Excavator Hire in Melksham, Wiltshire
The Right Dig for Every Ground Condition
600kg micro diggers through to 35T tracked machines, dispatched from our Melksham depot on the A350 corridor. Call 01380 828988 to match the right machine to your ground and book delivery across Wiltshire, Bath and Somerset.
54 Years Trading
CPA Member
Constructionline
Fully Insured
Oxford Clay across the Melksham vale behaves nothing like the limestone around Bath. Pick the wrong excavator and you spend the first morning fighting the ground instead of digging it. If you are searching for excavator hire near me in Melksham, our depot holds the full range from 600kg to 35T. Call 01380 828988. Tell us your ground and your access and we will confirm the right machine.
What Excavator Do You Need?
Start with your access. Extensions and new builds across Trowbridge, Chippenham and Devizes often have a single side gate, a shared driveway or a rear garden with a narrow entry. If your widest gap is 800mm, you need a micro excavator regardless of how deep the dig is.
Then match the machine to the ground. Oxford Clay under Melksham, Trowbridge and Chippenham is heavy and waterlogged from October through March — you need breakout force and a bucket that clears without clogging. Great Oolite limestone around Bradford-on-Avon, Corsham and the Bath fringe is hard rock that limits excavation depth and wears teeth fast — you may need a breaker attachment. Alluvial ground along the River Avon and the Kennet and Avon Canal is soft and variable. Call 01380 828988 before you book. Describe your access and your ground and we will confirm the best machine.
Excavator Hire Range
Whether you are laying drainage on a new-build estate in Trowbridge, digging footings on a limestone site in Corsham or clearing an overgrown plot in Warminster, the machine specification changes. A rubber-tracked mini excavator on a residential plot protects driveways and paths. A steel-tracked machine on open ground gives better grip in wet Oxford Clay. The best approach is to call us with your job details before you commit to a size.
The 1.5T to 3T mini excavator is the machine dispatched most often from Melksham. It handles house extensions, drainage runs, footing excavation and garden landscaping across Trowbridge, Chippenham and Devizes. It passes through a standard side gate on rubber tracks and has the breakout force to cut through Oxford Clay.
When your access is tighter than a gate — through a doorway or into a basement — micro excavators from 600kg take over. The narrowest machines are 600mm wide. At the other end, 3T to 8T machines cover larger builds and commercial drainage across Warminster and Frome. Above 8T, the fleet scales to 35T for bulk earthmoving and civil contracts. Wheeled excavators suit highway work along the A350. Long reach variants handle ditch clearance along the River Avon.
Full specifications for the complete excavator range are listed in the Coppard online catalogue.
Excavator Hire Across Wiltshire, Bath and Somerset
Zero tail swing models suit work against boundary walls and fences — the counterweight stays within the track width, reducing the risk of damage to neighbouring property. Reduced tail swing models offer a compromise between reach and clearance. If your site borders a listed wall in Bradford-on-Avon or a tight plot in Calne, mention it when you call.
The A350 runs past our Melksham depot and connects north to Chippenham and M4 Junction 17, south to Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster. The A365 runs east-west to Bath. Most machines go out next day. Call before 8am to check same-day availability.
Contractors across Trowbridge, Chippenham, Devizes, Bath, Warminster and Frome hire from this depot regularly. Looking for excavator hire near me in Wiltshire? Same-week delivery across Wiltshire, Bath and Somerset.
Operated Excavator Hire — CPCS Operators Available
Digging footings near live services. A site that requires a CPCS card holder at the controls. Your own operators committed elsewhere and you need cover for two days. These are the situations where operated hire makes sense — you get the machine and a qualified driver as a single booking.
Every operator holds a current CPCS card, is fully insured and arrives briefed on your machine type. Operated hire covers all sizes from micro to 35T. Call 01380 828988 and add an operator when you book.
Why Hire an Excavator from Coppard?
You are not calling a national hire desk. When you call 01380 828988, you speak to someone at the Melksham depot who knows the difference between Oxford Clay, Bath stone limestone and River Avon alluvium — and which machine from the fleet handles each one. Every excavator is maintained on site, serviced and checked before it leaves the yard.
Coppard is a member of the Construction Plant-hire Association, Constructionline-registered and fully insured. We have supplied excavators across Wiltshire and the West Country since 1972 — long enough to know what handles waterlogged clay in January and what cuts limestone without burning through teeth.
Searching for the best excavator hire near me? Coppard covers Melksham, Devizes, Chippenham, Bath, Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon, Westbury, Warminster, Calne, Corsham, Frome, Marlborough, Bristol and Salisbury. Call 01380 828988.
For the full range of Plant & Machinery Hire available from our Melksham depot, visit the Plant & Machinery Hire page.
View the full Excavator Hire catalogue — specifications, models and current availability.
Frequently Asked Questions — Excavator Hire
What ground conditions should I expect around Melksham?
Oxford Clay across Melksham, Trowbridge and Chippenham is heavy and waterlogged October through March. Great Oolite limestone around Bradford-on-Avon and Corsham is hard rock that limits excavation depth. Alluvial ground along the River Avon is soft and variable. Tell us your site postcode when you call and we will recommend the right machine.
What is the smallest excavator you hire?
A 600kg micro excavator measuring 600mm wide — narrow enough for a standard doorway. It handles internal strip-outs, basement excavation and conservatory footings where nothing larger fits. If your access is a side gate, a 1.5T mini usually passes through. Tell us the width when you call.
Do you provide excavator operators?
Yes. Operated hire with a CPCS-certified driver is available for every machine size. Your operator is fully insured, holds a current card and is experienced on the specific machine. Booked as a single package. Call 01380 828988 to add an operator.
Need Excavator Hire near me in Melksham or Wiltshire, Bath and Somerset?
Call 01380 828988. Same-day dispatch from Melksham. Delivery across Melksham, Devizes, Chippenham, Bath, Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon, Westbury, Warminster, Calne, Corsham, Frome, Marlborough, Bristol and Salisbury.
