How to Price a Job That Requires a Crane or Lift
Price equipment-dependent work as three separate components: the rental or crane service with its own minimum hours and operator, your mobilization and crew, and a stated standby rate for delays outside your control. Quote the equipment at cost plus a coordination margin, never absorb the delivery and pickup fees, and confirm the site is ready before the equipment is dispatched — because a crane that arrives to a blocked yard bills you regardless.
Three components, priced separately
- Equipment — rental or crane service, at cost plus a coordination fee
- Your crew and mobilization — independent of the equipment
- Standby — a stated hourly rate for delays
Bundle these into one number and every equipment surprise — a longer minimum, a delivery fee, a delayed start — comes out of your margin instead of appearing where it actually belongs.
Quote the minimum, not the duration
Crane and lift services bill minimum hours plus travel. A twenty-minute lift on a four-hour minimum is still a four-hour charge, so quoting from expected duration is basically a guaranteed loss.
Ask the rental house for the minimum, the travel charge, and the fuel policy before you price anything.
Never absorb delivery and pickup
Lift rentals commonly carry delivery and pickup fees that rival a full day of rental. They’re a real cost of the job, so they belong on the quote as their own line, not quietly folded into your labor rate.
Confirm readiness the day before
The site needs to be clear, the pad poured, the permit in hand, and someone with authority on site. A crane that shows up to a blocked yard bills in full regardless — one phone call the afternoon before is the cheapest insurance in this whole category.
Write the standby rate down
Delays outside your control are common in equipment work — a late subcontractor, an unfinished slab, a utility that hasn’t de-energized a line. A stated standby rate turns that from an argument into a line item, and it gives the customer a reason to be ready.
Pass through permits and escorts
Road closures, sidewalk permits, and traffic control are jurisdiction-specific and vary a lot. Quote them at cost with the authority named — marked up they get questioned, at cost they basically never do.
Rent until you’re using it weekly
A boom lift you only need six times a year is cheaper to rent every time, and the rental includes maintenance, inspection, and certification. Ownership is really a utilization decision, and the math is usually less flattering than it feels once you’re staring at a rental invoice.
Frequently asked questions
Should I mark up the crane or pass it through?
Pass it through at cost plus a stated coordination fee. Customers can call the crane company themselves and compare, so a hidden markup is easy to discover — but coordinating scheduling, access, and the lift plan is real work you should be paid for openly.
What's a minimum-hour charge?
Crane and lift services bill a minimum — commonly three or four hours plus travel — whether the lift takes twenty minutes or three hours. Quote the minimum, not the expected duration, because you'll pay the minimum either way.
Who pays if the site isn't ready?
The customer, via your stated standby rate — but only if you wrote it down. Blocked access, an unfinished pad, or a missing permit means the crane sits and bills. Confirm readiness the day before and put the standby rate on the quote.
Should I own or rent lift equipment?
Rent until the utilization justifies owning. A boom lift used six times a year is far cheaper rented, and rentals include maintenance and certification. Owning makes sense when the equipment is on a job most weeks, not when it's occasionally convenient.