Crane tree removal
A big or dead tree over the house? A crane lifts it out piece by piece instead of dropping it. Here are the Twin Cities crane companies that list tree work, for homeowners and tree services.
10 of the 23 companies we list say so on their own website. Alphabetical.
Based in St. Bonifacius
Cranes: 30-ton (124 ft boom), 50-ton (155 ft boom), 90-ton (164 ft boom) and 110-ton (164 ft boom) cranes
Based in Lakeville
Cranes: 28-ton boom truck; grapple truck
Based in Monticello
Based in Chisago City
Based in Corcoran
Cranes: Boom trucks 24, 30, 40 and 55 tons; truck cranes 75, 90, 120 and 225 tons
Based in River Falls, WI
Cranes: 40-ton hydraulic crane, 124 ft main boom, 45 ft jib
Based in Rogers
Cranes: One 50-ton boom truck with a 128-foot main boom
Based in Elk River
Cranes: 30 to 550 tons: National boom trucks of 30, 45 and 55 tons; 60, 175, 350 and 550-ton cranes
Based in New Hope
Cranes: Boom trucks 28 to 60 ton; truck cranes 70 to 110 ton; rough-terrain cranes 50 to 120 ton; all-terrain cranes 150 to 360 ton
Based in West St. Paul
Cranes: 30-ton boom truck crane (95 ft of boom) and 45-ton boom truck crane (127 ft of boom)
Listings checked November 3, 2026 on each company's own website. No company pays to be listed. Missing a company or see a mistake? Tell us.
Their sites don't mention this lift, but they run the cranes that usually do it. Ask them.
Minnesota has nearly a billion ash trees, more than any other state, and emerald ash borer has been killing them since it was first found here in 2009. Ash killed by the borer dries out quickly and becomes a hazard tree sooner than a tree that dies another way (Minnesota Department of Agriculture).
Once an ash is dead, its branches turn brittle, which makes it harder and more dangerous to cut down. The University of Minnesota says the best time to remove ash is November through April. Tree care trade guidance says not to climb trees killed by the borer and to work from an aerial lift instead.
OSHA requires at least 10 feet of clearance from power lines up to 50 kV, and more for higher voltages. Xcel Energy prunes the part of a tree near its lines so a tree worker who isn't qualified for power line work can finish the removal. Call Xcel before the job.
Sold a removal that needs a crane? Call a company from the list above with the tree height, the heaviest piece and how far the crane has to reach from where it can park. Or send us those details and we'll pass them to one crane company.
Sources: Angi, tree removal cost in Minneapolis · Angi, tree removal cost (national) · CraneCompare, cranes for tree removal · Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture, emerald ash borer · Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture, EAB for homeowners · UMN Extension, emerald ash borer · TCI Magazine, climbing and rigging ash trees · North News, ash removal bills, 2023 · OSHA 1926.1408, power lines · Xcel Energy Minnesota, trees and power lines
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Set or swap rooftop units on stores, offices and apartments. Most take a boom truck.
Companies and costsSet trusses on houses, additions, garages and pole barns with a boom truck or crane.
Companies and costsLift a hot tub or swim spa over the house or fence when there is no side access.
Companies and costsSteel beams, shipping containers, sheds, machinery, boats: most crane companies do them. See all crane companies or boom trucks.
Angi puts a crane for trees over 80 feet at about $530 in Minneapolis, including the truck and crew, on top of the removal. Nationally a crane adds about $250 to $600 a day, and hard removals can reach $6,000 to $7,000 in crane costs.
When the tree is very tall (Angi says over 80 feet), when it hangs over a house, garage or lines and pieces can't be dropped, or when it is dead and unsafe to climb.
Ash killed by emerald ash borer dries out fast and its branches turn brittle, so it becomes a hazard tree sooner and is more dangerous to climb and cut (Minnesota Department of Agriculture, University of Minnesota).
November through April, according to University of Minnesota Extension.