Is a contract lift more expensive than crane hire?

The quoted figure is usually higher because it includes planning, supervision, lifting accessories and insurance for the operation. Once you cost in providing an Appointed Person, a supervisor, a slinger and the relevant insurance yourself, the difference is often smaller than it first appears.

Who is responsible if something goes wrong?

Under a contract lift, the crane company is responsible for the planning and execution of the lifting operation. Under CPA hire, that responsibility sits with the hirer.

Insights

Contract lift vs crane hire: what's the difference?

Almost every crane enquiry starts with the same confusion: do you need a contract lift or crane hire? The two look similar on a quotation and cost differently for a reason. The difference is not the crane — it is who is legally responsible for planning and supervising the lifting operation.

Crane hire (CPA hire)

Under a standard CPA hire, the crane company supplies the crane and the operator. That is where its responsibility ends. You, the hirer, become responsible for planning and supervising the lifting operation.

In practice that means you must provide a competent Appointed Person, produce the lift plan, method statement and risk assessment, supply the Lifting Operations Supervisor and Slinger/Signaller, assess the ground, and carry the insurance for the load and the operation.

CPA hire suits organisations that already hold that competence in-house — principal contractors with their own lifting team, for example. It is cheaper on paper because you are absorbing the planning and the risk.

Contract lifting

Under a contract lift, the crane company takes responsibility for the whole lifting operation. It surveys the site, appoints the Appointed Person, produces the lift plan, method statement and risk assessment, selects the crane and lifting accessories, supervises the lift and insures it.

You supply accurate information about the load and reasonable site access. Everything else sits with the crane company.

This is the arrangement Liftec provides: a single point of responsibility, without the requirement for you to hold lifting competence in-house.

How to choose

Ask one question: does your organisation have a qualified Appointed Person who will plan and supervise this lift, and insurance that covers the lifting operation and the load?

If the answer is no, a contract lift is the appropriate route. Taking CPA hire without that competence in place leaves you carrying a legal duty you are not resourced to discharge.

Frequently asked questions

Is a contract lift more expensive than crane hire?: The quoted figure is usually higher because it includes planning, supervision, lifting accessories and insurance for the operation. Once you cost in providing an Appointed Person, a supervisor, a slinger and the relevant insurance yourself, the difference is often smaller than it first appears.
Who is responsible if something goes wrong?: Under a contract lift, the crane company is responsible for the planning and execution of the lifting operation. Under CPA hire, that responsibility sits with the hirer.