Construction Machine Rental Service in Memphis
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June 15, 2026
Construction equipment rental companies let Memphis contractors and property owners put earthmoving and construction machinery to work without buying and maintaining a fleet. A full-service yard rents excavators and mini excavators, skid steers and compact track loaders, backhoes, wheel loaders, dozers, and telehandlers, alongside boom and scissor lifts, generators, air compressors, light towers, compactors, and trenchers. Machines go out on daily, weekly, and monthly terms, usually with delivery and pickup, and most yards offer “bare” (operator-optional) rental supported by parts and service. Renting lets a buyer match the right machine to a specific job, from a confined city lot to a large industrial site, and return it once the work is finished.
Memphis is Tennessee’s second-largest city, with a population of roughly 619,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and its position as a national logistics and distribution hub keeps construction activity steady across warehouses, road work, and residential development. That demand supports a mix of local independent yards and established branch locations of regional dealers and national rental chains, giving contractors and homeowners several places to source machinery near the job site. Shelby County’s blend of commercial, industrial, and residential building means yards here stock everything from compact loaders for tight residential work to large excavators and wheel loaders for site preparation.
Tennessee does not license equipment rental as a specific trade, but how a machine is used carries its own rules. Operators of powered industrial trucks and aerial work platforms need OSHA-compliant training, and boom and scissor lifts in particular require operator evaluation under OSHA standards before a worker runs them on a job site. When a rental company also performs work valued at $25,000 or more in combined labor and materials, contractor licensing through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors applies, though most yards rent the machine bare and leave the work to the customer. Rentals are taxable: Tennessee charges a 7% state sales tax, and Shelby County adds a local option tax that brings the combined rate to roughly 9.75% on the rental charge. Buyers should confirm whether a quoted rate is bare or operated, since an operated rental bundles a trained operator and is priced and taxed differently from a machine rented on its own.
The terms of a rental agreement deserve as much attention as the machine. Yards differ on delivery and pickup fees, fuel policies, damage-waiver charges, and how they handle a machine that breaks down mid-rental, so consumers should request a written quote that itemizes the base rate, delivery, fuel, and any optional protection. Choosing a yard often comes down to fleet age, the brands carried, how fast service can reach a stalled machine, and whether the company can supply the correct size of equipment for the site. Tennessee’s consumer protection framework, administered by the Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), handles complaints about deceptive trade practices, and verifying a company’s registration through the Tennessee Secretary of State helps confirm that a yard operates as a registered business.
Top Construction Machine Rental Service Providers in Memphis
1. Thompson Machinery
Address: 3324 Fontaine Road, Memphis, TN 38116
Phone: (901) 362-8883
Website: https://thompsonmachinery.com
Services: excavators, skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, multi terrain loaders, wheel loaders, backhoe loaders, telehandlers, compactors, aerial lift equipment, concrete saws, generators, light towers, attachments, daily/weekly/monthly rental
Description: Thompson Machinery is the exclusive Caterpillar dealer for Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, and North Mississippi, with roots that trace to 1944. The Memphis branch on Fontaine Road operates as a Cat Rental Store and heavy equipment sales and service center, renting Cat excavators, skid steer and compact track loaders, multi terrain and wheel loaders, backhoe loaders, telehandlers, and compactors, along with aerial lift equipment, concrete saws, generators, and light towers. Rentals are available on daily, weekly, monthly, and longer terms, and the branch backs them with around-the-clock emergency service, repairs, and unit replacement. As a long-established regional dealer, it serves contractors, construction companies, and agricultural operations across the Mid-South.
2. EquipmentShare
Address: 4033 Lamar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38118
Phone: (662) 352-8588
Website: https://www.equipmentshare.com
Services: mini and track excavators, skid steers and compact track loaders, dozers, forklifts and telehandlers, scissor lifts and boom lifts, generators and air compressors, landscaping equipment, hand and power tools, equipment tracking technology
Description: EquipmentShare is a construction technology and equipment rental company founded in 2015 by brothers Jabbok and Willy Schlacks and headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, which has grown to more than 400 locations nationwide. The Memphis branch on Lamar Avenue rents a broad fleet that includes mini and track excavators, skid steers and compact track loaders, dozers, forklifts and telehandlers, scissor and boom lifts, generators, and air compressors, and it serves surrounding communities including West Memphis, Southaven, and Germantown. The company is also a SANY equipment dealer at this location and integrates its T3 technology platform for real-time equipment tracking and performance monitoring, a feature that distinguishes its rental model from more traditional yards.
3. The Home Depot Rental
Address: 1627 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
Phone: (901) 725-8308
Website: https://www.compactpowerrents.com
Services: mini excavators, mini skid steers, skid steers, tractor loader backhoes, towable boom lifts, trenchers, stump grinders, chippers, trailers, delivery available
Description: The Home Depot Rental operates a large-equipment rental location inside the Home Depot store on Poplar Avenue in Midtown Memphis, one of more than 1,100 rental locations the company runs nationally with large-equipment delivery across 45 markets in the United States and Canada. This branch carries landscape and construction machinery including mini excavators in 1-ton and 1.5-to-2-ton classes, mini skid steers, skid steers, tractor loader backhoes, towable boom lifts, trenchers, stump grinders, and chippers, with delivery available from the location. The rental program is operated through Home Depot’s Compact Power Equipment Rental division and gives Memphis contractors and homeowners access to a national fleet and reservation system from a centrally located store.
Frequently Asked Questions About Construction Machine Rental Service in Memphis
Q: What kinds of machines can I rent from a Memphis construction equipment yard?
Local yards typically rent earthmoving and construction machinery such as excavators and mini excavators, skid steers and compact track loaders, backhoes, wheel loaders, dozers, and telehandlers, along with boom and scissor lifts, generators, air compressors, light towers, compactors, and trenchers. Some yards focus on compact machines for residential and tight urban sites, while dealer-affiliated stores carry larger earthmoving equipment, so it helps to match the yard’s fleet to the size of your job.
Q: Does Memphis sales tax apply to equipment rentals?
Yes. Tennessee charges a 7% state sales tax, and Shelby County adds a local option tax that brings the combined rate to roughly 9.75% on the rental charge. The tax applies to the rental amount, and an operated rental that includes a trained operator may be structured differently from a bare machine rental, so buyers should request an itemized quote that separates the base rate, delivery, fuel, and tax.
Q: What is the difference between bare and operated rental?
A “bare” rental means the yard supplies the machine only, and the customer provides a qualified operator. An operated rental bundles a trained operator with the machine and is priced accordingly. Bare rental is the most common arrangement at Memphis yards, but operators of certain machines, especially aerial lifts and powered industrial trucks, must meet OSHA training and evaluation requirements before running the equipment on a job site.
Q: Do I need a license or certification to operate rented construction equipment?
Tennessee does not license equipment rental as a trade, but OSHA standards require that operators of powered industrial trucks and aerial work platforms receive training and a formal evaluation. Boom and scissor lifts in particular call for documented operator certification before use on a work site. If your rental also involves contracted construction work valued at $25,000 or more in combined labor and materials, that work requires a license from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors.
Q: What fees should I confirm before renting a machine in Memphis?
Ask for a written quote that itemizes the base daily, weekly, or monthly rate, delivery and pickup charges, fuel policy, and any optional damage waiver. Confirm whether the rate is bare or operated, how the yard handles a breakdown during the rental, and what the expected return condition and cleaning requirements are. Settling these points up front avoids disputes when the machine is returned.
Q: How do I file a complaint against a Memphis equipment rental company?
Complaints about deceptive billing or unfair business practices can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which enforces the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Before renting, you can also confirm that a company is a registered business through the Tennessee Secretary of State. Keeping the signed rental agreement, the itemized quote, and photographs of the machine at pickup and return strengthens any later dispute.