Craning a hot tub or shed into a Boise backyard
When a hot tub or a shed cannot fit through the side gate, a boom truck lifts it over the house or the fence. In the Treasure Valley that usually means a 4-hour minimum, about $700 plus fuel.
How much does it cost to crane a hot tub into a backyard in Boise?
On a full posted rate sheet, a 17 or 23-ton boom truck is $175 an hour with a 4-hour minimum, so about $700, plus at least $50 for fuel. If the truck has to park in the street, add an ACHD temporary use permit, $30 a day on a local street.
- A 17 or 23-ton boom truck covers most hot tubs and small sheds if it can park close.
- Plan on the 4-hour minimum, $700 on the posted sheet, even for a 20-minute lift.
- Parking in an Ada County street needs an ACHD temporary use permit.
- Get the dry weight from the dealer and the exact spot for the pad before booking.
When a crane is the easy way
Tubs and sheds come off a truck at the curb. If the side yard is too narrow, the gate too small or there is a slope, a fence or a deck in the way, rolling it back on dollies stops working. A boom truck picks it off the delivery trailer, swings it over the house or the fence and sets it on the pad.
Sizing the lift
Two numbers decide the crane: the weight of the load and how far it travels from the truck. Get the dry weight from the dealer’s spec sheet. Then measure from where the truck can park to the center of the pad. A tub set 20 feet behind a single-story house is a small lift. The same tub set 60 feet back behind a two-story house is a long reach that may call for a larger crane.
| Job | Likely crane | Rough bill before fuel |
|---|---|---|
| Hot tub over a fence from the driveway | 23-ton boom truck, 4 hours | $700 |
| Old tub out, new tub in, same visit | 23-ton boom truck, 4 hours | $700 |
| Tub or shed over a two-story house | 40 to 60-ton crane, 4 hours | $700 |
| Saturday lift | 23-ton boom truck, 4 hours | $820 |
Rates are from the posted sheet. On that sheet, everything up to 60 tons bills the same hourly rate, so a bigger crane for a longer reach may not cost more per hour.
Parking on the street
In Boise, Meridian, Eagle and the rest of Ada County, the street and the sidewalk belong to the Ada County Highway District. If the crane sets up there, ACHD requires a temporary use permit. On a local residential street the fee is $30 a day, and working without the permit can cost $500. A crane in your own driveway needs no street permit.
Wires, ground and the HOA
- Power lines. OSHA keeps a crane at least 20 feet from lines up to 350 kV unless the utility de-energizes them. Overhead service drops to the house count. Point them out in the request.
- Ground. Lawns on flood or pressurized irrigation get soft. The crane needs firm footing, and OSHA puts that duty on whoever controls the site. Turn the water off a few days ahead.
- HOA rules. Some subdivisions limit work hours or street parking. Check before booking.
What the operator will ask
- The tub or shed model and its dry weight.
- Where the truck can park and how far it is to the pad.
- Photos of the path over the house or the fence.
- The delivery date, so the crane and the freight arrive together.
Quick answers
Can a crane lift a hot tub over a two-story house?
Usually, but the reach gets long. The crane has to clear the roof and set the tub well past it, so it may need a bigger machine. On the posted sheet, cranes up to 60 tons still bill $175 an hour.
Does the hot tub have to be empty?
Yes. Water adds thousands of pounds. Drain it fully for removal, and lift a new tub dry.
Can the same crane take out the old tub and set the new one?
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to do it. Both lifts fit inside one 4-hour minimum if the new tub is on site when the crane arrives.
Where each Boise figure comes from
Price this lift with a Treasure Valley operator
Start with what you know. Guesses are fine.
Keep reading
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Boise crane rates by the hourOne posted rate sheet from 17 to 130 tons, the 4 and 8-hour minimums, fuel charges, riggers and sample math.
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Taking down a Boise tree with a craneWhen a crane makes sense for a big Boise tree, what trunk sections weigh, who pays for street trees, the free city permit and the crane cost.
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Crane rental in Nampa and the west valleyA crane in Nampa, Idaho: city right-of-way permits and traffic control plans, the highway district outside town, the drive from Boise and posted rates.