Craning a rooftop unit in Spartanburg
Most rooftop swaps around Spartanburg take a 40 or 55-ton crane for a morning. What moves the price is where the crane can park, how far the boom has to reach and whether the street has to close.
How much is a crane to swap a rooftop unit in Spartanburg?
On one printed sheet, a 40-ton crane runs $211 an hour and a 55-ton runs $242, each with a 4-hour floor, so a typical rooftop swap lands between about $844 and $1,210. If the crane sits in a city street, add the Temporary Street Closure and/or Encroachment Application, a $10,000 surety bond and your own traffic control.
- The distance from the crane to the roof curb decides the machine, more than the weight alone.
- A crane in a Spartanburg street needs the city closure application, $1,000,000 in liability coverage and a $10,000 surety bond.
- Many downtown streets are state roads, which also need an SCDOT encroachment permit.
- Keep the boom at least 10 feet from lines up to 50 kV.
Curb distance, not weight, picks the crane
The unit’s weight matters, but its distance from the crane matters more. A crane loses lifting capacity quickly as the boom extends, so the operator works from the roof curb back to the closest spot where the outriggers can go down.
- One-story roof, crane at the wall. A condenser or a small packaged unit on a house or a single-story shop: a 40-ton crane is usually plenty.
- Middle of a flat roof. A unit 40 to 70 feet in from the edge on a school, church or strip center along East Main Street or Reidville Road: the 55-ton or the long-boom 55-ton.
- Downtown blocks. Older two and three-story buildings around Morgan Square sit tight to the sidewalk, so the crane often ends up in the street.
Send the unit model, where the curb sits on the roof and a photo of where the crane could park.
When the crane goes in the street
On a private lot, the crane sets up and lifts. Once it parks in a city street or on a sidewalk, Spartanburg wants paperwork first:
- The application. The city’s Temporary Street Closure and/or Encroachment Application lists crane work as a purpose. The minimum fee is $75.
- Insurance and bond. $1,000,000 in liability coverage with the City as certificate holder, a $10,000 surety bond and a signed hold harmless agreement.
- Traffic control. The applicant handles all of it, under a plan approved by the city Traffic Services Manager.
- State roads. If the location is on an SCDOT road, a copy of the SCDOT permit goes in too. SCDOT takes those through its online EPPS Next system and charges no fee.
Wires, airports and summer heat
Federal rules keep the crane, the load and the rigging at least 10 feet from lines up to 50 kV, and farther from higher voltages. Older Spartanburg neighborhoods have service drops running across back yards, so point them out before lift day.
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport is about 3 miles southwest of Morgan Square. A tall boom on that side of town can need FAA notice before it goes up.
Summer is when units fail. A 7 a.m. start gets the lift done before the roof heats up and before the afternoon storms that roll across the Upstate.
Typical rooftop bills
| Job | Crane | Rough bill |
|---|---|---|
| Condenser on a low roof | 40-ton, 4 hours | $844 |
| Packaged unit on a strip center | 55-ton, 5 hours | $1,210 |
| Deep unit with a long reach | Long-boom 55-ton, 6 hours | $1,578 |
These come from the printed rates. Riggers, mats and street paperwork are extra.
More questions
Who fills out the city closure application?
Usually the mechanical contractor or the crane company, since the applicant needs a current City of Spartanburg business license and has to carry the insurance and bond. The traffic control plan must be approved by the city Traffic Services Manager.
Can the crane set up in a parking lot instead?
Often, and it avoids the street paperwork. The operator needs room for the outriggers, firm pavement and a clear swing path to the roof. Ask the property owner before blocking spaces.
What is the best time of year for a rooftop swap?
Spring and fall, before the summer rush on failed units. In July and August, an early start keeps the crew off a hot roof in the afternoon and leaves time for thunderstorms to pass.
Where the Spartanburg facts come from
- City of Spartanburg, Temporary Street Closure and/or Encroachment Application
- SCDOT, encroachment permits
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1408, power line safety
- Lift Techs Crane & Rigging, "Who We Are" rate list
Have a Spartanburg operator price this lift
Best guesses are fine.
Related guides
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What Spartanburg crane hours costA posted sheet for 40 and 55-ton cranes plus spider lifts, the 4-hour floor and what the hourly figure leaves out.
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Getting a storm tree off a Spartanburg roofA crane for a tree on a Spartanburg house: why it beats climbing, the city tree permit, Helene lessons, wires and a printed crane rate.
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Crane work in Greer, Duncan and LymanA crane in Greer, Duncan, Lyman or Wellford: two counties, four road owners, Greer CPW power, the Inland Port traffic, GSP and printed hourly crane rates.