Crane day is one day, and usually three to six hours of it from the truck arriving to the module sitting on its piers. The footings have been inspected and have cured, the crane has been sized for the weight and the reach at the site check, the route has been checked for overhead power and corners, and a load wider than 3.5 m has travelled with a pilot vehicle. The crane sets up on its outriggers, the truck backs in beside it or on the street, the module is slung, lifted, swung over whatever is in the way and set down on packers, then levelled and tied to the piers. Wind is the usual reason it moves. Two modules are two lifts, often in one day if the crane can reach both from one position.
The day before
- Footings inspected by the certifier and cured. Concrete needs its time; screw piles are ready sooner.
- Crane booked to the lift plan from the site check: weight, reach, where the outriggers stand, what it swings over.
- Road permit and traffic control arranged if the crane or the truck has to stand on the street.
- The transport permit and pilot for the load. In Queensland a load wider than 3.5 m or longer than 25 m travels with a pilot vehicle; most modules over 3.4 m wide need one.
- Overhead power checked. A lift near lines needs the network's clearance or a shutdown booked.
- Fences, gates, a tree branch, a letterbox: whatever is in the path is moved the day before, not the morning of.
The day
| Step | What happens | Usual time |
|---|---|---|
| Crane in | The crane arrives first, sets up on its outriggers on pads, and the rigger walks the lift | About an hour |
| Truck in | The module arrives with its pilot and backs to the crane. On a tight block a dolly or skid steer moves it through the gate instead | Half an hour |
| The lift | Slings on, test lift, swing, set down on packers on the piers | Half an hour to an hour per module |
| Level and tie down | The crew levels the module on the packers and bolts it to the piers to the engineer's tie-down design | An hour or two |
| Second module | Repeat, then close the join enough to be weathertight by nightfall | Another hour or two |
What moves it
Wind, first. A crane does not lift a sail in a gust, and the rigger calls it. Rain softens a paddock under a 20 tonne truck and under outriggers. A footing that has not cured. A permit that did not come through. A branch nobody cut. The site check is where all of these are found, which is why a good installer does it before quoting and why crane reach is the line that swings the install price most, up to about $20,000 between a crane beside the spot and one reaching over the house from a closed street. Piers, slope and the second truck has the money side.
After the module is down
The home is on the block but not a home yet. The plumber connects water, sewer and stormwater, the electrician runs the sub-main, the decks and stairs go on, and the certifier comes back for the final inspection. That is two to four weeks, then about a week for the certificate. From signing to keys runs the whole timeline.
See it for your block
- How installs work, with crane day in pictures
- Install cost calculator: crane reach
- Check your block: access and crane position
Questions people ask next
How long does it take to crane a modular home onto a block?
Usually three to six hours from the truck arriving to the module on its piers: an hour for the crane to set up, half an hour to an hour per lift, then an hour or two to level and tie down. Two modules are two lifts, often in one day.
What stops a crane day going ahead?
Wind most often, then rain on soft ground, a footing not yet cured, a missing road or transport permit, or something in the lift path. The site check before quoting is where these are found.
Does a modular home need a road permit on crane day?
The load does: in Queensland a load wider than 3.5 m or longer than 25 m travels with a pilot vehicle under a permit. A crane or truck standing on the street needs the council's road permit and traffic control, which is part of the delivery and crane cost.
- Queensland Government, sharing the road with oversize, pilot and escort vehicles, read 16 October 2026
- What is in an install, and crane day start to finish, from install builders across South East Queensland, read 16 October 2026
- Installer rates: delivery and crane, crane reach, read 16 October 2026
- QBCC, building approvals and certification (inspection stages, including footings), read 16 October 2026