ADU crane services

Crane service for accessory dwelling units (ADUs)

Prefab and modular accessory dwelling units, backyard cottages and tiny homes are set by crane, often over a house or fence onto a tight lot.

Lifts we take on include:

• Setting prefab and modular ADUs
• Setting tiny homes and backyard units
• Lifting over houses and fences
• Setting trusses and building materials

Backyard ADU and tiny home crane sets

Most prefab backyard units are built off site and arrive on a trailer, ready to set. The catch is getting them into the backyard. Since a truck usually cannot reach the yard, the crane sets up in the street or driveway and lifts the unit over the house, garage or fence to the foundation in back. The distance from the crane to that spot, not just the unit's weight, decides the crane.

The foundation, whether piers, blocks or a slab, needs to be finished and checked before set day, with utility stubs in the right place. The unit is rigged to the lifting points the builder provides, usually through a spreader bar, flown slowly over the obstacle and lowered onto the foundation while the builder's crew guides it in. Panelized ADUs and site-built cottages also use the crane for trusses and wall panels.

1. Measure from the crane spot to the foundation and note obstacles.
2. Line up any street permit and let the neighbors know the date.
3. Set up on mats in the street or driveway, cones out.
4. Hook the spreader bar to the unit's lifting points and test the pick.
5. Lift over the house or fence and lower it onto the foundation.
6. Builder anchors the unit, then the crane breaks down and clears the street.

Crane and operator for accessory dwelling units (ADUs)

Every job goes out with the right crane for the lift, an NCCCO-certified operator and a rigger.

ADU sets come down to reach and access, so have these ready before you call dispatch.

• Unit weight, size and lifting point locations
• Distance from the street to the foundation
• Height of the house, garage or fence to clear
• Power and service lines near the lot
• Foundation finished and utility stubs in place
• Delivery date for the unit

Rigging plans and safety plans for accessory dwelling units (ADUs)

Residential streets mean overhead power lines, service drops, trees, parked cars and neighbors walking by. OSHA's crane rules set minimum clearances from power lines by voltage, and the plan keeps the boom, load line and unit well outside them. Our rigging plans work out crane position and radius for the unit, and the safety plan handles the street, cones and landing zone.

Ground is the other concern. Outriggers put concentrated loads on the pavement, so the plan checks for curbs, water meters, storm drains and anything buried under the setup spot, and it uses mats to spread the load. Residential driveways are often too thin to carry outriggers without them. In the yard, septic tanks, sprinkler lines and soft lawn matter if anything has to drive in.

Book a crane

Call dispatch or send a lift request. Tell us the load, the location and the date.