For crane hire operators
Quoting for crane hire operators
Crane hire is quoted by the hour, crane and operator together, counted from the yard and back again, with a minimum and a dogman or rigger on top. The customer only thinks about the lift. Quote Desk puts the crane hours, the travel and the crew on separate lines, so the quote reads the way the invoice will.
Quote from Tall Timber Crane Hire
Roof trusses onto a house frame
| 25 t slewing crane with operator, 2 hours | $580.00 |
| Travel, yard to site and back, 1 hour | $290.00 |
| Dogman, 3 hours | $285.00 |
| Total | $1,155.00 |
Sent from the yard. The builder accepted from the slab.
What gets in the way for crane hire operators
Yard to yard
Travel time is crane time, but a builder thinks of the twenty minutes the lift takes. A travel line at the crane rate makes those hours visible before the job, not at invoice time.
The minimum hire
A ten-minute lift still costs the minimum. Put the minimum in the note and the hours on the crane line, so a quick job does not end in a surprised phone call about a three-hour charge.
Which crane fits the site
Overhead power, soft ground, a narrow street and room for the outriggers decide which crane can do the job. Say in the note which crane you priced and what you assumed about the site, so a change on the day is a new quote.
The crew is two people
Many lifts go with a dogman or rigger as well as the operator. A crew line by the hour shows the customer there are two people on the job, not one.
A worked example
Crane hire operator work, with Quote Desk
Imagine a fictional crane hire business, Tall Timber Crane Hire, with a 20 tonne pick-and-carry crane and a 25 tonne slewing crane. Price list: 20 tonne pick-and-carry crane with operator $240 an hour, 25 tonne slewing crane with operator $290 an hour, dogman $95 an hour, site inspection $150 each. Every crane hour is counted yard to yard, with a three-hour minimum.
A builder forwards an email asking for roof trusses to be lifted onto a single-storey frame. The site is half an hour from the yard each way, and the lift itself takes about two hours. Quote this: slewing crane x2 for the time on site, a typed-in line for travel from the yard and back at one crane hour, $290, and dogman x3. The note says the price includes GST; three-hour minimum, yard to yard; trusses bundled and ready to lift; the crane sets up on the driveway, which the builder keeps clear; any extra time is charged by the hour at the same rates. Total $1,155. Sent from the yard. The builder accepts it standing on the slab.
A pool shell lift over a two-storey house in a narrow street starts with a site inspection: a one-line quote at $150, accepted the same day. Once the crane size and the set-up are known, the lift quote follows.
Talk of the Trade
Crane hire operators on Talk of the Trade
Talk of the Trade ranks crane hire operators by how many Google reviews they have. Figures as of October 2026.
See the crane hire operators on Talk of the Trade. Being listed there has nothing to do with using Quote Desk: no listing is sold and no rank changes.
Questions from crane hire operators
How do I quote the minimum hire?
Make the hours on the crane and travel lines add up to at least the minimum, and say it in the note: a three-hour minimum, yard to yard. If the job runs over, the note says the extra is charged at the same hourly rate.
Can I quote half hours?
Quantities are whole numbers. Put a half-hour item on your list at half the hourly rate, or round to the hour, as your minimum already does on short jobs.
Does Quote Desk check lift plans or permits?
No. It sends your lines and note and checks nothing against the rules for lifting work. Check the licence requirements in your state.
How many crane hire operators are on Talk of the Trade?
As of October 2026 the Crane Hire category has 47 ranked lists, with 264 businesses listed in New South Wales, 200 in Queensland and 183 in Victoria. Quote Desk is separate from those listings.
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