Guides
Crane Rental Guides
Plain-English guides to renting a crane or boom truck: what it costs, which machine fits, how to plan the lift and which permits might apply.
Start here
Most people rent a crane once in a while, not every week. These guides cover the questions that come up before the first call, so you can describe your job clearly and understand the quote you get back. They're written for Southeast Texas, but most of the advice applies anywhere.
- Crane Rental Cost per Hour How hourly crane rates and minimum charges work, and what pushes a quote up or down.
- Boom Truck vs Crane When a boom truck is enough and when you need a mobile crane instead.
- Operated vs Bare Crane Rental The difference between renting a crane with an operator and renting the machine alone.
- What Size Crane Do I Need? Load weight, radius, height and site access: how crane size is actually chosen.
Which guide do you need?
- Pricing a job? Read crane rental cost per hour, then the crane rental cost page for published estimates and cost drivers.
- Not sure which machine? Start with boom truck vs crane and what size crane do I need.
- Deciding how to rent? See operated vs bare crane rental.
A note on the numbers
Any prices in these guides are published estimates with the source named. They're there to show the general range, not to quote your job. Crane pricing depends on the machine, the hours, travel and the site, so the only number that counts is a quote for your specific lift.