Free tool
Free Crane Lift Planner
Use our free crane lift planner to place the crane, the pick point and the set-down point on a site plan, mark power lines, buildings and public areas, and see which crane can make the lift. Print the plan or send it to us for a quote.
Free · No sign-up · Real load charts · Printable plan
How the Crane Lift Planner Works
Four quick steps from a blank site to a plan you can print, share or send to us.
1
Place the crane and the lift
Drag the crane, the pick point and the set-down point onto your site. Enter the load weight, then drag or type the radius to each point.
2
Mark what is around you
Add buildings, power lines, public areas, soft ground and no-go areas. The planner checks the boom sweep and the load path against each one.
3
Get a crane recommendation
Pick and set-down radii are checked against real load charts. You get the lowest-cost crane with spare capacity, plus a budget price.
4
Print it or send it to us
Print a one-page site plan, copy a link that reopens it, or send the plan straight into the quote form below.
What to Include in a Crane Lift Plan
A good crane lift plan answers six questions before the crane arrives. The crane lift planner covers most of them on one page, so you can print it for your site team or send it to us with your quote request.
The load
What is being lifted, its weight and size, and where the lifting points are. Add slings, shackles and the hook block to the weight.
Crane position
Where the crane will set up, how it gets onto site and how much room it needs for outriggers or to travel with the load.
Pick and set-down radius
The radius at the pick point and at the set-down point. The crane must have enough capacity at both, so check the larger radius.
Hazards around the lift
Power lines, buildings, trees and public areas under the boom or load path. Work near overhead lines may need an electrical spotter.
Ground and outrigger support
Soft ground, pits, slabs, slopes and underground services under the crane. Outriggers may need mats to spread the load.
People and permits
Who slings and directs the load (dogman and riggers), whether you need traffic management, and any council or road permits.
Who Uses the Crane Lift Planner?
Builders, site managers, HVAC and solar installers, shed builders, pool companies and homeowners use the lift planner to check a lift before they book a crane. It shows quickly whether a Franna, an all terrain crane or a compact crane can reach the set-down point, and roughly what it will cost. For a quick size check without a site plan, use our crane calculator.
Heavy lifts close to a crane's capacity, tandem lifts, lifts over public areas and lifts near live power lines usually need a full engineered lift plan prepared by a competent person. Our engineered lift planning team can prepare one for your job. Safe Work Australia's Guide to mobile cranes sets out what a safe crane lift needs.
A planning guide, not a lift study
The planner gives a quick visual check of whether a crane can reach and lift your load. It does not replace an engineered lift plan, a risk assessment or the judgement of a competent person on site. Ground bearing, outrigger loads, wind (check the crane weather forecast), the exact crane set-up and nearby services must all be confirmed before any lift. Contact us and we can help confirm the details.
Lift planner FAQs
Is the crane lift planner really free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no email needed, and you can use it as many times as you like. If you want a quote, one click sends your plan into the form on this page.
How does the planner choose a crane?
It reads each crane's load capacity from its load chart at the pick radius and at the set-down radius, then recommends the lowest-cost crane that can lift the load at both points with at least 10% spare capacity. If none has that margin, it still shows the lowest-cost crane that can make the lift.
How do I measure the radius?
Radius is the horizontal distance from the centre of the crane's slew ring to the centre of the load. For a Franna it is measured from the centre of the front wheel. When you drag the pick and set-down points on the plan the planner works out the radius for you, or you can type a distance in metres.
Do I include the weight of slings and the hook block?
Yes. Slings, shackles and the hook block count as part of the load, so enter their weight in the rigging box. The planner adds it to the load weight before checking the load chart.
Can it show power lines, buildings and public areas?
Yes. Add buildings, power lines, public areas, soft ground and no-go areas to the plan, and the planner flags any that the boom sweep or the load path crosses. It is a prompt to check, not a safe-distance calculation, so always follow your local regulations and contact the network operator before working near overhead lines.
Can I save, share or print my plan?
Yes. Use Share link to copy a web address that reopens your exact plan, or Print to get a one-page site plan with the lift details. Your plan is saved in the link itself, so there is no account to create.
Which cranes does it cover?
The load charts for the cranes in our hire fleet, including all terrain, crawler and Franna cranes, with the same hire rates as our crane calculator.
Request a quote for your lift
Tell us about the job and we will confirm the right crane, price and availability. If you have built a plan above, click Request a quote in the planner and your lift details will be added to the message box for you.