Steel and precast picks around Richmond
Richmond's building boom runs on steel and precast, from the Diamond District to the apartment blocks along Broad Street. These jobs need bigger cranes for whole days, and the paperwork for the street can take longer than the lift.
What does a crane day for steel or precast cost in Richmond?
On a 2024 public county bid, a crane up to 100 tons with an operator and a rigger came in at $6,250 for a 10-hour day, $7,150 up to 150 tons and $8,000 up to 300 tons. Richmond crane companies price their own days by phone, and a full street closure adds a detour plan and a pedestrian plan to the city permit.
- The heaviest piece at the longest reach decides the crane class.
- Day rates on the public bid ran $6,250 to $8,000 depending on the class.
- A full street closure in Richmond needs a detour plan, a pedestrian plan and a memo.
- Above 102 inches wide or 13 feet 6 inches tall, a crane needs a Virginia oversize permit to travel.
The busy years behind it
The Richmond metro authorized 9,091 new housing units in 2025, and 4,372 of them were in buildings with five or more units, the kind framed in steel or set with precast. Through September 2026 the region was about 14.4% ahead of the same months of 2025.
CarMax Park opened on April 7, 2026, and the first phase of the Diamond District around it includes a 274-unit apartment building, an office building and a garage. Later phases add a hotel and affordable homes, which means more steel and precast on the Boulevard for years.
Picking the class
The heaviest piece at the longest reach sets the crane. A wall panel near the crane is easy; the same panel at the far corner of a footprint may need twice the machine. The public bid split cranes into three classes, each with an operator and a rigger:
- Up to 100 tons: $750 an hour, or $6,250 for a 10-hour day.
- Up to 150 tons: $850 an hour, or $7,150 a day.
- Up to 300 tons: $985 an hour, or $8,000 a day.
The other bidder came in higher in every class. Richmond companies set their own day rates, but those bands give a sense of scale.
Closing a street in Richmond
A crane in a Richmond street needs a Work in Streets permit, with a site plan, a maintenance of traffic plan and the contractor’s insurance and license. Closing the whole street adds a detour plan, a pedestrian plan and a memo, and the contractor meets the right-of-way inspector before the work starts. The crane fee itself is small, $20 a day on rubber tires or $50 on tracks.
Getting the crane there
Past 102 inches of width or 13 feet 6 inches of height, Virginia requires a permit to move. Large all terrain cranes and their counterweight trucks travel on oversize permits, and the counterweight often arrives on separate trucks, which need room to stage on the block.
What to send
The drawings or a pick list, the heaviest piece and where it lands, the site address and a photo of the street or lot where the crane would set up. See the rates page for the hourly figures.
Other questions
Does the crane company provide the rigging crew?
Sometimes. The public bid prices included an operator and a rigger. On steel jobs the erector usually brings the ironworkers who connect, so ask who signals and who rigs.
How far ahead should we book?
For a large crane and a full closure, weeks rather than days. The closure packet and the pre-construction meeting with the right-of-way inspector take time, and the big cranes book out during busy seasons.
Do we need a lift plan?
For heavy or critical picks, the crane company or the engineer usually writes one. Send the drawings, the heaviest piece and the reach so the operator can size the crane.
Richmond sources for this guide
Have a Richmond crane crew price it
Rough guesses work.
Keep reading
-
Public crane price lists, read for RichmondA Maryland county crane bid and a 2026 port yard rate, what they include, and the 4-hour bill they add up to.
-
HVAC lifts on Richmond rowhouse roofsSetting a condenser or rooftop unit in Richmond: alley or street setups, the Work in Streets crane fee, historic district HVAC rules and crane rates.
-
Cranes on Chesterfield County jobsA crane in Chesterfield, Midlothian, Chester or Bon Air: VDOT roads and land use permits, the $100 permit fee, how Henrico differs and public crane rates.