Crane services
Using a crane to lift sections of a large tree out safely, usually over a house or other building.
What it is
A crane holds each section of the tree before it's cut, then lifts it over the house and lowers it to the ground or a truck. Nothing is dropped, so there's far less risk to the roof, wires and landscaping.
Most tree companies rent the crane with an operator for the job. It's usually used for very large trees, dead or hollow trees that are unsafe to climb, and trees with no safe place to lower wood.
Signs you might need it
- A large tree leans over your house, garage or pool
- The tree is dead or hollow and a climber can't safely tie into it
- There's no room in the yard to lower heavy sections
- A tree has fallen on a building and has to be lifted off
Good to know
Crane work is part of a large tree removal, not a separate service most homeowners book on its own. Ask whether climbing and rigging or a bucket truck would be safe instead.
Typical cost in Ontario
Crane time is normally billed by the hour with a 4–8 hour minimum, plus a travel fee, and bundled into the removal price. Few Ontario companies publish crane rates, so this range leans on US pricing and should be treated as a rough guide.
What pushes the price up or down
- Crane size needed: the tree's height and weight, and how far the boom reaches over the house
- Room to set up the crane (driveway, street or soft lawn); a street may need a city road permit
- Hours on site: minimum billing makes short jobs relatively expensive
- Distance from the crane yard
- Hazards: tree over the roof, dead or hollow wood, power lines
Ways to spend less
- If several large trees need to come down, do them on the same crane day
- Ask for the crane charge and the removal labour listed separately so you can compare quotes
- For a tree over a building, a crane can shorten the job enough to lower the total cost
Based mostly on US crane pricing; Ontario crane rates aren't published. Prices are typical ranges gathered from published Ontario price guides and company price pages in September 2026, before 13% HST. They’re a guide, not a quote: your price depends on your tree and your property. Get two or three written quotes, and check whether your city charges a permit fee.
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Related specializations
Sources for the prices on this page
- Tree Removal Crane Cost: Rent or Buy? (2026 Guide) - ArboStar (US prices, in US dollars)
- The Cost of Crane Rental - JL Tree Service (US prices, in US dollars)
- Crane Tree Removal Cost: 2026 Prices - NeighborCutMyTree (US prices, in US dollars)