How Much Does a Crane Cost in Australia? A Complete Price Guide
Are you planning to invest in a crane for your construction site, mining operation, or industrial project in Australia and wondering what budget you should allocate? The price of a crane can vary significantly based on factors such as crane type (including mobile cranes, tower cranes, and overhead cranes), lifting capacity, working radius, age, and additional features. This comprehensive price guide provides a detailed breakdown of the key factors affecting costs, compares typical price ranges in the Australian market, and offers practical guidance on how to find the right crane to meet your operational needs and financial parameters—whether you're considering new, used, or rental options.
Crane costs in Australia vary widely, and understanding how pricing works can prevent expensive surprises on your project. Whether you are planning a one-day lift on a residential site or investing in a long-term fleet for civil works, it helps to know what drives prices, how hire rates are structured, and when buying may make more sense than renting.
Key factors that affect crane prices in Australia
Several technical and project-related elements influence how much you pay for a crane in Australia. Capacity and reach are major drivers: a compact 20 tonne pick-and-carry unit costs far less than a 300 tonne all-terrain crane capable of complex lifts. The type of job also matters; tight city sites, night works, or shutdowns may attract higher rates. Travel distance, mobilisation and demobilisation, permits, traffic control, rigging gear, and labour for operators and dogmen are often itemised separately and can add significantly to the final bill.
How to choose the right crane type for your application
Choosing the right crane type starts with understanding your load, radius, and site constraints rather than just looking at headline capacity. For short-radius lifts on constrained sites, a pick-and-carry crane or small mobile slewing crane may be sufficient. High-rise construction often calls for tower cranes, which are economical over many months but expensive to install and dismantle. Infrastructure work such as bridges and wind farms may require larger all-terrain or crawler cranes. Matching the crane to the task avoids over-specifying equipment and paying for capacity you never actually use.
Where to source cranes at competitive prices in Australia
In Australia, cranes can be sourced either through hire companies or by purchasing from dealers and manufacturers. For short or irregular projects, hiring from national and regional crane hire businesses is usually more cost effective, because maintenance, storage, and compliance are included in the rate. Larger contractors with continuous workloads sometimes invest in their own fleet, purchasing new cranes from original equipment manufacturers or quality used units from specialist dealers. Comparing offers from several local services in your area, and asking for itemised quotes, can reveal meaningful differences in included services and extras.
Long-term cost efficiency and investment protection
When assessing long-term cost efficiency, it is important to think beyond the daily or hourly rate and consider the crane’s total cost of ownership. For owners, this includes finance costs, insurance, scheduled maintenance, spare parts, fuel, and eventual resale value. For hirers, it includes downtime risk, change-out costs if the wrong crane is selected, and the value of reliable support if something goes wrong on site. Choosing reputable brands, working with established providers, and investing in operator training can improve safety outcomes and help protect your investment over the life of a project.
To give a sense of real-world pricing, the table below summarises indicative hire and purchase ranges for common crane options available in Australia. Actual figures vary by state or territory, project duration, and market conditions, but these examples illustrate the scale of investment involved and why careful planning of crane selection and utilisation is essential.
| Product/Service | Provider | Cost Estimation |
|---|---|---|
| 20-25 t pick-and-carry crane hire (hourly) | Boom Logistics (national) | Around AUD 150-220 per hour, plus mobilisation and travel charges |
| 55 t mobile all-terrain crane hire (hourly) | Max Crane & Equipment Hire (SA/NT) | Around AUD 220-350 per hour, depending on location and minimum hire period |
| Tower crane dry hire (monthly) | Liebherr Australia | Approximately AUD 15,000-30,000 per month, plus erection and dismantling costs |
| Used 20 t truck-mounted crane purchase | Crane Connection (NSW dealer) | Typically around AUD 200,000-350,000 depending on age and condition |
| New 100 t all-terrain crane purchase | Tadano Oceania or Liebherr Australia | Commonly in the range of AUD 1,500,000-2,500,000 depending on specification and options |
Prices, rates, or cost estimates mentioned in this article are based on the latest available information but may change over time. Independent research is advised before making financial decisions.
Crane costs in Australia are shaped by capacity, configuration, site conditions, and how long you need the equipment, but also by less visible factors such as mobilisation, labour, and compliance. By defining your lifting requirements accurately, comparing offers from reputable providers, and weighing hire versus purchase on a whole-of-life basis, you can manage risk and budget with greater confidence. Taking the time to understand these price drivers helps ensure that crane expenditure supports project safety, schedule, and quality outcomes rather than becoming an unexpected cost burden.
