Crane rental cost in Gainesville
Most small crane jobs around Gainesville cost between $720 and $1,800. The minimum charge decides more of that than the hourly rate does.
Hourly rates from a public bid
| Machine | Per hour | Minimum billed |
|---|---|---|
| 28-ton boom truck | $180 - $220 | 4 to 8 hours |
| 40-ton boom truck | $195 - $255 | 4 to 8 hours |
| 60-ton boom truck | $265 - $310 | 4 to 8 hours |
| 120-ton crane | $375 - $430 | 4 to 8 hours |
| 150-ton crane | $480 - $530 | 4 to 8 hours |
Source: Tennessee Tech University crane and boom truck bid tabulation, the three closest of five bids. Two bidders added a counterweight haul ($1,000 or $2,000) on the big cranes, and one added a 7% fuel charge.
Rough out a Gainesville lift before you ask
Choose the job and the machine. The math uses the bid rates in the table above, with the minimum applied.
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Where these numbers come from
Florida crane companies rarely post prices. Public bids do. In November 2025 Tennessee Tech University asked five crane companies to price the same list of machines, and the sheet is public. The table above uses the three bids that were close to each other. Two others came in at $600 to $2,900 an hour, a sign they did not want the work.
Rates in North Central Florida sit in the same range, though each operator sets its own. Use these to sanity-check a quote, not to replace one.
The minimum is the real price on small jobs
Every bid set a minimum: 4 hours from two companies, 6 to 8 hours from the others. A pick that takes 40 minutes still bills the minimum. That is why one unit costs nearly as much as three, and why stacking jobs on one day saves money.
Ask whether travel to and from the yard counts toward the minimum. Some companies start the clock at the yard, some on site.
Same machine, different minimums
- $720A 28-ton boom truck at $180 an hour on a 4-hour minimum.
- $1,320The same truck at $220 an hour on a 6-hour minimum.
- $1,760At $220 an hour on an 8-hour minimum.
Your own job gets its own price from the operator.
Price my crane liftExtra charges to ask about
These show up on crane quotes in Gainesville and on the public bid sheet:
- Counterweight haul for big cranes. One bidder listed $1,000 for a 120-ton and $2,000 for a 150-ton.
- Fuel surcharge. One bid added 7% on top of the hourly rate.
- A rigger or signal person, billed by the hour on most sheets.
- Overtime after 8 hours or on weekends.
- Per diem when the crew stays overnight, which is rare inside Alachua County.
- A Gainesville right of way permit if the crane sits on a street (city ROW permitting).
What size crane your job needs
Weight and reach set the size. The operator reads a load chart that shows how much the crane can hold at each radius, and capacity drops fast as the boom reaches out (OSHA 1926.1417).
A rooftop unit on a single-story strip center often fits a 28-ton boom truck. Units on the 5 to 9 story apartment buildings going up near campus usually need a 60 to 150 ton crane, or a tower crane already on site. The rooftop HVAC guide and the boom truck guide go deeper on sizing.
Price questions
What is the minimum charge for a crane in Gainesville?
Usually 4 hours, sometimes 6 or 8. On the November 2025 public bid, a 28-ton boom truck minimum came to $720 at the low end and $1,760 at the high end.
Is a boom truck cheaper than a crane?
Yes, by a lot. A 28 to 40 ton boom truck bid at $180 to $255 an hour, while a 120-ton crane bid at $375 to $430 and often brought a counterweight charge.
Does the price include the operator?
On these rates, yes. Crane hire around Gainesville is almost always operated, so the hourly figure covers the machine and the person running it.