How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Boom Lift?

21 Jun.,2022

Learn how much a boom lift costs to rent for your project. Boom lifts very useful pieces of construction equipment to have on-site.

 

Telescopic boom lifts for sale

How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Boom Lift?

If you’re wondering how much it costs to rent a boom lift, you’ve come to the right place.

This article will cover everything you need to know about renting a boom lift, including rates, training certifications, insurance, the different types of boom lifts, where to rent a boom lift, the pros of cons of buying vs. renting, and more!

Let’s get right into it so you can understand how much it costs to rent a boom lift.

Cost of Renting a Boom Lift

The cost of renting a boom lift is going to depend on a range of factors, including:

  • Size, make, model of the aerial lift
  • Length of time to be rented
  • Machine condition
  • Added insurance
  • Age of machine
  • Demand for the particular model
  • Transportation costs

All of these things will factor into the base price the rental company publishes. This is why one 30-foot boom may be slightly more or less than the other.

The newest and specialized machines with high demand will naturally be more expensive. In contrast, companies may offer a discount on long-term rentals or older machines where the demand is lower.

Although prices will vary, it’s helpful to know more or less how much money this rental will cost you to assist with budgeting and comparison pricing. With that in mind, here are the approximate values:

30-foot boom lift

  • Daily cost: $200
  • Weekly cost: $400
  • Monthly cost: $2000 or more

60-foot boom lift

  • Daily cost: $400
  • Weekly cost: $1000
  • Monthly cost: $2400 or more

120-foot boom lift

  • Daily cost: $1400
  • Weekly cost: $3500
  • Monthly cost: $9000 or more

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Of course, these values don’t take into consideration the model, make, and age of the boom lift you choose to rent. Prices will also depend on who you’re renting from, such as a large company versus a small, local supplier.

The location of the rental company plays a part too. For instance, renting a boom lift in New York will cost you more than it will in Los Angeles, but a small town may charge less as their overheads are less.

It’s also worth mentioning that you may be charged a delivery and pick-up fee for your boom lift rental if you’re unable to transport it yourself. Aerial lifts may be too large or awkward to be safely transported on the highway or require specialized equipment for transportation.

This fee will vary between companies, and some may offer this free of charge or incorporate it directly into the price but expect to pay around $150-$200 extra if you require both delivery and pick up.

Other Costs of Renting a Boom Lift

Aside from the price of renting the boom lift itself, there are additional costs related to operating a boom lift to consider and factor into the budget.

Here are three additional costs to be aware of.

Training and Safety Certifications

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all boom lift operators to complete a safety and training course. The cost of this course ranges from about $30 to $80 per employee and may need annual renewal.

If you or your employee(s) haven’t yet completed an OSHA-approved certification course or are out of date, this will be an extra expense.

The OSHA website provides information on how to operate an aerial lift safely. Even if you’re currently certified, it’s essential to review this information before handling any kind of boom lift, especially when operating a type of boom lift you’re unfamiliar with.

Power Source

Boom lifts can be powered by gas, diesel, electricity, or hybrid power, and some rental companies will include fuel or charge extra. The cost of fueling your boom lift and the length of time you’ll need to have it running are other factors to account for when calculating the total cost of a boom lift rental.

Downtime can influence which power source you choose. Any time the lift is rented and not used could be money wasted, and if a boom lift must be left running idle, then power sources like gas may be more expensive after the rental than hybrid or electric.

Equipment Rental Insurance

Often, when you rent a boom lift, the construction company or rental company you’re renting it from will take care of the period of insurance that you will use either by rolling it into the price.

Smaller companies with fewer machines may charge an added fee or give the option of different layers of insurance during the rental period.

Equipment rental insurance is crucial and should be recommended by the company you’re renting from. Coverage should include any kind of injury or accidental damage that may occur or issues that arise from general use.

If given a choice, the insurance company your business already uses may be able to provide adequate coverage. Not every rental company will allow you to use your insurance, but it can be a saving if they do.

Whether you use your own company or the boom lift rental company’s insurance provider, ensure that your policy covers damages to the equipment from the rental company location throughout the transportation to the job site.

Types of Boom Lifts

Boom lifts come in various sizes, each with its own unique capabilities suited to specific kinds of jobs. If it’s your first time renting a boom lift, it may not be entirely clear which type you’ll need, and choosing the wrong one could be costly.

Let’s go over some different kinds of boom lifts to help clarify this and to help you select the appropriate one.

Articulating Booms

These lifts are typically for medium-duty jobs such as repairs, maintenance, and cleaning in hard-to-reach areas. Thanks to its bendable arm attached to a turntable, this boom is ideal for getting to places that may otherwise be hard to access.

  • Example jobs: Exterior electrical work and general exterior building cleaning and maintenance.

Telescopic Booms

Unlike an articulating boom, a telescopic boom lift has a straight arm attached to a turntable. Like the articular boom, the telescopic boom is one of the most commonly used booms.

Although it isn’t ideal for hard-to-reach areas, the telescopic boom has a larger arm than an articulating boom, making it the ideal item for those sky-high jobs. The addition of extendable stabilizers allows for its use on uneven ground.

  • Example jobs: Landscaping such as trimming trees and specialized building repair work.

Trailer-mounted Booms

Trailer-mounted booms are lifts that can be transferred or towed to a worksite and are available to commercial and residential sites.

These booms offer good reach and mobility and are more lightweight than the other booms on the list. If you require an easily portable boom or are working at a place that can’t support the weight of a larger boom, this may be your best option, provided the site can accommodate the trailer.

  • Example jobs: Putting up decorations, inspecting building work, and roof repairs.

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You can easily get the best boom lift providers near you to compete for your business and send you their best deal. We’ve helped 1000’s of people just like you get boom lifts at the best price possible!

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Other Types of Aerial Lifts

Of course, boom lifts are not the only type of aerial lift. Here are two other kinds of aerial lifts that are available to rent.

Scissor Lifts

A scissor lift is an aerial lift typically used for indoor tasks like sign hanging or ceiling work. These lifts only reach as high as about 20-50 feet. One advantage of the scissor lift is that it is collapsible and can be stored easily.

Bucket Trucks

A bucket truck is a kind of aerial lift that mounts onto a utility truck. These lifts are typically used for telecommunications or electric utility work. Like the scissor lift, bucket trucks usually don’t have a lot of height capacity.

If you’re having trouble determining which lift suits your job best, it may be helpful to contact a local rental company and provide them with as many details as you can about the job. These companies are used to dealing with such questions daily and will point you in the right direction.

Later in the article, we’ll go over what details about your job you’ll need to provide to a prospective rental company to ensure that you’ll get the proper lift at the best price.

Renting vs. Buying a Boom Lift

You may be torn between renting or buying a boom lift, particularly if you’re going to need a boom lift for an extended period (one month or more, for instance).

Before getting into the various pros and cons of renting vs. buying a boom lift, let’s look at how much buying a boom lift will cost you.

Cost of Buying a Boom Lift

If you’re looking to buy a smaller boom lift (30-40 feet), you can expect to pay around $25,000 to $75,000. If you need a bigger boom lift, the price goes up considerably. For a large boom lift, you will pay around $100,000-$200,000.

With prices like these, renting a boom lift will be the best alternative for most people. That said, are there any circumstances where it would be better to buy a boom lift instead of renting?

This decision will depend greatly on your situation, the company’s future, and whether the rental will be a one-off.

Let’s examine the pros and cons of renting vs. buying a boom lift in greater detail.

Pros & Cons

Here are some pros of renting a boom lift vs. buying a boom lift.

  • Owning has hidden upkeep costs: Maintenance and upkeep costs fall on the owner of the boom lift, which means each rental will have been maintained and safety upkeep checks completed.
  • Renting gives variety: Most rental companies will allow for various booms and other aerial lifts, sometimes with continuous contracts. If the job needs a trailer-mounted boom for one day and a scissor lift the next, buying a piece of equipment could be too costly.
  • Owners pay for repairs: Repairs are usually always the responsibility of the owner except for circumstances where contracts dictate others. Renting means you won’t be responsible for unexpected malfunctions or breakdowns of the lift.
  • Renting means the newest equipment: As rental companies make their money providing the newest and best equipment, they can offer the correct and most modern tool to get the job done. It’s unrealistic for businesses to buy new equipment every year for their use.
  • Renting doesn’t incur asset depreciation: Equipment loses value over time, and technology is continually being refreshed. After some time, equipment becomes obsolete, and the owner has to find a way to sell it to recoup some of the costs.
  • Owning equipment means ensuring compliance: All rented equipment should meet ANSI imposed standards, something that requires time, effort, and money to upkeep. Owners are required to keep the equipment ANSI compliant, and renters do not.
  • Owning equipment means being responsible for storage and transport: Renters don’t have to pay for or find long-term storage for equipment usually included within the rental price.
  • Boom lifts are expensive to buy: Renting doesn’t require a significant initial investment

Here are some cons of renting a boom lift vs. buying a boom lift

  • Freedom of use: If you buy a boom lift, you’ll be able to use it whenever you want and for as long as you want without worries of contracts expiring or added costs relating to jobs running overtime.
  • Availability and wait times: Except for large cities, local boom lift rental options may have limited choices and could come with long wait times. Owning a boom lift would avoid having to wait until the stock was back in.

Compare Prices and Save

You can easily get the best boom lift providers near you to compete for your business and send you their best deal. We’ve helped 1000’s of people just like you get boom lifts at the best price possible!

Compare Prices

As you can see, for most people, renting a boom lift, especially for small projects or larger projects that require more than one piece of equipment for short periods, makes more sense than buying one.

Unless you need to use a boom lift frequently, renting will almost certainly be the more economical option.

The significant advantage of buying a boom lift is that you’ll be able to use it without notice wherever and whenever you require it. Companies that use the same style and type of boom lift repeatedly for the bulk of their work may benefit in only paying for it once.

Where Can I Rent a Boom Lift?

There are several places nationwide that offer boom lift rentals.

Large, national companies such as CAT, Hertz, Sunbelt, and United are reliable options with good reputations and locations across the country. Also, The Blue Book allows you to search online for construction equipment rental companies based on your location.

To get accurate quotes, you’ll need to provide the rental company with as much information as possible about your boom lift needs.

Before contacting a rental company, you’ll want to be prepared with detailed information about your job, such as job site conditions, the size of the lift you think you’ll need, exactly how and where you intend to use the lift, and how big the job is.

You’ll also want to provide information about whether the job is indoors or outdoors, your available power, building access, and the terrain outside if it is uneven.

It’s important to contact several different rental companies in your area for quotes and request a complete breakdown of their pricing to ensure you’re getting a fair deal for your boom lift rental.

Once you’ve decided that renting is the right path and you’ve chosen the best lift, look for the best deal.

Telling the company you’re only price-shopping may also encourage some smaller businesses to outdo their competition. If one company is charging more than another for the same service, it’s within your right to ask them to justify the additional cost. In some cases, you may be able to negotiate a better deal!

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