When your project depends on precision lifting, you need a crane hire company with the qualifications, fleet and operational experience to get it right. London Crane Hire has been delivering professional crane hire services across Greater London since 2008, working with principal contractors, facilities managers, plant hirers and site managers on projects ranging from residential developments to major infrastructure schemes.
Our fleet includes mobile cranes from 8 tonnes to 500 tonnes, self-erecting tower cranes for long-term construction programmes, and compact spider cranes for tight-access urban sites. Every lift is planned and supervised by our in-house team, with full LOLER compliance documentation, method statements and lifting plans produced for every operation.
Our Crane Hire Services
We cover the complete range of crane types and lifting support services. Whether you need a mobile crane on site for a single day or a tower crane installed for a two-year development, our team manages the entire process from initial enquiry through to final lift and de-rig.
Mobile Crane Hire
Our mobile crane fleet covers all-terrain, rough-terrain, city cranes and telescopic crawler units. Capacities range from 8 tonnes for urban access work up to 500 tonnes for heavy industrial and infrastructure lifts. Same-day mobilisation is available across Greater London for urgent requirements. Our CPCS-certified operators are experienced in London's complex site conditions, including restricted outrigger spread, proximity to underground infrastructure and low headroom environments.
See our mobile crane hire page for full details on tonnage ranges, applications and booking process.
Tower Crane Hire
Tower crane hire is our core offering for high-rise residential and commercial construction programmes. We supply self-erecting, flat-top and luffing jib tower cranes for projects requiring extended coverage and long-term lifting capacity. Our planning team handles all logistics including erection programmes, tie-back engineering and coordination with structural engineers. Tower cranes from 6 tonne-metres to 300 tonne-metres are available from stock.
More information is on our tower crane hire page.
Mini Crane Hire
Mini crane and spider crane hire fills the gap where conventional machines cannot access. Our compact fleet reaches basement plant rooms, roof terraces, narrow alleyways and internal building spaces. Remote-controlled operation and rubber pad outriggers mean these machines work in environments where a traditional crane would cause damage or simply could not fit. Capacities up to 6 tonnes on compact 750mm-wide units are available.
Read more on our mini crane hire page.
Contract Lifts
A contract lift transfers full responsibility for the lifting operation to our team. We act as the appointed person under LOLER 1998, produce all method statements and lifting plans, provide the crane and operator, supply all lifting accessories and supervise the entire operation. Contract lifts are the correct choice when the client does not have a competent appointed person in-house or when the lift requires specialist planning expertise.
Details are on our contract lift page.
Crane Hire with Operator
For clients who have their own appointed person and lifting plan, we supply crane hire with CPCS-certified operator at competitive daily rates. All our operators hold current CPCS cards in the relevant category, carry out daily machine pre-use checks and work strictly to the agreed method statement and lift plan. Slinger/signallers and banksmen can also be supplied.
See the crane hire with operator page for operator categories and rates.
Why Choose London Crane Hire?
We have been working on London construction sites since 2008. In that time we have built an operation that understands the particular demands of urban crane work: complex ground conditions, live road closures, congestion charge zones, planning restrictions on working hours and the constant requirement to co-ordinate with TfL, local authorities and neighbouring occupiers.
Our CPCS-certified operators, full LOLER compliance and comprehensive insurance coverage give principal contractors the assurance they need when appointing a crane hire company. We carry full public liability insurance, employers' liability and plant all-risks cover, and all work is documented to support your health and safety file.
Contact our team, or request a free site survey online and we will visit your site within 48 hours.
Areas We Cover
We operate across all 33 London boroughs, from the City of London and Canary Wharf to outer London boroughs including Bromley, Barnet and Hillingdon. We also cover sites within the M25 in Surrey, Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire. For projects outside these areas, contact us to discuss availability.
See the full list of locations on our areas covered page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What types of crane do you hire?
We hire mobile cranes (all-terrain, rough-terrain, city crane and crawler), tower cranes (self-erecting, flat-top and luffing jib) and mini cranes (spider cranes and compact crawlers). Our fleet covers 8 tonnes to 500 tonnes for mobile cranes and 6 to 300 tonne-metres for tower cranes. If you are unsure which crane type is right for your job, contact our team and one of our engineers will advise.
Q. Do you provide an appointed person for the lift?
Yes. On all contract lifts we provide a qualified appointed person who takes statutory responsibility for the lifting operation under LOLER 1998. The appointed person produces the lifting plan, supervises the operation and signs off all documentation. For crane-only or crane-with-operator hire, the client is responsible for providing their own appointed person unless they book a contract lift.
Q. How quickly can you mobilise a crane in London?
Same-day mobilisation is available for mobile cranes where stock is available and the site can be accessed. For planned lifts, we recommend booking at least 48 hours in advance to allow time to review the lifting plan and confirm logistics. Tower crane erection programmes are typically planned weeks in advance due to the complexity of the installation process.
Q. Are your operators CPCS certified?
Yes. All our crane operators hold current CPCS (Construction Plant Competence Scheme) cards in the relevant category for the machine type they are operating. CPCS is the industry-recognised certification for plant operators in the UK construction sector. Category cards relevant to our fleet include A60 (mobile crane) and A04 (tower crane). We can provide copies of operator cards on request.
Need Crane Hire Services in London?
Don't let small problems become expensive disasters. Contact us today for a fast, free quote or call our Responsive support for urgent lift enquiries emergency line.