Boom truck rental in Gainesville

What size boom truck fits the job?

Boom trucks are named by capacity at a short radius, so a 28-ton truck does not lift 28 tons 60 feet away. The useful question is what it lifts at your distance. Rough guide for the jobs that come up around Gainesville:

• 28 ton: truss packs, shingles to a roof, small rooftop units, a shed or a generator close to the truck.
• 40 ton: heavier mechanical units, steel beams on a commercial job, picks set back 40 to 60 feet.
• 60 ton: larger units or longer reach, such as a lift over a two-story building to a back courtyard.

Newberry, Alachua and the west side of Gainesville still add a steady run of single-family homes, with 689 single-family units permitted across the county in 2025. Most of those framing packages go up with a boom truck in a morning.

Rates and minimums

The table on the cost page comes from a public bid opened in November 2025. For boom trucks it shows $180 to $220 an hour at 28 tons, $195 to $255 at 40 tons and $265 to $310 at 60 tons, operator included.

Every bidder had a minimum, from 4 to 8 hours. That is the number to ask about first. A truss set that takes three hours costs the same as one that takes four on a 4-hour minimum, and about half of a full day on an 8-hour one.

Getting the site ready

• Pick the truck spot before lift day and keep it clear of cars, dumpsters and material.
• Tell the operator about septic tanks, irrigation lines and soft fill. Outrigger pads put a lot of weight on a small patch of ground.
• Look up. Power lines along a back lot line are the most common reason a setup moves.
• Have the load ready to hook: trusses banded and staged, units unboxed and rigging points clear.