Comparison
Rollout vs Kennards Hire: Civil Plant Hire Comparison
Rollout vs Kennards Hire for civil construction equipment in Australia — what each platform offers, how pricing works, and which is better for earthmoving plant hire.
5 min read · 1 September 2025
Rollout vs Kennards Hire: Civil Plant Hire Comparison
Kennards Hire is a well-known name in Australian equipment hire — family owned, national network, trusted by tradespeople and builders for decades. But Kennards is built for general construction and trade hire. Rollout is built for civil construction plant. They're solving different problems.
What is Kennards Hire?
Kennards Hire is one of Australia's largest privately owned hire companies. They operate a network of branches across Australia and New Zealand, offering a wide range of equipment: tools, access equipment, concreting gear, compaction equipment, and some earthmoving machinery. Their model is traditional hire — you hire from Kennards, pick up from a branch, or arrange delivery.
What is Rollout?
Rollout is a peer-to-peer marketplace for civil construction and earthmoving plant — dry hire only. Private owners list excavators, dozers, graders, posi tracks, rollers, loaders, tip trucks, dump trucks, tractors, and attachments with upfront daily and weekly rates. Hirers book and pay through the platform, with payments secured through Stripe.
Side-by-side comparison
| Rollout | Kennards Hire | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the equipment | Private owners | Kennards Hire |
| Hire type | Dry hire — civil plant only | General hire, tools, access, some earthmoving |
| Civil plant range | Excavators, dozers, graders, ADTs, rollers, loaders | Mini excavators, small compaction — limited civil |
| Pricing | Upfront on every listing | Depot pricing, quoted on request |
| Account required | No | Credit account or card at depot |
| Payment protection | Stripe — held until hire commences | Standard hire terms |
| Float transport | Integrated at booking | Arrange independently |
| Machine size range | 1t mini excavators to 30t+ machines | Mostly small — limited large plant |
| Pricing model | Owner-set market rates | Depot rates with overhead |
What Kennards does well
Kennards Hire is excellent for what it's built for — trade and light construction hire. Concrete mixers, generators, compaction plates, scaffolding, scissor lifts, pressure washers. Their branch network means you can pick up equipment quickly and their team knows their gear.
For a builder needing a plate compactor for a weekend or a tradie needing a concrete saw for a day, Kennards is the right call.
Where Rollout fills the gap
Civil earthmoving plant is a different category. The machines are larger, more specialised, more expensive, and require a float to move them. They're not the kind of equipment you pick up from a depot in a ute.
Kennards carries some small earthmoving equipment — mini excavators in the 1–3 tonne range, walk-behind rollers, small compaction equipment. For anything larger — a 5t excavator, a 14t excavator, a dozer, a grader, an articulated dump truck — Kennards simply doesn't have it.
Rollout is where civil plant lives. Private owners across Australia list their machines — machines that are actively used on civil jobs and maintained at an operator standard.
Price comparison
Both platforms have overhead, but they're very different types of overhead.
Kennards' pricing covers their branch network, staff, fleet management, and corporate structure. That cost is embedded in the hire rate.
On Rollout, the overhead is the platform (8% commission on completed hires). The rest of the rate goes to the owner. No depot rent, no branch manager salary, no national marketing budget built into your day rate.
For civil plant specifically, the difference in day rates between a Kennards mini excavator and a comparable machine on Rollout is often noticeable.
Machine condition
Kennards manages a large fleet serviced to schedule across many depots. Individual machines see a lot of operators and a lot of use.
On Rollout, you're hiring from the person who owns and operates that specific machine. They service it on time because their own work depends on it. For civil plant where machine performance matters — a grader needs to grade, a dozer needs to push — condition and calibration make a real difference.
Who Kennards Hire suits
- Tradespeople and builders needing general hire equipment
- Access to a wide range of tools and small equipment from a local depot
- Companies with existing Kennards accounts needing quick turnaround on general hire
- Short hire periods where depot pickup is convenient
Who Rollout suits
- Civil contractors needing dry hire earthmoving plant
- Projects requiring larger machines that Kennards doesn't carry
- Hirers who want upfront pricing and a confirmed booking
- Anyone who wants payment held securely until the machine is on site
Frequently asked questions
Does Kennards Hire have excavators and civil construction plant?
Kennards Hire carries some earthmoving equipment including mini excavators, but their fleet is focused primarily on general construction, tools, and access equipment. For larger civil plant — 5t+ excavators, dozers, graders, ADTs — Rollout's peer-to-peer marketplace is a better source.
Is Rollout cheaper than Kennards Hire?
For civil construction plant, Rollout is typically more competitive on price. Peer-to-peer hire cuts out depot overhead — owners set rates based on the market, not on covering a national branch network. Kennards pricing includes the cost of running their depot infrastructure.
What is the difference between Rollout and Kennards Hire?
Kennards is a traditional hire company — they own and hire their own equipment from depots. Rollout is a peer-to-peer marketplace where private owners list their plant for dry hire with upfront pricing and Stripe payments held until the hire commences.
Can I hire a dozer or grader from Kennards?
Kennards Hire's civil plant range is limited. For specialised civil earthmoving equipment like dozers, graders, rollers, and large excavators, Rollout's marketplace is the better option — privately owned machines listed by civil operators who maintain them to a high standard.
How does payment work on Rollout compared to Kennards?
Kennards processes payment through their depot system — typically credit account or card on hire commencement. Rollout processes all payments through Stripe, with funds held securely until the hire commences. If the hire falls through before the machine reaches site, your payment is refunded automatically.