FAQ — MobileCrane.org

Yes — whole-house lifts and relocations happen regularly. A typical wood-frame house weighs 80,000–160,000 lbs (40–80 tons), which puts it within range of larger all-terrain cranes or a tandem lift with two smaller cranes. The crane is usually the easy part; the structural steel cradle, permits, and route planning are what make house moves expensive.

It ranges enormously by class: boom trucks handle 10–50 tons, rough terrain cranes 20–130 tons, all-terrain cranes 100–1,200+ tons, and the largest crawler cranes exceed 3,000 tons. Critically, rated capacity only applies at minimum radius — at full reach, a “100-ton” crane may safely lift under 10 tons. That’s why the load chart, not the headline number, decides every lift.

Telescopic all-terrain cranes reach around 100m (330 ft) of hook height with full boom and jib extensions — roughly a 30-story building. Lattice-boom crawlers go higher still, with some configurations exceeding 200m (650 ft). For most residential and commercial work (roof trusses, HVAC units, pools), a 40–60m boom truck or small AT crane covers it.

Truck cranes drive on highways and set up fast for light-medium picks. Rough terrain cranes work off-road only and move between sites by trailer. All-terrain cranes do both — highway speed and rough sites — at a price premium. Crawler cranes sit on tracks, need no outriggers, lift the heaviest loads, and can travel with the load — but arrive in pieces on multiple trucks.

Easily — these are everyday jobs for boom trucks. A car weighs 1.5–2.5 tons, a filled hot tub under 3 tons empty, and rooftop HVAC units typically 0.5–5 tons. What matters more than weight is the radius: lifting a 2-ton spa over a house to a backyard 60 ft away needs far more crane than the weight alone suggests.

Rain generally doesn’t stop crane work, but wind does. Most manufacturers limit lifting at sustained winds around 20–30 mph (9–13 m/s), and lower for large surface-area loads like panels or trusses that act as sails. The operator has final authority — and a professional will shut down before the chart says they must.

Typical operated day rates in the US: boom trucks $800–$2,500/day, rough terrain cranes $1,500–$4,000/day, mid-size all-terrain cranes $3,000–$10,000/day, and heavy AT or crawler cranes $10,000–$50,000+/day. Short “taxi crane” jobs (an hour or two with a boom truck) often run $300–$800 with minimums. Mobilization, permits, and rigging crew are usually billed on top.

Operated (maintained) rental includes the crane, a certified operator, and usually maintenance — the rental house keeps most liability. Bare rental is the machine only: you supply the qualified operator, insurance, and inspections, and you carry the risk. Bare rates look 30–50% cheaper but only make sense for companies with their own certified operators and crane insurance.

Five main factors: capacity class (the biggest driver), duration (day rates drop for weekly/monthly hires), mobilization distance (transporting counterweights is expensive), lift complexity (critical lifts need engineering time), and market demand (crane availability tightens hard during big regional projects). A clear scope emailed to the rental desk gets sharper quotes than a phone guess.

Almost always. Mobilization/demobilization is billed separately — anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a local boom truck to tens of thousands for a large AT crane whose counterweights arrive on 5–10 separate trucks. Setup time (outriggers, counterweight stacking, boom assembly) is typically on the clock too. Always ask for the all-in number.

New: boom trucks from $150K–$500K, rough terrain cranes $300K–$900K, all-terrain cranes $1M–$10M+ depending on capacity, and large crawlers well beyond that. The used market runs roughly 40–70% of new for machines with solid inspection records. Ownership adds insurance, annual inspections, operator wages, storage, and transport — often 15–25% of purchase price per year.

The rough industry threshold: if you need a crane less than 60–70% of working days, renting usually wins once you count insurance, inspections, operator costs, and idle time. Buying makes sense for steady, predictable crane hours — think precast erectors, steel crews, and sign companies running a boom truck daily. Run the utilization math before the financing math.

In the US, yes for construction work: OSHA (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC) requires operators of most cranes over 2,000 lbs capacity to be certified by an accredited body such as NCCCO, and employers must additionally evaluate and document operator competence on the specific equipment. States and cities can layer licenses on top. “I’ve run one before” is not a qualification anywhere.

OSHA’s default minimum clearance is 20 ft from energized lines, reducible to 10 ft (for lines up to 50kV) only with specific measures like a dedicated spotter, proximity alarms, or insulating link. Higher voltages require more distance. Power line contact remains one of the leading causes of crane fatalities — clearance is planned before mobilization, never improvised on site.

The load chart is the manufacturer’s table of maximum safe capacities for every combination of boom length, working radius, counterweight, and outrigger configuration. A crane’s real capacity might be 10% of its headline rating at long radius. Every professional lift starts with the chart — it’s the law of the machine, and the LMI computer on board enforces it in real time.

Outriggers are hydraulic beams and jacks that extend from the carrier and lift the crane onto pads, creating a support base far wider than the wheels. Load charts assume fully extended outriggers on firm ground unless stated otherwise. Under each float goes cribbing or engineered mats sized to the soil — ground failure tips more cranes than mechanical failure ever has.

Most sites define it as any lift over 75% of chart capacity, any multi-crane (tandem) pick, lifts over occupied structures or live process equipment, or lifts near power lines. Critical lifts require a documented engineered lift plan: verified load weight, rigging calculations, ground bearing checks, and a pre-lift meeting with everyone involved.

OSHA requires a qualified signal person whenever the operator’s view of the load, landing zone, or travel path is obstructed — which covers most real-world lifts. Signals can be standard hand signals or radio. One rule never bends: one crane, one signal person. The only signal anyone can give at any time is emergency stop.

Two-blocking happens when the hook block is hoisted up into the boom-tip sheaves. With nowhere for the rope to go, tension spikes instantly and the wire rope or boom tip can fail — often dropping the block and load. Modern cranes carry an anti-two-block (A2B) system that cuts hoist function before contact; it’s inspected as part of daily checks.

Six things get you an accurate quote fast: load weight (verified, not guessed), pick radius (distance from crane center to load placement), lift height, site address with access notes, ground conditions, and date/duration. A phone photo of the site and a sketch with distances beats ten minutes of describing it.

A boom truck can work from a 12–15 ft wide street lane with outriggers spanning to about 20 ft. Mid-size AT cranes want roughly 25–30 ft × 40 ft of firm, level ground plus swing clearance for the counterweight tail. Crawlers need assembly space on top of that. Overhead is part of the footprint too — wires, trees, and building overhangs kill more setups than ground space does.

If the crane sets up on or swings over public streets or sidewalks: almost always — street occupancy or lane closure permits from the city, typically $100–$1,000+ and 1–4 weeks of lead time. Lifts near airports may trigger FAA notification for boom heights. On fully private property with no public encroachment, usually no permit — but utility line coordination still applies.

Firm, level, and drained is the standard: compacted gravel or intact pavement, no fresh backfill, no unmarked underground vaults, tanks, or utility trenches under outrigger positions. The crane crew brings pads and cribbing, but they size them from your ground information — tell them about that old septic tank before the outrigger finds it.

Boom trucks set up in 15–30 minutes. Mid-size AT cranes take 1–3 hours including counterweight stacking. Big crawlers can take days to assemble. The lift itself is usually the fast part — a straightforward HVAC or truss pick is minutes on the hook. Budget your day around setup, rigging, and breakdown, not the lift.

The big-ticket items: boom condition (dents, wear pads, cylinder drift), wire rope and sheaves, slew ring/turntable play, LMI function and calibration records, outrigger cylinders for drift, and complete annual inspection + maintenance history. A third-party crane inspection ($1,500–$5,000) is the cheapest insurance you’ll ever buy on a six-figure machine.

With proper maintenance, 20–30 years of service life is normal, and well-kept cranes from the 1990s still work daily. Structural components (boom, slew ring) define the real lifespan; engines and hydraulics get rebuilt along the way. This longevity is why used cranes hold value better than most construction equipment.

The established names: Liebherr, Grove (Manitowoc), Tadano, Link-Belt, Terex/Demag for wheeled cranes; Manitowoc, Liebherr, Kobelco, Link-Belt for crawlers; and XCMG, Sany, Zoomlion as value-priced challengers with growing US support. Parts availability and dealer proximity matter as much as the badge — a great crane with no local service support is a liability.

Plan for 15–25% of the purchase price annually: insurance (liability + physical damage on cranes is priced like it sounds), OSHA-required annual inspections, scheduled maintenance and wire rope replacement, operator wages and certification upkeep, storage, and transport between jobs. Idle months cost nearly as much as working ones — which is why the utilization math from question 12 decides everything.