 ÷ 0.5 = 4 days
Add 1 day buffer = 5 days

Enter Details

Duration: 5
Unit: Day
On Previous: No (first scope)

Review Costs

Rental: $3,620.05 (5 × $724.01)
Fuel: $500 (5 × $100)
Delivery: $350
Tax: $368.78
Total: $4,838.83

Scenario 2: Excavator for Footings

Job: Dig 200 LF of footings, 3' wide × 2' deep

Select Equipment

Equipment: Excavator (Medium)
Quantity: 1

Estimate Duration

Work: 200 LF × 3' × 2' = 1,200 CF ÷ 27 = 44 CY
Productivity: 40 CY/day
Days needed: 44 ÷ 40 = 1.1 days → 2 days

Enter Details

Duration: 2
Unit: Day
On Previous: Check if dozer already on site

Review Costs

Rental: $1,100 (2 × $550)
Fuel: $160 (2 × $80)
Delivery: $0 (on previous = true)
Tax: $103.95
Total: $1,363.95

Scenario 3: Formwork for Elevated Deck

Job: 10,000 SF elevated deck with plywood formwork

Select Equipment

Equipment: Plywood Forms
Quantity: 10,000 SF ÷ 32 SF/sheet = 313 sheets

Estimate Duration

Setup: 3 days
Pour: 1 day
Cure time: 7 days
Strip: 1 day
Total: 12 days (round to 2 weeks)

Enter Details

Duration: 2
Unit: Week
Truck count: 4 (for hauling 313 sheets)

Review Costs

Rental: $6,260 (313 × 2 weeks × $10/sheet/week)
Fuel: $0 (formwork has no fuel)
Delivery: $0
Truck haul: $800 (4 × $200)
Tax: $582.45
Total: $7,642.45

Equipment Rental Units Explained

Daily Rentals

Best for:

Short jobs (1-5 days)
Equipment needed briefly
Testing before longer commitment

Rates:

Highest cost per day
No minimum
Charged for actual days

Example:

Compactor: $65/day × 2 days = $130

Weekly Rentals

Best for:

Medium jobs (5-15 days)
Cost savings over daily
Common for most concrete jobs

Rates:

7 days for price of 5-6 daily
Typical: 5× daily rate = weekly rate
More economical than daily for 5+ days

Example:

Dozer: $724/day × 5 = $3,620/week
vs. $724/day × 7 days = $5,068
Savings: $1,448

Monthly Rentals

Best for:

Long jobs (15+ days)
Maximum cost savings
Large projects

Rates:

30 days for price of 15-20 daily
Significant savings for long-term
Typical: 15× daily rate = monthly rate

Example:

Excavator: $550/day × 30 = $16,500/month
vs. $550/day × 20 days = $11,000
Monthly rate: $11,000 (saves $5,500)

tip

Rule of thumb:

Need it 5+ days? Rent weekly
Need it 15+ days? Rent monthly

Delivery Fee Strategy

When to Pay Delivery

Equipment needs transport to site:

Scenario	Pay Delivery?	Notes
First equipment on site	✅ Yes	Initial mobilization
Equipment already on site	❌ No	Check "On Previous"
Multiple same equipment	✅ Once	First one pays delivery
Owned equipment	❌ No	No rental, no delivery

Optimizing Delivery Costs

🚚Coordinate Equipment Delivery

Schedule multiple equipment deliveries together:

Combine dozer + excavator delivery
Request rental company bring both on same flatbed
Negotiate single delivery fee for multiple pieces
Savings: $200-400

♻️Use On-Site Equipment Across Scopes

If equipment is needed for multiple scopes:

First scope: Pay delivery fee
Second scope: Check "On Previous"
Third scope: Check "On Previous"

Effect: Only pay delivery once for all three scopes

📅Extended Rentals vs Multiple Short Rentals

Compare costs:

Option A: Two separate weekly rentals

Week 1: $3,620 + $350 delivery = $3,970
Week 3: $3,620 + $350 delivery = $3,970
Total: $7,940

Option B: One 3-week rental

3 weeks: $10,860
Delivery: $350
Total: $11,210

Option A saves money if you don't need equipment in Week 2.

Fuel Charge Calculations

How ForgeX Calculates Fuel

Fuel charges are based on equipment size and hours of operation:

Daily Fuel Consumption Estimates:

Equipment Type	Fuel per Day	Assumes
Skid Steer	$40-60	6-8 hrs operation
Compactor (small)	$25-35	4-6 hrs operation
Excavator (medium)	$80-120	6-8 hrs operation
Dozer (large)	$100-150	6-8 hrs operation
Grader	$120-180	8 hrs operation
Loader	$60-100	6-8 hrs operation

Fuel charge variable: Set in Admin → Percentages → "Fuel_Charge_Per_Day"

note

Fuel charges are estimates only. Actual fuel consumption varies by:

Equipment condition
Operator efficiency
Job site conditions
Hours of operation

Adjusting Fuel Charges

If you have better fuel data:

Edit equipment item
Override fuel charge field
Enter actual expected fuel cost
Save item

Example:

Auto-calculated: $100/day × 5 days = $500
Your data shows: $75/day typical
Override: $75 × 5 = $375 (saves $125)

Formwork Equipment

Formwork is a special category with unique considerations.

Formwork Types

Plywood Forms
Aluminum Forms
Shoring Towers
Scaffolding

Use for:

Slab edge forms
Wall forms
Custom shapes

Rental rate: $8-12 per sheet per week

Truck count: 100 sheets = 1 truck (approximately)

Calculating Formwork Needs

Edge Forms for Slab:

Perimeter = 2 × (Length + Width)
Sheets = Perimeter ÷ 8 (8' per sheet)

Example: 100' × 80' slab

Perimeter: 2 × (100 + 80) = 360 LF
Sheets: 360 ÷ 8 = 45 sheets

Wall Forms:

Area = Height × Length
Sheets = Area ÷ 32 (4' × 8' = 32 SF per sheet)

Example: 10' tall × 100' long wall

Area: 10 × 100 = 1,000 SF
Sheets: 1,000 ÷ 32 = 31 sheets

Shoring for Elevated Deck:

Shoring_Density = 1 tower per 100-150 SF (depends on load)
Towers = Deck_Area ÷ Density

Example: 5,000 SF deck

Density: 125 SF per tower
Towers: 5,000 ÷ 125 = 40 towers

Equipment Productivity Rates

Use these to estimate days needed:

Earthwork

Equipment	Productivity	Notes
Dozer	0.5-1.0 acre/day	Clearing, grading
Excavator (small)	30-50 CY/day	Trenching, footings
Excavator (medium)	50-80 CY/day	General excavation
Excavator (large)	100-150 CY/day	Mass excavation
Loader	40-60 CY/hour	Loading trucks
Scraper	200-400 CY/day	Large area grading

Compaction

Equipment	Productivity	Notes
Plate Compactor	500-800 SF/day	Hand-guided, tight areas
Jumping Jack	200-400 SF/day	Trenches, corners
Roller (small)	2,000-4,000 SF/day	Driveways, pads
Roller (large)	1-2 acres/day	Large area compaction

Owned vs Rented Equipment

When to Rent

Rent equipment if:

Specialized equipment (rarely needed)
Short-duration jobs
Equipment maintenance costs high
Storage space limited
Want latest models

Advantages:

No maintenance costs
No storage needed
Access to specialized equipment
Predictable costs

When to Use Owned Equipment

Use owned equipment if:

Equipment used frequently
Long-term projects
Lower cost per day than rental
Maintenance in-house

How to handle in ForgeX:

Don't add to Equipment Module
Add to Misc Module as:
- Description: "Equipment Depreciation - Dozer"
- Quantity: 5 (days)
- Rate: $200/day (internal cost)
No delivery fee
No fuel charge (track separately)

tip

Internal equipment rate: Calculate your ownership cost (depreciation + maintenance + insurance + storage) ÷ annual usage days = cost per day

Equipment Cost Rollup

Equipment costs roll up through the system:

Individual Equipment Item
        ↓
    Scope Equipment Cost (sum all equipment items)
        ↓
    Scope Equipment Cost × Multiplier
        ↓
    Bid Equipment Cost (sum all scopes)
        ↓
    Apply Module Markups (overhead, profit)
        ↓
    Bid Total

Typical Equipment % of Total Bid

Job Type	Equipment %	Notes
Simple slab	10-15%	Minimal equipment
Site development	25-35%	Heavy earthwork
Elevated deck	15-25%	Formwork + equipment
Drilled piers	20-30%	Specialized drill rigs

If equipment % seems too high or low, review:

Are rentals necessary?
Can you shorten rental duration?
Are delivery fees accurate?
Is formwork quantity correct?

Common Equipment Estimating Mistakes

warning

Watch Out For:

Mistake	Impact	How to Avoid
Renting daily instead of weekly	40% higher cost	Compare rates, use weekly for 5+ days
Paying delivery multiple times	$300-500 wasted per item	Use "On Previous" checkbox
Underestimating formwork quantity	Run out mid-job	Add 10% buffer to formwork calcs
Forgetting cure time in rental	Return formwork too early	Add 5-7 days cure to rental duration
Not accounting for weather delays	Extra rental days	Add weather contingency to duration
Missing fuel charges	Profit eroded	ForgeX auto-adds fuel, verify amounts
Wrong rental unit	Cost way off	Verify day vs week vs month

Tips for Equipment Estimating

📄Get Quotes from Rental Companies

Before finalizing bid:

Call local equipment rental companies
Get current rental rates (catalogs outdated)
Ask about delivery fees and minimums
Negotiate rates for longer rentals
Update ForgeX catalog if needed

🕐Account for Standby Time

Equipment often sits idle between uses:

Example: Excavator digs footings (2 days), then waits for concrete cure (5 days), then backfills (1 day).

Option A: Rent 8 days total (2 + 5 + 1) - wasteful
Option B: Two separate rentals (2 days, then 1 day) - pay delivery twice
Option C: Negotiate standby rate for cure time - best option

🤝Consider Subcontractor-Provided Equipment

Some subs include equipment in their pricing:

Concrete pumping includes pump truck
Joint sawing includes saw
Drill rigs for caissons

Don't double-count equipment that's in sub pricing!

🌧️Weather Contingency for Equipment

Add contingency days to rental duration:

Short job (2-5 days): Add 1 day
Medium job (5-15 days): Add 2-3 days
Long job (15+ days): Add 10%

Better to overestimate rental duration than pay penalties for late return.

Next Steps

📦

Equipment Types​

Heavy Equipment

Formwork Systems

Adding Equipment to a Scope​

Step 1: Navigate to Equipment Tab​

Step 2: Select Equipment Type​

Step 3: Enter Equipment Details​

Cost Calculations​

Base Rental Cost​

Fuel Charges (Heavy Equipment Only)​

Delivery Fees​

Formwork Truck Hauling​

Tax (if applicable)​

Common Equipment Estimating Scenarios​

Scenario 1: Dozer for Site Grading​

Scenario 2: Excavator for Footings​

Scenario 3: Formwork for Elevated Deck​

Equipment Rental Units Explained​

Daily Rentals​

Weekly Rentals​

Monthly Rentals​

Delivery Fee Strategy​

When to Pay Delivery​

Optimizing Delivery Costs​

Fuel Charge Calculations​

How ForgeX Calculates Fuel​

Adjusting Fuel Charges​

Formwork Equipment​

Formwork Types​

Calculating Formwork Needs​

Equipment Productivity Rates​

Earthwork​

Compaction​

Owned vs Rented Equipment​

When to Rent​

When to Use Owned Equipment​

Equipment Cost Rollup​

Typical Equipment % of Total Bid​

Common Equipment Estimating Mistakes​

Tips for Equipment Estimating​

Next Steps​

Materials Module

Subcontractor Module

Concrete Module

Labor Module

Timeline Bidding

Equipment Types

Adding Equipment to a Scope

Step 1: Navigate to Equipment Tab

Step 2: Select Equipment Type

Step 3: Enter Equipment Details

Cost Calculations

Base Rental Cost

Fuel Charges (Heavy Equipment Only)

Delivery Fees

Formwork Truck Hauling

Tax (if applicable)

Common Equipment Estimating Scenarios

Scenario 1: Dozer for Site Grading

Scenario 2: Excavator for Footings

Scenario 3: Formwork for Elevated Deck

Equipment Rental Units Explained

Daily Rentals

Weekly Rentals

Monthly Rentals

Delivery Fee Strategy

When to Pay Delivery

Optimizing Delivery Costs

Fuel Charge Calculations

How ForgeX Calculates Fuel

Adjusting Fuel Charges

Formwork Equipment

Formwork Types

Calculating Formwork Needs

Equipment Productivity Rates

Earthwork

Compaction

Owned vs Rented Equipment

When to Rent

When to Use Owned Equipment

Equipment Cost Rollup

Typical Equipment % of Total Bid

Common Equipment Estimating Mistakes

Tips for Equipment Estimating

Next Steps