Mobile Crane Hire

Mobile crane hire in London covers a wider range of applications than almost any other construction plant category. London Crane Hire has operated mobile cranes across Greater London since 2008, supplying all-terrain, rough-terrain, city crane and telescopic crawler units for construction sites, industrial facilities, utilities infrastructure and specialist lifting contracts. Our fleet ranges from 8-tonne compact city cranes to 500-tonne heavy-lift mobile cranes, covering the full spectrum of commercial and industrial lifting requirements in the capital.

Every mobile crane lift we carry out is supported by a LOLER-compliant lifting plan, a method statement agreed with the client, and a CPCS-certified operator who performs a pre-use inspection before every shift. This page covers the crane types we operate, their typical applications in London, how to calculate the crane specification you need, and the process for booking.

Mobile Crane Types We Operate

All-Terrain Mobile Cranes

All-terrain cranes are the most versatile category in our fleet. With multi-axle carriers capable of both on-road travel at motorway speeds and rough ground operation off-road, these machines move freely across London's road network and can access the vast majority of construction sites without specialist transport. Our all-terrain fleet covers 35 tonnes to 500 tonnes capacity.

The larger all-terrain units require outrigger spread of up to 12 metres by 12 metres at maximum radius, which must be factored into site planning. On tight urban sites this can mean booking a road closure permit through TfL or the relevant London borough. Our team handles this coordination as part of the booking process, liaising with local authority traffic management teams on your behalf.

City Cranes

City cranes are designed specifically for the constraints of urban construction. With a compact chassis, near-vertical jib configuration and reduced outrigger footprint, these units fit into sites that would be inaccessible to a conventional all-terrain machine. Our city crane fleet covers 8 to 40 tonnes, making them particularly well-suited to house refurbishment, HVAC and plant replacement on commercial buildings, and materials handling in restricted London yards.

The reduced slewing radius of city crane configurations also matters in dense urban environments. Where a conventional crane's counterweight would swing over an adjacent property or pavement, a city crane can operate in a much tighter arc, often eliminating the need for airspace licences or neighbour agreements.

Rough-Terrain Cranes

Rough-terrain cranes are purpose-built for off-road operation, with single-engine four-wheel-drive carriers that prioritise stability on uneven ground over on-road speed. They are the correct choice for sites where the crane needs to travel and operate over broken ground, soft fill or steep gradients. Capacities in our rough-terrain fleet range from 10 to 50 tonnes.

Telescopic Crawler Cranes

Crawler cranes travel on steel or rubber tracks rather than wheeled carriers, distributing their weight over a much larger contact area. This makes them the correct choice for sites with poor ground-bearing capacity, soft ground or significant water table concerns. Our telescopic crawler range covers 35 to 300 tonnes. Crawler cranes travel at very low speeds and usually require an escort vehicle for road moves between sites.

Applications in London

Construction and Residential Development

Mobile cranes are a core part of most London construction programmes. Typical applications include structural steel erection, precast concrete panel installation, plant and rooftop equipment lifts, cladding system installation and facade replacement. In dense residential developments where a tower crane is not economical, a series of planned mobile crane visits is often the most cost-effective approach to the lifting programme.

Industrial and Plant Lifting

Industrial plant replacement is one of the most technically demanding lifting applications. Plant items such as transformers, switchgear, boilers and cooling towers are often heavy, awkward in shape, and located in positions that require precision placement within tight clearances. Our operators are experienced in industrial plant lifts and work closely with the client's engineering team to plan the lift sequence before arriving on site.

Infrastructure and Utilities

London's ongoing investment in utilities infrastructure creates significant crane hire demand. Bridge beam installation, culvert placement, sewage plant maintenance and cable installation all regularly require mobile crane support. Infrastructure lifts frequently involve working adjacent to live roads or railways, which requires specific risk assessment, site inductions and coordination with the infrastructure owner. Our team has experience working under Network Rail, TfL and Thames Water safety management systems.

Calculating the Crane Specification You Need

Three variables determine the minimum crane capacity for any given lift: the load weight, the load radius and the required lift height. These three factors combine to produce a percentage of the crane's rated capacity at that radius and height, which is read from the crane's rated capacity chart.

Load Weight

The load weight must include the item being lifted plus all lifting accessories: slings, shackles, spreader beams and any rigging hardware. Accessories typically add 5 to 15 per cent to the bare load weight. Never estimate the load weight from visual inspection alone; use the manufacturer's data sheet or a calibrated load cell to confirm it before the lift.

Load Radius and Lift Height

Load radius is the horizontal distance from the crane's slew centre to the load's centre of gravity at the point of pick and at the point of set. As radius increases, the crane's safe working load (SWL) at that radius falls significantly. A crane rated at 100 tonnes at 3 metres radius might only lift 12 tonnes at 20 metres. Understanding the relationship between radius, height and SWL is fundamental to correct crane selection.

Ground Conditions and Outrigger Spread

London's subsurface is highly varied, from the solid clay of North London to the gravel terraces along the Thames and the made ground that covers much of East London. Ground conditions directly affect the ground-bearing capacity under the crane's outrigger pads, which must be established by ground investigation or at minimum by reference to the site's existing geotechnical data. Our engineers assess ground conditions as part of every free site survey.

Booking Process

The process for booking a mobile crane starts with a free site survey, during which one of our lifting engineers visits the site, reviews the lift requirement, assesses access and ground conditions, and recommends the most appropriate crane type and configuration. We then produce a written quotation including crane hire rate, operator costs, delivery and collection, and any associated logistics costs such as road closure permits.

Once the quote is accepted, our team produces the formal lifting plan and method statement. These documents are reviewed with the client before the lift date, and any changes to the operation must be reflected in a revised lifting plan before the lift proceeds.

Contact our team to speak to one of our lifting engineers, or request a free site survey online.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know what size mobile crane I need?

You need to know the load weight, maximum lift radius and required lift height to select the right crane. Our engineers carry out a free site survey and produce a crane specification based on the actual lift requirements. Never size a crane without checking the rated capacity chart at the actual working radius. The capacity at radius is always less than the headline lift capacity.

Do you handle road closures for London crane operations?

Yes. Our team liaises with TfL and local borough traffic management departments to arrange road space bookings, Section 50 licences and temporary traffic management where required. Road closure bookings typically require 6 to 8 weeks' notice in Central London. We recommend beginning this process as early as possible to avoid programme delays.

Can you mobilise a mobile crane at short notice?

Same-day mobilisation is possible for stock units where the site survey has already been completed and a lifting plan exists. For new enquiries, we can usually carry out a site survey within 24 to 48 hours. For lifts requiring road closures, advance planning time is determined by the local authority's booking r-8f5b73 times, which range from 5 working days for minor closures to several weeks for major operations in Central London.