Crane rental cost

How much does it cost to rent a crane?

A crane with an operator runs about $155 an hour for a small boom truck up to $595 for a 275-ton crane, from published rate sheets. Most companies bill at least 4 hours.

Crane cost calculator

Crane with an operator, billed by the hour.

Boom truck 50 to 60 ton 75 to 120 ton 150 to 275 ton

Hours on site

Hourly rate-

Hours billed-

Typical price-

Rates from the North Texas Crane 2025 rate sheet and a 2025 Tennessee Tech bid. Most companies bill at least 4 hours, and the clock runs portal to portal: from the time the crane leaves the yard until it gets back. Fuel surcharges, riggers, permits and counterweight trucks are extra. Local quotes can be higher.

Hourly rates by crane size

Crane	Common jobs	Per hour, with operator	Bare rental, per month
Boom truck, 23 to 40 tons	HVAC units, trusses, hot tubs, signs	$155 to $225	$5,000 to $7,250 (30 to 40 tons)
Truck crane, 50 to 60 tons	Bigger rooftop units, steel, trees over houses	$225 to $275	$7,500 to $10,500
All-terrain crane, 75 to 120 tons	Long reaches, heavy machinery, precast	$310 to $440	$12,000 to $13,500 (75 to 80 tons)
Large crane, 150 to 275 tons	Big commercial and industrial lifts	$480 to $595	Ask

Bare rental is the crane alone, by the month, with delivery extra. Sources: North Texas Crane 2025 rate sheet ($155 for a 23-ton boom truck up to $595 for a 275-ton crane) and a Tennessee Tech public bid opened November 2025 ($190 to $480). BigRentz gives a wider national range: $200 to $450 an hour for a small crane with an operator, $400 to $750 for mid-size and $750 to $1,200 or more for large cranes.

Crane with an operator or bare rental

With an operator (often called crane service or operated rental), the company brings the crane and a certified operator and runs the lift. You pay by the hour. This is what most jobs need.

Bare rental is the crane alone. It is usually priced by the month. North Texas Crane's 2025 sheet lists:

Crane	Bare rental, per month
30 tons	$5,000
40 tons	$7,250
60 tons	$10,500
80 tons	$13,500

Delivery and pickup are extra. With a bare rental you supply the operator, riggers, signal person, fuel and insurance, and a competent person has to inspect the crane before every shift (Barnhart, ALL Crane, OSHA). In Minnesota the operator must hold a crane certificate for any crane of 5 tons or more on a construction site.

Published Twin Cities rates

Alift Crane, an owner-operated crane service in St. Bonifacius, posts its hourly rates with an operator. All are billed portal to portal, from the yard and back:

Crane	Per hour, with operator
30 tons	$220
50 tons	$240
90 tons	$355
110 tons	$385

From Alift Crane's own website, November 2026. Other companies quote job by job. See all crane companies.

What is extra

Travel time. Most companies bill portal to portal: the clock starts when the crane leaves the yard and stops when it gets back.
Minimums. North Texas Crane bills 3 hours for its smallest boom truck and 4 hours for everything else. BigRentz says minimums run 3 to 8 hours.
Overtime and weekends. On the North Texas sheet, overtime starts after 8 hours, before 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m., and on weekends. Sundays and holidays add $85 an hour.
Riggers and signal people: $95 an hour each, with a 4-hour minimum (North Texas Crane).
Fuel surcharge: 7% on both the North Texas sheet and one Tennessee bidder.
Counterweight trucks for big cranes: $1,000 for a 120-ton and $2,000 for a 150-ton crane in the Tennessee bid.
Road permits. In Minnesota, MnDOT's yearly oversize permit for a mobile crane costs $120.
Street permits when the crane sits on a street or sidewalk. See Minneapolis and St. Paul.

What crane operators earn in Minnesota

The operator is a big part of the hourly rate. On public projects in Hennepin County, Minnesota's 2026 prevailing wage for a crane operator is $83.08 an hour with benefits ($52.08 base plus $31.00 fringe). Private jobs don't have to pay that rate, but it shows what skilled operators earn here.

How to keep the cost down

Know the weight and the distance. The crane is sized by how heavy the load is and how far it has to reach from where the truck parks. A bigger crane than needed costs more per hour.
Be ready when the crane arrives. A clear path for the truck, firm ground for the outriggers and the load ready to rig. You pay for every hour the crane waits.
Group lifts. If you have several things to lift, do them in one visit and use the whole minimum.
Mention power lines and anything overhead up front.
Get the price in writing, with the minimum, travel time, riggers, permits and fuel surcharge spelled out.

Sources: North Texas Crane, 2025 rate sheet (PDF) · Tennessee Tech, 2025 crane and boom truck bid (PDF) · Alift Crane, crane operation services and rates · BigRentz, crane rental cost · Bigge, crane rental rates · Barnhart, safe lifting operations (PDF) · ALL Crane, rental FAQ · OSHA 1926.1412, inspections · Minnesota Statutes 182.6525, crane operator certification · Minnesota DLI, prevailing wages, Hennepin County · MnDOT, oversize permit types

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Questions

How much does it cost to rent a crane per hour?

With an operator, published 2025 rates run about $155 to $225 an hour for a 23 to 40 ton boom truck, $225 to $275 for a 50 to 60 ton crane, $310 to $440 for 75 to 120 tons and $480 to $595 for 150 to 275 tons (North Texas Crane, Tennessee Tech bid). In the Twin Cities, Alift Crane posts $220 an hour for 30 tons, $240 for 50, $355 for 90 and $385 for 110 tons. BigRentz's national ranges are wider.

How much is a crane for a day?

Multiply the hourly rate by 8 hours plus travel time. For a boom truck at $155 to $225 an hour, that is about $1,240 to $1,800 before travel, fuel and permits. Bigge says a small rough terrain or boom truck crane might cost $300 to $600 a day on a bare rental.

How much does a crane cost for 2 hours?

Usually the same as for 4. Most companies bill a 4-hour minimum, so a short boom truck lift often costs about $620 to $900 plus travel time.

Can you rent a crane without an operator?

Yes. That is a bare rental, usually priced by the month. You supply a certified operator, riggers, fuel and insurance. Minnesota law requires a crane certificate to operate a crane of 5 tons or more on a construction site.

What does portal to portal mean?

You pay from the time the crane leaves the company yard until it gets back, not just the time on your site. Ask how far the crane is coming from.

Why do crane quotes vary so much?

Crane size, reach, travel distance, minimum hours, riggers, permits and timing (nights and weekends cost more) all change the price. A site visit gives the most accurate quote.

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