Crane hire means hiring a crane, usually with a trained operator, to lift materials such as steel, roof trusses, plant, hot tubs or modular units. A 25 tonne mobile crane typically costs about £420 to £650 a day, and a fully managed contract lift for the same size of crane is typically about £1,400 for the day. The big decision is who plans and is responsible for the lift: you, under CPA crane hire (hired-in), or the crane company, under a contract lift.
CPA crane hire or contract lift?
Most UK crane firms hire on the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) Model Conditions. The CPA's own guidance sets out two very different arrangements, and the price difference reflects who carries the risk.
CPA crane hire (hired-in)
You get a crane and operator. You plan the lift, choose the crane, provide the Appointed Person, supervise, and provide the slinger/signaller. The crane works under your direction and control.
If things go wrong, the lift is contractually your responsibility, and you keep most of the insurance responsibilities.
Contract lift
The crane company plans the lift, selects the crane, provides the Appointed Person and supervises the lifting operation.
Costs more, but the crane company takes on most of the responsibility if things go wrong, up to the liability limits in its terms.
The CPA warns that if a crane supplier on a hire gives advice on management issues, such as writing your risk assessment and method statement, it may be deemed to have carried out a contract lift in practice. The crane operator confirming the crane can do the lift is not the operator taking over the planning. Agree in writing which arrangement you're buying.
Who does what on a lift
Appointed Person Plans the lift
Selects the crane and plans the lifting operation in line with BS 7121. Under crane hire you provide this person; under a contract lift the crane company does. The recognised card is CPCS A61.
Crane supervisor
A competent person who supervises the lift on site and makes sure it follows the plan. CPCS category A62 covers crane and lifting operations supervisors.
Slinger/signaller
Attaches, guides and detaches the load and directs the operator. CPCS category A40 covers slinger/signallers, and NPORS has an equivalent (N402).
Crane operator
Briefed on the lift plan and confirms the crane can do the lift. For a mobile crane, the CPCS card is A60.
Types of crane you can hire
Mobile cranes
Truck-mounted telescopic cranes that drive to site and set up on outriggers. All-terrain cranes cover a wide range of sizes; compact city cranes suit tight urban streets.
Covered by BS 7121-3.
Lorry loader cranes
A crane mounted on a lorry, so the same vehicle brings the load and lifts it into place. Often the cheapest option for pallets, cabins and materials.
Covered by BS 7121-4.
Spider and mini cranes
Small tracked cranes that fit through doorways and gardens, for glazing, steel beams and lifts behind houses.
Available with an operator or on hire for your own trained operator.
Tower cranes
Erected on a foundation for the length of a project, usually hired by the week.
Covered by BS 7121-5.
What crane hire costs
These ranges come from published cost guides and hire firms' price lists. They are for CPA hire with an operator unless stated. Prices usually exclude VAT.
| Crane or service | Typical price |
|---|---|
| City crane (compact mobile) | about £400–£1,200 a day |
| 35 tonne mobile crane | about £1,750–£3,000 a week |
| Lorry loader, single delivery lift within about 50 miles | about £250–£600 |
| Spider or mini crane with operator | from about £400 a day |
| Tower crane | about £2,500 a week |
| Crane supervisor or slinger for a contract lift | about £300–£400 a day each |
- Crane size and reachThe heavier the load and the further it goes from the crane, the bigger the crane needed.
- Minimum hireMany hire contracts have a minimum of four hours, with hourly rates after that. Travel time from the depot is often charged on top.
- Hire or contract liftA contract lift costs more because the crane company plans, supervises and takes on most of the responsibility.
- Site conditionsPoor ground, restricted access and outrigger mats add cost.
- Road spaceA crane on or over the road needs a council licence, and a road closure or traffic management is extra.
Check whether each quote is CPA hire or a contract lift, what the minimum hire and hourly overtime are, and whether travel, the lift plan, slingers, the council licence, traffic management and outrigger mats are included. A cheap hire price can cost more once you add your own Appointed Person, lifting team and insurance.
The law and the standard
Under regulation 8 of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), every lifting operation must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner. The HSE says a routine lift may need only a generic plan, while complex lifts need a written plan. BS 7121 is the code of practice for the safe use of cranes: Part 1 covers general principles, with separate parts for mobile cranes, lorry loaders and tower cranes.
Before the crane arrives
Ground conditions Your job on a hire
Under CPA crane hire, you assess and prepare the ground, and give the crane company the ground bearing capacity and the load weight. The crane owner provides outrigger loadings and duty charts on request.
Overhead power lines Danger
HSE guidance GS6 says you should manage the risk if you plan to work within 10 metres of an overhead line, measured horizontally at ground level from below the nearest wire. Contact the line owner early about diverting or switching it off.
Crane on or over the road Licence
Councils license cranes on or over the highway under the Highways Act 1980, usually section 169, with section 178 used when a crane swings over the road. Published fees range from about £130 to £700, and some London boroughs charge £1,000 or more. Most councils ask for about 5 to 10 working days' notice, some ask for more, and a road closure can need 6 weeks to 3 months. Many require £5 million to £10 million of public liability insurance.
What to check before you hire
- Thorough examination report. LOLER says hired lifting equipment must come with evidence of its last thorough examination. Cranes need one at least every 12 months, or every 6 months if used to lift people, unless a written examination scheme sets different intervals, and lifting accessories such as slings at least every 6 months.
- Operator and lifting team cards. Ask to see CPCS or NPORS cards for the operator, slinger/signaller, crane supervisor and Appointed Person.
- The lift plan. Ask who writes it and ask for a copy before the day.
- Insurance. On a hire you usually insure the crane and liabilities. On a contract lift, check the crane company's liability limits cover the value of your load.
Questions to ask a crane hire company
- Is this CPA hire or a contract lift?
- Who provides the Appointed Person, the lift plan and the slinger/signaller?
- What is the minimum hire, and what do overtime and travel cost?
- Will you visit the site to check access, ground and overhead lines?
- Do you need outrigger mats, and are they included?
- Will you apply for the council licence or road closure?
- Can I see the crane's latest thorough examination report?
Prices in this guide are typical ranges from suppliers' published price lists and cost guides. They change and vary by area, so always confirm the price with the supplier before you book. Rules, fees and tax rates are checked against official sources.