Excavators

Excavators in Canada: prices, rules and how to buy

Updated 31 October 2026

A new mini excavator in Canada costs about CA$6,600 to CA$16,600 for 0.8 to 1.6 tonnes, and about CA$19,000 to CA$40,000 for 2 to 2.7 tonnes. Used full-size machines from 2004 and 2005 are listed at about CA$56,500 to CA$82,900. For prices in your city, post a request on BlaBlaPrice.

Warranty and job-site safety rules to check

Dealers quote new excavators with a warranty of 24 months or 2,000 machine hours, whichever comes first, while some compact-equipment warranties run five years or 3,000 hours. Ask for the warranty in writing, and check which hours count and who services the machine in your province. Job-site safety rules require employers to make sure operators follow the applicable safety requirements when an excavator hoists material instead of a crane, so check the lifting specification before the job starts.

Season: frozen ground stops digging

In Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary, winter runs from December to February and frozen ground makes digging slow and costly. Most excavator work is therefore planned from spring to late autumn, and summer from June to August is the busy period for outdoor projects. If you need a machine for a winter job, say so at the start, because lease dates and delivery depend on the season.

Delivery and how machines are quoted

Machines are moved by trailer, so transport is usually priced separately from the machine. Ask for the price delivered to your site in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary or Ottawa. Give the weight in tonnes or kilograms and the engine hours, because sellers quote in metric units. Rentals and sales are priced differently, so compare like with like.

What to put in your request

Tell sellers whether you want to buy or rent, the machine type and weight, its condition, the scope of work such as trenching, demolition or landscaping, the city, the lease term, the model and year, the engine hours and your budget in CA$. With these details a seller can give one price instead of a range.

Through BlaBlaPrice you describe the job in your own words in a chat, and you can add a photo. BlaBlaPrice asks for missing details, looks through sellers' websites and price lists in Canada, and shows the prices and businesses it found. Sellers registered on BlaBlaPrice receive your request and reply in the chat with their price, terms and delivery. Your contacts stay hidden until you decide with whom to share them. Read how it works, or compare with bulldozers and tractors.