Wet Hire

Wet hire is a contractual arrangement in which equipment is hired along with a trained operator provided by the hire company. The operator remains an employee or contractor of the supplier throughout the engagement - not a worker you direct as your own. The distinction from dry hire (equipment only, no operator supplied) is more than a pricing decision: it affects operational responsibility, insurance requirements, and how liability is allocated if something goes wrong.

Where Wet Hire Is Used

Wet hire is most common where specialist equipment requires specialist skill to operate safely. In audio-visual production, an AV company supplying a live events rig on wet hire terms sends crew with the kit - they rig, operate, and de-rig, so the client gets results without needing in-house technical staff. In construction and plant hire, the same principle applies: a wet hire arrangement delivers the machine and a licensed operator together, which is the standard approach when the client cannot demonstrate qualified operators of their own or where the hire company prefers to retain operational control over specialist plant.

What Wet Hire Means for Contracts and Risk

A wet hire agreement must be precise about who can direct the operator. Even under wet hire terms, if a client's site manager gives detailed operational instructions to the supplier's operator, liability can blur. A sound agreement covers operator qualifications, site induction requirements, and the procedure if an operator becomes unavailable mid-hire. For businesses managing multiple wet hire jobs alongside their own workforce, clear records of hours worked, instructions received, and costs incurred provide a factual basis if a billing query or liability question arises later.