Texas · 20 cities
Crane rental
Crane hire is the one category on this site we will not put a day rate on, and that is a statement about how the market works rather than caution. Cranes are quoted on the lift, not on the calendar.
Crane rental rates in Texas
These are the sizes suppliers carry. The basis they are quoted on is set out below.
| Size | Day | Week | 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-45 ton rough terrain | Quoted by hand | ||
| 50-75 ton rough terrain | Quoted by hand | ||
| 90-130 ton all terrain | Quoted by hand | ||
| 100-150 ton crawler | Quoted by hand | ||
| Tower crane | Quoted by hand | ||
Statewide Texas band. Rows marked as quoted by hand are billed on a basis a day rate would misrepresent.
Prices are estimates based on published Texas rental rates, not quotes. Your final price depends on availability, delivery distance and how long you keep the machine.
Rates last checked .
What will crane rental cost you?
Real Texas market rates by machine size and hire length. Change anything and the figure updates.
| Basis | Billed hourly against a 4-hour minimum |
| Hourly rate | $300–$700 per hour |
| Mobilization | $250–$900, each way |
| Typical 8-hour day | $2,650–$6,500 |
A crane quote in Houston depends on the lift plan, the radius and weight of the pick, site access and whether you need it operated. Send us those and we come back with a written figure from a local crane house.
Prices are estimates based on published Texas rental rates, not quotes. Your final price depends on availability, delivery distance and how long you keep the machine.
How to choose the right crane
Bare rental or operated and maintained
Bare rental means you supply a certified operator and carry the insurance; for larger machines it is often quoted by the month rather than the day. Operated and maintained includes the operator and usually an oiler, billed hourly against a minimum. In Texas the difference is also a tax difference: equipment supplied with an operator on a single charge is generally not taxed as a rental at all.
Mobilization is a real number, charged each way
Getting the crane to site and back is quoted separately and scales hard with size. A small rough terrain machine is a few hundred dollars each way. A 300 ton class crane arrives on multiple trailers and mobilization runs into five figures before it has lifted anything.
The quote needs the pick, not the crane
Weight, radius, hook height and what the machine can park on. Give us those and a crane house will tell you what it takes, which is frequently a different machine from the one people ask for.
Sizes and specifications
Rough terrain crane, 30-45 ton
- Capacity
- 40 US ton
- Power
- diesel
Rough terrain crane, 50-75 ton
- Capacity
- 65 US ton
- Power
- diesel
All terrain crane, 90-130 ton
- Capacity
- 110 US ton
- Power
- diesel
Crawler crane, 100-150 ton
- Capacity
- 110 US ton
- Power
- diesel
Tower crane
- Capacity
- 11 US ton
- Power
- electric
Training and compliance
Crane rental by city
We arrange crane rental across the twenty largest cities in Texas. Each city page carries local rates, ground conditions and the permitting reality for that metro.
- Houston crane rental
- Austin crane rental
- Dallas crane rental
- San Antonio crane rental
- El Paso crane rental
- Fort Worth crane rental
- Lubbock crane rental
- Corpus Christi crane rental
- Irving crane rental
- Garland crane rental
- Amarillo crane rental
- Denton crane rental
- Laredo crane rental
- McKinney crane rental
- Frisco crane rental
- Arlington crane rental
- Plano crane rental
- Brownsville crane rental
- Killeen crane rental
- Grand Prairie crane rental
Other equipment
- Forklift rental · Warehouse cushion-tire, outdoor pneumatic and rough-terrain forklifts from 5,000 lb up.
- Boom lift rental · Articulating and telescopic booms from 30 ft to 185 ft, electric and diesel.
- Scissor lift rental · Electric slab scissors for finished floors and rough-terrain scissors for open ground.
- Telehandler rental · Reach forklifts from 5,000 lb to 15,000 lb, with 19 ft to 56 ft of lift height.
- Bucket truck rental · Road-legal insulated and non-insulated aerial devices from 35 ft to 75 ft.
- Man lift rental · One-person push-around and personnel lifts from 12 ft to 31 ft for indoor work.
Worth reading first
Frequently asked questions
What does crane rental cost in Texas?
- We quote this category by hand. Cranes are billed by the hour against a minimum, with mobilization charged separately each way, and larger machines are often bare-rented by the month. A day rate would misrepresent every one of those.
Is it cheaper to rent by the week?
- Substantially. Across Texas listings a week costs about two and a half day rates and four weeks about five, so the effective cost per day roughly halves on a weekly hire. If the job is five days or more, ask for the weekly rate rather than five daily ones, and most suppliers will apply it automatically, but not all of them.
What does the rate not include?
- Delivery and collection, fuel, the transport surcharge most suppliers index to the diesel price, the rental protection plan at around 15% unless you supply a compliant certificate of insurance, and tax. Our estimator adds delivery, protection and tax so you can see the real number rather than the headline one.
How is crane rental taxed in Texas?
- Texas charges 8.25% sales tax on bare rental in every city we cover. Texas adds a 1.5% TERP surcharge on top of sales tax when off-road diesel equipment is rated 50 horsepower or more. Many machines in this class sit just under the threshold, so the supplier confirms which rate applies to the specific unit on the written quote.
Do I need a certified operator?
- Crane operators working in construction must be certified by an accredited body, and since the 2018 rule the employer also has to evaluate the operator for the specific equipment and work. Rigging and signal personnel have their own qualification requirements.
Get a price on crane rental
Tell us the size, the dates and the site. We come back with a written quote within one business day, naming the supplier.
This is a request, not a booking. We confirm availability and final pricing with a local supplier before anything is committed.