Lift Planning and Engineering Services
High-quality project planning services
Every heavy lift starts on paper. Our team studies your project before a crane ever leaves the yard, sizing the right machine for the load, the ground, and the site conditions, then building the documentation that keeps your project on schedule and your crew protected. Take advantage of our one-call planning service: we can supply lift planning, engineering support, and site supervision for your entire project, from a single crane pick to a multi-day industrial move. Contact us today to talk through your lift.
What is a crane lift plan?
A crane lift plan is the written document that governs how a specific lift will happen safely. It covers the load’s weight and dimensions, the crane and rigging selected for the job, the ground conditions at the pick and set points, wind and weather limits, and the sequence of steps the crew follows from setup to teardown. Routine lifts can often run on a standard plan. Once a lift exceeds a set percentage of the crane’s rated capacity, calls for more than one crane, or moves a load over occupied space or live infrastructure, it becomes a critical lift that needs a fully engineered plan and a pre-job briefing with every person involved.
Let's connect about your upcoming project
Request a QuoteSNAP SHOT
Dependable!
We strive to safely finish each project on time, every time.
Certified Operators
Our operators have thousands of hours of experience and expertise to help support your next project.
Safety first!
Our organization puts safety first and is committed to providing an Injury & Incident-Free® workplace.
Committment to Safey.
Technical Service Benefits
With over three decades of experience planning some of BC’s biggest lifts, you can rely on our practical knowledge and established relationships within the lifting industry. Our team also brings a tradition of safety and outstanding customer service to every project we plan. Pre-planning reduces your risk and improves the project’s effectiveness, and it costs far less to catch a clearance problem or a soft patch of ground on paper than it does to catch it with a crane already on site.
Lift Planning & Engineering
Plan the work and work the plan. Our team studies each project, sizes the correct crane for the load and the site, then produces detailed and accurate critical lift plans, below-the-hook rigging diagrams, and other project-specific documents your site team and general contractor can rely on. That includes the load calculations, structural analysis, and ground bearing and wind speed assessments that turn a rough idea of “we need a crane here” into a plan a superintendent can build a schedule around.
Ground bearing pressure is one of the details we run down on every plan. It is the load the crane and its outriggers put on the ground, expressed as force over area, and if it exceeds what the ground can carry, the crane can settle, shift, or worse once it is fully loaded. We look at soil conditions, outrigger configuration, and mat or pad requirements before the crane arrives, so the ground under your lift is never a surprise on lift day.
Precision & Accuracy
These plans are built with precision and accuracy, with a mission to give you and our field personnel confidence that we have planned for the safest and most efficient option available. We also offer the option for professional engineer review and stamp of approval upon request, for the projects where your contract or jurisdiction calls for a stamped plan.
Planning Process
Our team provides complete planning for your next project, start to finish. Lift plans, permits, and traffic management can all be prepared in advance, so you can focus on what you do best. Here is how a plan comes together, from the first site walk to the finished, stamped document:
- Project overview with customers and contractors: We start by understanding your project, your timeline, and the constraints your site or contract puts on the lift.
- Site walk and measurement verification: Our crew walks the site, verifies clearances and access, and confirms the details a plan drawn from a drawing alone can miss.
- Ground bearing pressure study: We assess soil and surface conditions at the pick and set points and confirm what matting or pads the ground will need.
- Maximum allowable wind speed study: We set the wind limits the lift has to operate within, based on the load, the crane configuration, and the site.
- Detailed rigging diagrams and critical lift plans: We draw the below-the-hook rigging, the crane position and swing radius, and the full lift sequence.
- Engineer review and stamp, available upon request: For projects that call for it, a professional engineer reviews and stamps the plan before work proceeds.
- Permits and traffic control: We acquire the city and road permits your lift needs and arrange traffic control for the jobsite.
- Storage, freight, and rigging services: We handle the movement of materials and units to location, along with the rigging services the lift requires.
- Dispatch and execution: With the plan approved, our certified operators and BC Crane Safe credentialed crew lift to the plan, backed by 24-hour on-call dispatch and access to one of Western Canada’s most diversified crane fleets through the TNT network.
Our COR certified team stands behind every plan we produce. That certification, paired with certified operators, many holding Red Seal credentials, and BC Crane Safe standing across our crews, is what lets a client hand us a complex lift and trust that the plan on paper is the plan that gets executed on site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an engineered lift plan for my project?
It depends on how the lift is classified. A straightforward pick with plenty of clearance and a crane well within its rated capacity can usually run on a standard plan. Once you are looking at a heavier load, tandem crane work, a lift over occupied space or live infrastructure, or a contract that specifically requires it, you need a fully engineered plan with a professional engineer’s review. If you are not sure which side of that line your project falls on, tell us the load and the site and we will tell you what the plan needs to include.
What is ground bearing pressure, and why does it matter?
Ground bearing pressure is the pressure a crane’s weight, load, and outriggers place on the ground beneath them. If the ground cannot support that pressure, the crane can settle or shift mid-lift. We calculate it for every plan and specify the mats or pads needed so the ground is a known quantity before the crane sets up, not a variable on lift day.
How far in advance should I book a lift plan?
The more complex the lift, the more lead time the plan needs, particularly if permits, traffic control, or an engineer’s stamp are involved. Reach out as soon as you have a rough scope so we can start the site review and build the schedule around your project timeline.
Do you provide the crane and crew along with the plan?
Yes. Lift planning is part of our one-call service, so the same team that plans your lift can supply the crane, the certified operator, and the rigging crew to execute it.
Can you review a lift plan we already have?
Yes. If you have an existing plan from another provider or an in-house team, we can review it, confirm the ground bearing and wind speed assumptions, and provide an engineer’s stamp where one is needed.
What information do you need to start a lift plan?
Give us the load weight and dimensions, the site address, and any known access constraints or overhead hazards. From there we schedule a site walk and take the measurements a solid plan depends on.
Do you handle permits and traffic control as part of the plan?
Yes. Acquiring city and road permits and arranging traffic control for the jobsite are both part of our planning process, so your site team is not chasing paperwork separately from the lift itself.