Convert a PDF
Free calculator · lifting & access

Crane cost estimator for insurance claims.

Size a mobile crane for a restoration lift and estimate the rental and crew cost from published public rate schedules. Describe the job in plain terms, like an RTU swap or a tree over the house, and the tool works out the pick weight, radius, and tip height for you. Or enter the engineering numbers directly.

What it covers

Twelve crane jobs it knows how to size

"Describe the job" mode asks the questions an estimator can actually answer: what is being lifted, how far the crane sits from the building, how high the roof is. From those it works out the engineering inputs, and every derived number shows its formula and source. It currently covers:

The engine behind this calculator

This same math runs inside AI Estimate Assistant

AI Estimate Assistant, from Antero Trail, turns field notes, photos, and floor plans into carrier-ready Xactimate estimates. The calculator on this page is one piece of that engine, pulled out and made free. In the app, a crane scenario lands in your estimate as priced Xactimate line items (EQU CRANE, BTRUK, EQU DLVR) with the sizing narrative attached. No copy-paste.

Try AI Estimate Assistant free See what the app does
Method

How this estimate is calculated

The tool sizes the crane from the load chart, not the bare weight. A crane's rated capacity falls as the load moves away from the machine, so the pick radius and tip height matter as much as the weight. The standard practice is to keep the heaviest pick at or under 85 percent of the crane's rated capacity at that radius. That 15 percent margin absorbs rigging weight, wind, and the swing of the load, and it is the margin most rental yards and lift directors plan around.

Cost has two parts. The first is the crane and operator, priced by the day or half day from published equipment rate schedules. The second is the supporting crew and setup time, which grows when the site is harder to work: soft ground needs mats and cribbing, and power lines within 20 feet trigger the extra spotting and clearance procedures that a signal person is required to manage. The tool adds those site factors as separate line items so you can see what is driving the number, then rolls everything into a low to high range rather than a single false-precision figure.

Two price layers are shown and never blended: the market band (what operated crane services actually charge, from published rate sheets) headlines the result, and the ownership-and-operating cost floor from government schedules sits underneath as the justification anchor.

Swapping a rooftop HVAC unit? The crane is one line of a much longer scope. The HVAC replacement scope builder (commercial rooftop mode) builds the full package around it: the curb adapter, the roofing tie-in flashing, the electrical and gas work, and the controls, with the crane sized here and pre-filled from the roof height and unit weight.

FAQ

Common questions

How much does a crane cost for an insurance claim?
Most residential restoration picks land on a 30 to 50 ton crane at roughly $175 to $250 per hour with an operator, against a 4-hour minimum per visit, plus mobilization each way. A one-visit job typically runs $1,000 to $3,500; two mobilizations (remove and reset) roughly double the mobilization and minimum charges. The calculator prices your specific pick from published rate schedules and shows the market band next to the ownership-cost floor.
Why does the crane size jump when I increase the radius?
Rated capacity drops with distance. A crane that lifts a load easily at 20 feet may be under the 85 percent margin at 45 feet, so the tool steps up to a larger machine to keep the pick safe.
What is the 4-hour minimum?
Operated crane rental is billed portal to portal against a minimum, almost always 4 hours. A 30-minute pick still pays the minimum, which is why combining picks into one visit matters more than shaving the pick time.
Do I need a signal person?
OSHA requires a qualified signal person whenever the operator cannot see the load or the load path, and in most power-line and blind-pick situations. The tool flags this and includes the signal-person time when the site conditions call for it.
When does a lift need an engineered lift plan?
When the pick is critical or runs over 75 percent of chart capacity, the crane provider should prepare an engineered lift plan. The calculator warns you when your numbers cross that line. Its output is reference sizing for estimating, not a lift plan.
Can I use this number in an Xactimate supplement?
Yes, that is what it is for. The result includes the crane class, the sizing rationale, the rate source, and a narrative you can paste into the supplement. Where a matching Xactimate equipment item exists (EQU CRANE, BTRUK), the tool names it so the line prices regionally at import.
Is this a quote?
No. It is a planning estimate built from published public rate schedules. Confirm the crane, access, and price with a rental yard or lift director before you rely on it.
What if my lift is bigger than the tool supports?
If the pick is beyond the tool range you will get a written recommendation to have a lift plan prepared by a crane provider instead of a line-item table.
Rate basis

Sources

These calculators produce planning estimates from published public rate schedules. They are not a formal quote. Confirm equipment, access, and pricing with a licensed operator or rental yard before you rely on any number for an estimate.