Mobile crane hire cost
Last updated
Mobile crane hire rates 2026
Every crane comes with a certified operator. Prices are per day, excluding VAT. Travel, a rigger and any permits are their own lines.
| Size | Rate | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 20–25 t mobile crane | Per day, with operator | about R4,500 * |
| 40 t mobile crane | Per day, with operator | about R7,600 * |
| 80 t mobile crane | Per day, with operator | about R22,000 * |
* Few price points for this one, so treat it as a guide; the exact price comes back on WhatsApp.
| Crane | Most it lifts | At 10 m | At 20 m | Day rate with operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–25 t (Tadano GR-250N or similar) | 25 t up to 3.5 m | 7.8 t | 2.15 t | about R4,500 |
| 40 t (Liebherr LTM 1040-2.1 or similar) | 40 t at 2.5 m, over the rear | 9.1 t | 3.0 t | about R7,600 |
| 80–90 t (Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2 or similar) | 90 t at 3 m, over the rear | 24.7 t | 9.9 t | about R22,000 |
| 100 t+ (Liebherr LTM 1100-5.3 or similar) | 100 t at 3 m, over the rear | 26.5 t | 11.2 t | Exact price on WhatsApp |
We have few price points for mobile cranes, so treat these as a guide; your exact price comes back in writing on WhatsApp. Load charts for every radius are on mobile crane hire.
Get a crane price on WhatsAppHow much does it cost to hire a mobile crane?
For one day with an operator: about R4,500 for 20–25 t, about R7,600 for 40 t and about R22,000 for 80 t, plus travel and any extras. A quote is built in lines:
- Hire: the crane and operator for the day, or a minimum charge for a short lift.
- Travel: small inside a main centre, per kilometre outside it.
- Extras, only if needed: a rigger or banksman, extra counterweight trucks for big cranes, outrigger mats for soft ground, a road permit and traffic control.
Example: roof trusses on a house in Pretoria
Trusses set from the street, the furthest about 18 m from where the crane stands. A 25 t crane lifts 2.15 t at 20 m, plenty for trusses, so one day of the 20–25 t crane does it.
| Example quote (for illustration only) | Amount |
|---|---|
| 20–25 t mobile crane, 1 day at about R4,500 a day with operator | R4,500 |
| Transport to Pretoria | confirmed on WhatsApp |
Example: two days of steel erection
A workshop frame where the heaviest beams are 2 t at 20 m. The 25 t crane is rated 2.15 t at that radius, and its own hook block uses part of that, so the 40 t crane (3.0 t at 20 m) is the safe pick: two days come to about R15,200 before travel. Going a size up costs more per day but is cheaper than a lift that can't be done.
How much does a crane cost per hour?
Mobile cranes are priced by the day or as a minimum charge for a short lift, because the crane still has to drive to site, set up its outriggers and rig before the first lift, whether the job takes one hour or eight. For a quick lift, send the weight, radius and town and we confirm a two-hour or half-day price in writing.
For lighter loads close to where a truck can park, a crane truck by the hour costs less: an 8–10 t crane truck is about R1,000 an hour with operator, and a 20–34 t crane truck about R1,900 an hour.
What changes the price of crane hire
- Crane size, set by weight and radius: a crane's rating applies only close in. A 25 t crane lifts 7.8 t at 10 m and 2.15 t at 20 m, so a light load far away can need a bigger crane than a heavy load close by. Measure the radius from where the crane can stand to where the load lands.
- Hours on site: the day rate covers a normal working day, usually 8–9 hours. Longer days, nights and weekends are priced on WhatsApp.
- Standing time: time on site waiting for the load, the truck or a clear area is charged.
- Travel: the crane drives to site. Inside a main centre travel is small; further out it's per kilometre each way, for example: Brits is about 53 km from Pretoria by road. Transport for a mobile crane there and back usually comes to R4,560–R5,520, shown as its own line on your quote.
- Counterweight for big cranes: an 80–90 t crane (Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2 or similar) drives at 12 t per axle with up to 8.8 t of counterweight on board; the other 13.7 t needed for its full 22.5 t comes on a separate truck. A 100 t crane (LTM 1100-5.3 or similar) carries 16.9 t and needs 5.6 t more. That truck is its own line.
- Rigger or banksman: if you don't have someone to sling the load and signal blind lifts, we add one in the written price.
- Ground and access: on soft ground, larger outrigger mats spread the load. If the outriggers can't extend fully, the crane loses capacity: squeezed from 6.6 m to 3.6 m wide, a 25 t crane's lift at 10 m drops from 7.8 t to 3.2 t, so a bigger crane may be needed.
- Road permits and traffic control: if the crane or outriggers stand on a public road or pavement, you need the municipality's permission and traffic control. For the largest cranes, any route permits and escorts are confirmed on your quote.
Crane truck: the cheaper option for light lifts
A crane truck carries the load on its deck and lifts it off with a folding crane behind the cab, so one machine does the delivery and the lift. When the load is light and close to where the truck can park, it costs less than a mobile crane plus a truck.
| Crane truck (30 t·m crane, Palfinger PK 32080 or similar) | 20–25 t mobile crane | |
|---|---|---|
| Lift at about 10 m | 2.9 t at 9.9 m | 7.8 t at 10 m |
| Carries the load | Yes | No |
| Price with operator | about R1,000 an hour or R2,500–R5,200 a day (8–10 t class) | about R4,500 a day |
Rule of thumb: under about 3 t, within about 10 m of the truck, and needing delivery anyway? Take a crane truck. Heavier, further, or over a building? Take a mobile crane. See 8 ton crane truck hire for its reach chart.
100 t, 200 t, spider and tower crane hire cost
100 t crane hire cost
Exact price on WhatsApp. A 100 t all-terrain crane (Liebherr LTM 1100-5.3 or similar) has a 62 m boom and lifts 26.5 t at 10 m, 11.2 t at 20 m and 3.5 t at 40 m. It drives on five axles at up to 60 t, and a counterweight truck follows. Send the weight, radius and height and we confirm whether 100 t is really needed: often the 80–90 t does the lift.
200 t crane hire rates
Cranes this size are priced per lift, with a lift plan, the counterweight trucks, the set-up area and the travel worked out first. WhatsApp the load, radius, site address and date.
Spider crane hire cost
Compact tracked cranes that go through doorways and work inside buildings or on tight sites. Exact price on WhatsApp: send the door width, the load, the radius and whether the floor can take the crane.
Tower crane hire cost
Tower cranes stay on a building site for months, so they're priced by the month rather than the day, plus the base, delivery, and erection and dismantling with a mobile crane. Under Construction Regulations reg 22, a tower crane needs a competent person to supervise its design and erection, a risk assessment, a wind-speed alarm and a firm, level base. Exact price on WhatsApp.
How much does a crane weigh?
It matters for your driveway, paving and any bridge or slab on the way in.
| Crane | Axles | Weight driving to site |
|---|---|---|
| 25 t (Tadano GR-250N or similar) | 2 | about 25.6 t |
| 40 t (Liebherr LTM 1040-2.1 or similar) | 2 | up to 24 t (12 t per axle) |
| 80–90 t (Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2 or similar) | 4 | up to 48 t (12 t per axle) |
| 100 t (Liebherr LTM 1100-5.3 or similar) | 5 | up to 60 t (12 t per axle) |
Paved driveways and stormwater covers can crack under 12 t per axle. If the crane must come onto your property, tell us what's under the route and we plan the set-up from the street where possible.
What are the prices of mobile cranes in South Africa?
To buy, prices depend on capacity, age and hours, and come from the manufacturers' dealers and plant auctions. Before buying, add what owning a crane carries under the Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015:
- A thorough examination and load test by a lifting machinery inspector of a registered lifting machinery entity at intervals of no more than 12 months (reg 18(5)(a)).
- Six-monthly examination of ropes, hooks, sheaves, brakes and safety devices by a competent person (reg 18(6)), and a register of every test and repair (reg 18(7)(a)).
- A load indicator on any power-driven lifting machine over 5,000 kg capacity (reg 18(9)).
- A certified operator for the crane's code, re-licensed at least every 24 months.
- Insurance, servicing, tyres, licensing and a yard to park it.
Unless the crane works most days of the year, hiring with an operator by the day costs less. More on the rules: lifting machinery load tests.
How much does it cost to get a crane licence?
Training is priced by accredited training providers, and depends on the crane code and the course length. The codes for mobile cranes in the National Code of Practice (Notice 5588 of 2024) are C43 (hydraulic mobile crane up to 15,000 kg), C33 (up to 50,000 kg), C35 (above 50,000 kg, as specified on the certificate) and C32 (truck-mounted crane).
To be trained, a person must be at least 18, physically able to do the work, and show a medical fitness declaration and an eye test (clause 12). After training, the operator's licence card is valid for up to 24 months before re-licensing (clause 14). If you only need a crane now and then, hiring one with our certified operator skips all of this.
Ready to price a lift? WhatsApp the weight, radius, height, town and date.
WhatsApp us the lift detailsQuestions people ask
How much is crane hire in South Africa?
Our day rates with an operator are the same in every province: about R4,500 for a 20–25 t mobile crane, about R7,600 for 40 t and about R22,000 for 80 t, excluding VAT. What changes between towns is travel: inside a main centre the crane drives to site and travel is small; further out it's charged per kilometre from the nearest main centre.
Are your crane rental rates with an operator?
Yes. Every mobile crane rate on this page includes a certified operator who holds the right crane code (C43, C33 or C35, depending on the crane's capacity). A rigger or banksman, if your lift needs one, is added as its own line.
Is VAT included in the crane prices?
No. All prices exclude VAT, and the written quote shows hire, travel, any rigger and any permit costs as separate lines before VAT.
Do you charge for standing time?
Yes, if the crane is on site and can't lift because the load hasn't arrived, the ground isn't ready or the area isn't clear. Send the weight, radius and access photos before the day, and have the load, slings and people ready when the crane sets up, and standing time doesn't come into it.
Related
Sources we checked
- Tadano GR-250N 25 t crane specifications and load chart
- Liebherr LTM 1040-2.1 technical data
- Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2 technical data
- Liebherr LTM 1100-5.3 technical data
- Palfinger PK 32080 loader crane leaflet
- Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 (GN R.540), regulation 18: lifting machines
- National Code of Practice for Training Providers of Lifting Machine Operators, 2024 (Notice 5588): crane codes
- National Code of Practice, 2024: clause 12, entrance qualification conditions
- National Code of Practice, 2024: clause 14, certification
- Construction Regulations, 2014 (GN R.84), regulation 22: cranes
Need a mobile crane?
WhatsApp us the job, the town and the dates. We confirm the machine, the start date and the price in writing before the machine moves.
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