Hey Tom,
Up here in Somerset, PA, I was paying about $500/8hr. day for an operator and back hoe/dozer. While both the back hoe and dozer were on-site for the duration, I was only billed for which piece of equipment the operator was using at any given time during the billable day.
I also did pay the pick up and deliver which I believe was about $100 total.
I think these rate were cheap compared to what these guys got done for me.
Your neighbor sounds very generous with his time as he's spending 10 hours one day and will spend more time next week. That could be a heavy "favor" to repay when he calls that chip in. Then again, the neighbor could just be a super stand-up guy/girl that loves doing that kind of stuff.
I would try to tactfully, but clearly, pay him something & if he'd only accept a few hundred bucks, maybe augment it with a gift/gift certificate as others suggested.
