What a crane costs in Richmond, 2026
A short pick with a small crane can come in near $500 around Richmond. Once the job needs a 100-ton class machine and a rigger, a half day passes $3,000 and a full day sits above $6,000.
Two public price lists
| Crane | Price | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| 30-ton crane with operator, Oregon port yard | $180/hr | Half hour |
| Up to 100 tons, operator and rigger | $750/hr | Not stated |
| Up to 150 tons, operator and rigger | $850/hr | Not stated |
| Up to 300 tons, operator and rigger | $985/hr | Not stated |
| Up to 100 tons, one 10-hour day | $6,250/day | 10 hours |
Sources: the 2026 shipyard rate sheet of the Port of Toledo in Oregon (30-ton crane, operator included, half-hour minimum) and the February 16, 2024 crane rental bid tabulation of the Allegany County, New York Department of Public Works, low bid in each class with an operator and a rigger. Both read November 12, 2026. Neither comes from Virginia, and Richmond crane yards price by phone, so use them to frame the call rather than as a quote.
Price out a Richmond crane day
Choose the closest job and a crane class. The tool uses the port yard rate and the county bid figures from the table above, showing the low and the high bid where there were two. Permits, mats and travel past the floor are not included.
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Where the figures come from
Richmond crane companies do not post prices; they quote once they know the load and the setup. Two public documents do print numbers. The Port of Toledo, a public port on the Oregon coast, lists its 30-ton yard crane with an operator at $180 an hour and bills in half-hour steps.
The Allegany County, New York Department of Public Works took bids in February 2024 for cranes with an operator and a rigger. The low bids were $750 an hour up to 100 tons, $850 up to 150 tons and $985 up to 300 tons. The other bidder came in at $800, $950 and $1,500.
Hourly, daily and the floor
The port sheet bills a half-hour minimum, which suits a quick set. The county bid also priced a 10-hour day: $6,250 up to 100 tons, $7,150 up to 150 tons and $8,000 up to 300 tons, each a little below ten times the hourly rate.
Richmond yards usually set a floor of a few hours and count the drive from the yard. A job in Powhatan or Hopewell spends more of that floor on the road than one in Church Hill, so ask how travel is billed.
Bills from the two lists
- $540Three hours of the 30-ton crane at $180.
- $3,000Four hours up to 100 tons at $750, with a rigger on the crew.
- $7,150One 10-hour day in the 150-ton class.
Worked from a public price list. The operator quotes your real figure.
Start my crane quoteWhat is not in the hourly figure
Both lists price the crane and its crew. Ask about the rest:
- Travel time, when the meter starts at the yard.
- A signal person if the county bid crew is not part of the deal and the operator cannot see the landing spot.
- Spreader bars, slings and tag lines for long or awkward loads.
- Mats or blocking under the outriggers on a lawn, a brick sidewalk or an old alley surface.
- The city Work in Streets permit, $20 per crane per day on rubber tires, plus any lane closure fees (right-of-way management).
- A VDOT land use permit when the crane sits on a state-maintained road in Chesterfield, Hanover or Powhatan.
Thirty tons or a hundred?
Weight and reach decide the class. Capacity falls quickly as the boom reaches out, so a condenser 15 feet from the alley is light work and the same unit 60 feet across a flat roof is not.
Most house lifts in the Fan, Museum District and the near West End fit a small crane or a boom truck. Wide commercial roofs, steel and precast push toward the 100-ton class or larger. The rowhouse HVAC guide and the steel and precast guide go further.
Questions about Richmond crane prices
What is the smallest crane bill around Richmond?
On the port sheet, a half hour of the 30-ton crane is $90, though real jobs with travel usually bill a few hours. Richmond operators set their own floors, so ask when you call.
Why are the county bid prices so much higher?
They are for large cranes up to 100, 150 and 300 tons, and the crew includes a rigger as well as the operator. A small crane for a house lift costs far less per hour.
Does the city permit fee change much?
Not for a short job. The crane line is $20 per crane per day on rubber tires and $50 on tracks. Lane closures and full street closures add fees and paperwork on top.
Sources
- Port of Toledo (Oregon), 2026 shipyard rate sheet
- Allegany County, New York DPW, crane rental bid tabulation, February 16, 2024
- City of Richmond, right-of-way management
- VDOT, land use permits
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1408, power line safety